GM Adds Vehicle-To-Home Capability To Ultium Platform EVs

GM goes all in with vehicle-to-grid.

It can be hard to fathom how big the battery is on a typical electric vehicle. An EV capable of driving more than 300 miles, also stores enough energy to power the typical needs of a household for days. But, harnessing that energy isn’t as easy as it sounds, without proper vehicle-to-grid, or vehicle-to-home (V2H), capability embedded into the vehicle. GM has announced that its Ultium-platform vehicles will natively support vehicle-to-home technology.

Basically, owners of the new Chevrolet Silverado, Equinox, Blazer EV, and even the forthcoming Cadillac Escalade IQ, will be able to plug in their vehicles and power their house from the car. This technology allows users to store and use energy at ideal times, such as mitigating loss during a power outage. Or, the vehicle could be used to power the home under peak hours, whilst recharging under off-peak hours, potentially saving energy costs. The possibilities are wide-ranging.

The vehicle’s energy management will be done via GM’s Energy Cloud software, used in tandem with GM Energy’s Ultium Home power equipment. GM’s PowerShift charger and PowerBank enable the vehicle’s V2H and V2G capability, allowing the cars to discharge or recharge and power the home.

This is all part of GM’s plan to expand beyond simply making EV trucks, crossovers, and cars, but also serve as an energy solution for customers. “By integrating V2H across our entire Ultium-based portfolio, we are making this groundbreaking technology available to more consumers, with benefits that extend well beyond the vehicle itself, and at broader scale than ever before,” said Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy.

The exact timing of when each Ultium model will get V2G and V2H capability will be revealed in the future, but GM expects all Ultium cars to be capable by 2026.

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