The new Chevrolet Silverado EV is set to launch this fall, and GM will be debuting some interesting new EV technology alongside it.
It's called GM Energy, and it consists of three pillars: Ultium Home, Ultium Commercial, and Ultium Charge 360. The goal is to create what GM calls "a holistic ecosystem of energy management products and services that will be housed under a new business unit called GM Energy."
It sounds a bit like Hyundai's Vehicle-to-Everything strategy, at least in some regards. It'll offer bi-directional charging and vehicle-to-everything, much like the Koreans do. Moreover, you'll be able to use your car to power your home, much like you can with the F-150 Lightning.
On top of that, you might be able to make a little scratch on the side, thanks to GM Energy. This sounds like Volvo's system, which sells energy back to the grid during peak hours after harvesting it at low-usage times when energy is cheaper. GM will do that, too, keeping the juice in your EV or a stationary battery. Of course, those can also discharge into your EV, kind of like Tesla's Powerwall.
"GM Energy has the opportunity to help deliver sustainable energy products and services that can help mitigate the effect of power outages and provide customers with resilient and cost-effective energy management," said Travis Hester, VP of GM EV Growth Operations.
Users will interface with these systems via the GM Energy Services Cloud, which will house data and energy management tools. You'll be able to manage your energy storage and consumption via these tools. GM hasn't provided specifics on what form that will take just yet.
According to GM, some large-scale companies have agreed to work with it on the multi-faceted push. That includes solar provider SunPower. The two will, per GM, "offer customers... integrated EV and battery solutions, solar panels and home energy storage." GM says it's also working with PG&E on bi-directional charging as a backup for your home during, for example, a power outage. That is expected to begin this year.
This push also means an expansion of Ultium Charge 360, which will result in more in-network public chargers, apps, and other services as time goes on. GM has yet to announce pricing on any of these services, but we imagine we'll have more details as the launch of the Silverado EV creeps closer.
