The automotive group is working with PG&E to develop the crucial and convenient feature.
A major feature of future EVs marketed to consumers is the ability to use these cars as an individual source of power for owners' homes. Currently, the Ford F-150 can power the average household for up to ten days with the help of Sunrun. Hyundai has also gotten on board with this technology using the Ioniq 5 as a platform for its energy-efficient home concept.
General Motors is adding to its expansive EV strategy by stepping into the pool as well. It has announced that it will start to test the use of its electric cars, such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV, to power homes together with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). The pair will apply bidirectional charging technology to the cars for the use of powering homes that can accommodate the technology.
GM is insistent that the electrification of cars is a crucial tool that can be used to help the state of California to achieve its goal of bringing greenhouse gas emissions down to a minimum. With the added benefit of bidirectional charging, its electric cars are set to evolve into a mobile source of power.
The first GM products with bidirectional charging will commence testing this summer. These will be the first units to feature the vehicle-to-home electrical infrastructure that we can expect to roll out to future production vehicels. The bidirectional hardware will be linked to a software-defined communications protocol that has been designed to manage the flow of power from a car to the owner's home with the support of PG&E's electric supply.
Once lab testing is complete, both PG&E and GM have plans to test a vehicle-to-home interconnection. This consists of a small group of customers who will independently run their homes on EV power, free of an electric grid. The goal of this investigation is to show users that using an electric car as a power source is both easy and convenient.
Speaking on the new trial is PG&E Corporation CEO Patti Poppe who says, "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."
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