Photo: GM
Bidirectional charging is one of the coolest capabilities of electric vehicles. GM just announced joining the fray with a vehicle-to-home (V2H) system that allows a compatible EV to send up to 10.2 kW to your home. The first GM electric vehicle to do that is the Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, with other Ultium-based models to come by 2026.
Bidirectional charging allows an electric vehicle not only to use electricity to charge the battery but also to power external devices using the energy stored in its battery. Bidirectional charging has multiple use cases, from offering outlets to power appliances (vehicle-to-load or V2L) to charging other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle or V2V) and providing electricity to the house in an emergency (vehicle-to-home or V2H). The latter is especially handy during weather-related outages, which have become more common in recent years. Finally, bidirectional charging can also be used to stabilize the grid in a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) configuration.
Bidirectional charging has become more popular lately, with more electric vehicles adopting V2X features. GM has offered some of them with the 2024 GMC Hummer EV, specifically V2L and V2V, but not the more advanced V2H. The Chevrolet Silverado EV RST is the first GM vehicle to power a house in an outage thanks to more advanced V2H capability. The electric pickup truck will ship with onboard V2H bidirectional charging tech, but it needs compatible equipment on the house end to function.
The V2H bundle announced by GM Energy, the carmaker's energy division, is the first such equipment. The kit comprises the GM Energy Powershift Charger and GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit. This basic setup allows power to be sent from a GM EV to a home. GM Energy will expand the product lineup to also include stationary energy storage and solar integration later this year. This will make it a direct competitor to Tesla Powerwall and Solar products.
GM Energy's V2H bundle doesn't come cheap, especially considering the equipment doesn't include Li-ion batteries. The Powershift Charger costs $1,699, while the V2H Enablement Kit adds $5,600, for a total of $7,299. Installation costs are not included and will vary depending on your home's existing setup. GM partnered with Qmerit to install the system. For comparison, Ford sells a similar setup, including the Home Integration system ($3,895) and a Ford Charge Station Pro ($1,310).
When using GM Energy's bidirectional charging system, a Silverado EV RST can provide up to 10.2 kW of power to your home in an outage. The big 200-kWh battery pack could sustain your home for up to 21 days. Later, GM will expand V2H capabilities to other models, including the Sierra EV Denali, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Cadillac LYRIQ. Some of them might require a dealership visit or an over-the-air update to enable V2H features.
Bidirectional charging has become more popular lately, with more electric vehicles adopting V2X features. GM has offered some of them with the 2024 GMC Hummer EV, specifically V2L and V2V, but not the more advanced V2H. The Chevrolet Silverado EV RST is the first GM vehicle to power a house in an outage thanks to more advanced V2H capability. The electric pickup truck will ship with onboard V2H bidirectional charging tech, but it needs compatible equipment on the house end to function.
The V2H bundle announced by GM Energy, the carmaker's energy division, is the first such equipment. The kit comprises the GM Energy Powershift Charger and GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit. This basic setup allows power to be sent from a GM EV to a home. GM Energy will expand the product lineup to also include stationary energy storage and solar integration later this year. This will make it a direct competitor to Tesla Powerwall and Solar products.
GM Energy's V2H bundle doesn't come cheap, especially considering the equipment doesn't include Li-ion batteries. The Powershift Charger costs $1,699, while the V2H Enablement Kit adds $5,600, for a total of $7,299. Installation costs are not included and will vary depending on your home's existing setup. GM partnered with Qmerit to install the system. For comparison, Ford sells a similar setup, including the Home Integration system ($3,895) and a Ford Charge Station Pro ($1,310).
When using GM Energy's bidirectional charging system, a Silverado EV RST can provide up to 10.2 kW of power to your home in an outage. The big 200-kWh battery pack could sustain your home for up to 21 days. Later, GM will expand V2H capabilities to other models, including the Sierra EV Denali, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Cadillac LYRIQ. Some of them might require a dealership visit or an over-the-air update to enable V2H features.
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