GM is releasing a software update that allows some EV owners to sell power to the grid
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General Motors announced on Tuesday that it will release a software update that allows some electric vehicle (EV) owners to feed power back into the electric grid.
The update allows owners of GM’s the power of the car to go home system, which allows an EV to power a home during a blackout, is extended capacity to send electricity to the power grid.
Owners of the system will be able to sell energy from their vehicles back to utility providers during peak demand, with GM receiving a portion of the proceeds. EVs are considered an untapped resource for balancing the electrical grid to meet the high demand from AI data centers and extreme weather events.
GM said it alone has more than 250,000 bi-directional vehicles on US roads at this time, and will integrate the vehicle-to-grid technology into all of its planned EVs going forward.
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GM’s vehicle-to-grid program will allow consumers to pay less and be compensated when their EV power is fed back into the grid to support during peak demand. (Megan Varner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
It said the quarter-million GM EVs it knows transmission of motor power to the grid it currently has enough storage capacity to power 120,000 homes for up to one week.
GM said it is actively testing vehicle grid integration technology in partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), and expects by 2030 to have more than 52,000 GM EVs actively participating in grid balancing protocols.
It also performs tests internally In Michigan with DTE Energy, using the homes of GM employees, to increase reliable storage capacity in a way that suits homeowners’ EV preferences, GM Energy Vice President Wade Sheffer said it is “a win-win for customers, automakers, and utilities.”
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| A ticker | Security | Finally | Change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | This company GENERAL MOTORS CO. | 79.40 | -4.36 |
-5.21% |
“Maintaining a safe, reliable, and affordable grid is critical. This transition will not be easy, and we deeply respect the challenge of balancing daily grid reliability with rapid innovation,” Sheffer said in the letter, adding that the company sees three areas where utilities, regulators and automakers can ease the way forward.
That includes increasing customer enrollment applications with GM and industry partners, to educate them on EV grid support and a number of utility programs and pricing, with best practices developed within its ongoing regional testing projects.
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GM aims to have more than 50,000 of its EVs participating in grid balancing by 2030. (Nick Lachance/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
GM noted that consumers will be more motivated to participate when they are given clear and appropriate incentives, such as increasing local, time-of-use pricing, which allows EV owners to charge more cost-effectively during energy surpluses and receive appropriate compensation to support the grid during peak or peak demand periods.
GM also said that streamlining paperwork, engineering reviews and service coordination processes would improve consumer confidence in being able to easily buy and install a dual-directional charger.
“It’s time to look at the parking lots and sidewalks in our communities as a vast, distributed energy asset waiting to be tapped. Working together, we can help ensure an affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy future for everyone,” Sheffer’s letter said.
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Reuters contributed to this report.
