General Motors and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) recently announced that they would collaborate to reimagine how customers could use GM electric vehicles as on-demand power sources when needed.
More Chevy EVs: Chevrolet reveals plans for electric Equinox and Blazer
“We are really excited about this innovative collaboration with GM. 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. Not only is this a huge advancement for electric reliability and climate resiliency, it’s yet another advantage of clean-powered EVs, which are so important in our collective battle against climate change,” said PG&E Corporation CEO Patti Poppe.
In California, where PG&E is based, EVs are already vital in the everyday life of residents. These efficient vehicles have helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide drivers with many benefits. By testing the vehicles to see if they offer even more advantages, the companies are hoping to incentivize the purchase of EVs nationwide.
“GM’s collaboration with PG&E further expands our electrification strategy, demonstrating our EVs as reliable mobile sources of power. Our teams are working to rapidly scale this pilot and bring bidirectional charging technology to our customers,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra.
The two companies plan on testing vehicles with bidirectional charging technology to see if that power can be utilized for essential needs of a home during an outage. The pilot program will include various GM EVs via lab testing and the teams are hoping to open the tests to a larger pool of customers by the end of 2022.
Ben never thought he’d be writing about cars for a living, but here he is, knowing more about the Kia Stinger than he’d care to admit. When he’s not devoting his time to researching engine specs and other oh-so-exciting car details, he can be found enjoying time with his wife and dogs. See more articles by Ben.