General Motors is introducing a software update that will allow some owners of its electric vehicles in the United States to push electricity from their cars back into the electrical grid, marking another step by automakers into energy services.
The update extends GM’s vehicle-to-home system - which currently permits an EV to power a home during a blackout - by adding the option to dispatch electricity to the grid during periods of high demand. Under the arrangement, vehicle-to-home system owners could sell power to their utility when prices rise, with GM retaining a portion of the payments.
A GM spokesperson said the company has thousands of vehicle-to-home users, but declined to give an exact number. The company has limited the details about uptake so far and acknowledged that it is not yet clear whether many drivers will choose to sell electricity rather than keep their vehicles charged for travel.
GM Energy Chief Revenue Officer Aseem Kapur said the automaker is in talks with about 10 utilities as it seeks partners to enable vehicle-to-grid transactions. Very few utilities currently support this type of capability, and the practice remains largely in a pilot phase.
Utility cooperation is required for vehicle-to-grid functionality to work operationally, according to GM. The company expects a commercial rollout in the next few months, initially focusing on California and Texas. In Michigan, GM has launched a vehicle-to-grid pilot in partnership with DTE Energy that involves 30 GM employees participating in the test.
Utilities have generally approached the vehicle-to-grid concept cautiously. The article notes three factors behind that caution: the capital investment required to support two-way power flows, lingering uncertainty about the technology, and questions about the potential scale - specifically how many users would participate.
The move forms part of a broader trend of automakers exploring energy businesses. Automakers, including GM’s rival Ford Motor, have been following Tesla’s lead by attempting to build energy-related services as extensions of their vehicle offerings.
Whether the vehicle-to-grid option will achieve broad adoption among EV owners remains uncertain, and the technology's wider establishment depends on utilities' willingness to invest and cooperate, according to the company statements and pilot programs described.