As a homeowner, one of the most frustrating things is when the power starts to flicker and go out. How long will it last this time? Generators and battery backups are always an option, but what if you could use another asset with a massive battery – your EV – to help provide power to your properly quipped home through a blackout?
A power outage doesn’t have to put your life on pause. GM EV owners can now use the GM Energy Home System to beat the blackout. This advanced system allows Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC EVs, that are vehicle-to-home capable, to store energy and supply it back to the home—helping to keeping the essentials running and your sanity in check during an outage.
From an entry-level 2027 Chevrolet Bolt to the full-size Silverado EV Max with over 200kWh of capacity, a GM Energy system makes your EV more than a way to get around, it brings peace of mind.
The GM Energy Home System
GM Energy Home System is available in several configurations. To enable bidirectional charging for your GM EV and backup power for your home during an outage, you’ll need the GM Energy V2H Bundle that includes the GM Energy PowerShift Charger and the GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit.
If you already have the PowerShift Charger for your GM EV, you’re just looking at the GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit. This includes the GM Energy Home Hub, Inverter, and Dark Start Battery.
GM Energy Home System: Video
Taking things even further, though, you can add GM Energy PowerBank battery backups. These always-connected batteries can provide power to the home if your GM EV is not connected. I got to go check out a customer’s home with the top-of-the-line GM Energy Home System installed– featuring the maximum 35.4kWh PowerBank capacity.
With the GM Energy Home System, homeowners can also charge a GM Energy PowerBank home battery and use that stored energy when the price of energy goes up. The system also supports compatible solar setups, which may help achieve even greater energy savings.
What vehicles are supported?
One of the biggest features here is that GM is building all of its new EVs with this technology already implemented. GM sold more than 246,000 V2H-capable vehicles to date. And it’s not limited to high-end or premium models. You can use everything from a 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV to a $400,000 Cadillac CELESTIQ.
What does installation look like?
I also got to ask the homeowner about their experience with the installation process, and was able to ask GM Energy about other installations they have completed. I learned that this is not a DIY project. GM Energy works with professionals to install the system based on the house, local codes, and utility.
In the case of the home I visited, most of the equipment was installed along a single wall in the garage, with the Home Hub located by the Utility meter on the opposite side of the house. Everything was cleanly set up.
The GM Energy PowerShift Charger, PowerBank, and Inverter all neatly sit in the garage but could also be installed in other locations in the home. After talking with the homeowner and GM Energy reps, it seems components are sometimes placed in the basement or on opposite sides of the garage.
Electrek’s take
Talking with the GM Energy Homeowner made all of this start to make sense. They’re an EV family who were caught off guard by a four-day power outage. When they started looking into generators and home backups, they were excited to learn that by installing the GM Energy Home System, they could use their GM EV as a battery backup for their home. GM Energy is creating an exciting ecosystem where EV ownership goes far beyond just getting the family around town; it can send power back into the home.
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