PG&E’s PowerHouse shows how residents can use the expanded vehicle-to-everything bidirectional charging program at home.
PG&E
During a sunny day last month at Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Applied Technology Services building in San Ramon, California, east of San Francisco, an all-electric “home” was humming in the midday sun.
PG&E’s PowerHouse is a model home showcasing clean energy methods, products and partners, like the Chevrolet Silverado EV truck that was plugged into the house via a General Motors battery pack for bidirectional EV charging that afternoon. The model home shows how EVs are part of a suite of equipment ranging from heat pumps, home appliances like refrigerators and stovetops and even HVAC systems that hook up to the grid.
The PG&E PowerHouse is a fully electric home.
Sasha Lekach
“Customers are moving toward connected homes,” Chris Moris, the PowerHouse chief grid architect, said while standing in the air-conditioned studio home that launched earlier this year. “We provide access to what customers are buying.”
On Monday, PG&E announced even more eligible vehicles to store and redistribute energy from everyday car and homeowners. The growing list now includes Kia, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan EVs, along with additional GM electric vehicles.
A Chevrolet Silverado EV can plug into a bidirectional charger.
Sasha Lekach
An extension of a home appliance, EVs are becoming another energy source and a product that homeowners are buying. “[We are] offering them a way turn their EV into a home backup and a grid asset,” David Almeida, director of clean energy transportation at PG&E, said in a statement.
The new additions work with certain chargers including:
Nissan Leaf (2018-2025) with a dcbel Ara chargerVolvo EX90 (2025) with a dcbel Ara chargerPolestar 3 (2025) with a dcbel Ara chargerKia EV9 (2024 and newer) with a Wallbox Quasar 2 chargerKia EV6 (2025 and newer) with a Wallbox Quasar 2 charger
The full EV list is now:
Ford F-150 Lightning 2022+
Chevrolet Silverado EV 2024+
Chevrolet Equinox EV 2024+
Chevrolet Blazer EV 2024+
Chevrolet Bolt EV 2027+
Cadillac LYRIQ 2024+
Cadillac ESCALADE IQ 2025+
Cadillac ESCALADE IQL 2025+
Cadillac OPTIQ 2025+
Cadillac VISTIQ 2026+
Cadillac CELESTIQ 2025+
GMC Sierra EV 2024+
GMC Hummer EV 2026+
Tesla Cybertruck
Kia EV9 2024+
Kia EV6 2025+
Volvo EX90 2025
Polestar 3 2025
Nissan Leaf 2018-2025
EVs become mobile battery packs with a bidirectional charger and can use stored energy in the car to power the house during outages, high-demand times or as a cost-saving tool while giving back to the grid. PG&E wants to encourage more V2X usage at homes, and offers up to $4,500 in incentives for certain demographics. It’s $2,500 upfront and an additional $1,500 for the first 250 customers who enroll. As the end of July, 51 customers were already participating.
Eligible EV and utility customers can enroll in the V2X pilot programs through June 30, 2027.