GM and PG&E Collaborate on Breakthrough Bidirectional Charging Technology for Electric Vehicles

Strategic Insights -

General Motors and Pacific Gas and Electric Company have announced a pioneering collaboration to create a pilot program that utilizes GM electric vehicles as on-demand power sources for homes in PG&E's service area. This innovative partnership integrates bidirectional charging technology, allowing GM electric vehicles to safely power homes during grid outages. The pilot aims to develop a user-friendly vehicle-to-home customer experience, with the goal of scaling customer trials by the end of 2022.

Key Takeaways:

  • GM and PG&E are collaborating on a pilot program to utilize GM electric vehicles as on-demand power sources for homes in PG&E's service area.
  • The program will use bidirectional charging technology, allowing GM electric vehicles to safely power homes during grid outages.
  • The pilot will include multiple GM electric vehicles, with the goal of testing the first vehicle-to-home capable EV and charger by summer 2022.
  • By the end of 2025, GM will have over 1 million units of EV capacity in North America in response to increasing demand.
  • The company's Ultium Platform enables EVs for every lifestyle and price point, and GM's collaboration with PG&E further expands its electrification strategy.
  • The initiative will test vehicle-to-home interconnection, allowing a small subset of customers' homes to receive power from the EV when power stops flowing from the electric grid.
  • GM and PG&E plan to create a user-friendly vehicle-to-home customer experience for this new technology.
  • Both companies are working vigorously to scale the pilot program, with the goal of creating more extensive customer trials by the end of 2022.
  • Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E Corporation, highlighted the importance of this collaboration, stating, "Imagine a future where everyone is driving an electric vehicle -- and where that EV serves as a backup power option at home and more broadly as a resource for the grid."
  • Mary Barra, GM Chair and CEO, mentioned that the company's teams are working to rapidly scale the pilot and bring bidirectional charging technology to customers.

Statistics:

  • By 2025, GM will have over 1 million units of EV capacity in North America in response to increasing demand.
  • The pilot program aims to test the first vehicle-to-home capable EV and charger by summer 2022.
  • GM's Ultium Platform enables EVs for every lifestyle and price point.

Sources:

  • J.D. Power (no date provided)