Puget Sound Energy and ChargeScape have announced that they are testing new vehicle-to-home technology that would allow electric vehicles to power homes during power outages.
Partnering with Ford, Kia, and Wallbox, the initial demonstrations were conducted with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Kia EV9 and confirmed that the vehicles could serve as backup power sources for a home, according to a release.
“We want more people to understand the benefits of owning an electric vehicle, which extends far beyond the fact that they are fun to drive,” David McCreadie, director of EV Grid Energy Services at Ford, said in the release. “PSE is helping us do just that. By embracing this technology now, PSE is not only gaining critical insights to benefit their own grid operations, but more importantly, they are paving the way to enable EV customers with opportunities to realize significant electricity-bill savings and enhanced reliability through this game-changing technology.”
The technology would aid customers during power outages, reduce energy costs, and improve reliability, the release said.
Initial program enrollment is focusing on PSE employees with bidirectional EVs. PSE hopes to open the program to customers sometime in 2027.
