General Motors isn’t just building electric vehicles — it’s building a new home energy ecosystem.
In 2025, GM became a top-two EV seller in the U.S., with more than 246,000 vehicles equipped with bidirectional charging capability. That means hundreds of thousands of GM EVs on American roads are technically capable of powering a properly equipped home during an outage.
Now, through General Motors subsidiary GM Energy, the company is working to make that capability more accessible with a new leasing program for its home energy management systems.
Turning Your EV Into a Home Backup Power Source
Vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology allows compatible EVs to send electricity back into a home when the grid goes down. But while many GM electric vehicles are equipped with bidirectional charging hardware, additional equipment is required to make the system fully operational.
Currently, homeowners need:
– PowerShift bidirectional charger – $1,999
– V2H enabler kit (includes inverter to convert DC from the vehicle to AC for the home) – $6,299
– Bundled V2H hardware – $8,098 (before installation)
Installation can add thousands more, depending on the home’s electrical setup.
For customers who also want energy storage, GM offers its PowerBank home battery system. When bundled with the V2H system, total costs can range from roughly $15,297 to $26,997 depending on storage capacity — a significant upfront investment for most households.
That’s where leasing comes in.
A Monthly Payment Instead of a Big Upfront Cost
GM Energy plans to introduce a monthly leasing option for its home energy management systems and PowerBank batteries. Instead of paying tens of thousands of dollars upfront, homeowners would make monthly payments — similar to leasing a vehicle.
Wade Sheffer, Vice President of GM Energy, says the goal is simple: lower the barrier to entry and reduce total cost of ownership for customers.
The company has not yet announced monthly pricing, noting that costs will vary based on installation complexity, home configuration, and available local utility incentives. More details are expected later this year.
Why It Matters for U.S. Homeowners
Power outages are becoming more common across the United States — from hurricanes along the Gulf Coast to wildfires in California and severe winter storms in Texas. A vehicle-to-home system offers several advantages over traditional gas generators: no fuel storage, no engine noise, no annual maintenance and seamless integration with home energy systems.
Some GM EV owners are already using their vehicles for more than just emergency backup. By charging overnight when electricity rates are lower and using stored energy during peak hours, homeowners can reduce their electric bills.
In Texas, GM’s “Free Charge Nights” program with Reliant Energy allows EV owners to charge overnight at no cost. Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric’s vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot in California offers incentives of up to $4,500 for eligible participants using qualifying GM Energy products.
EV Batteries vs. Traditional Home Batteries
For comparison, many popular high-end home battery systems store around 13.5 kWh of energy. In contrast, modern EVs often carry significantly more capacity — sometimes five to ten times as much.
That means a properly configured EV can provide extended backup power during an outage, potentially running critical home loads for days depending on usage.
Out of roughly 70 EV models available in the U.S., only about 14 currently offer bidirectional charging capability. Approximately 630,000 such vehicles are already on American roads — and GM accounts for a substantial share of them.
The Bigger Picture: EVs as Energy Assets
GM Energy’s long-term vision goes beyond powering individual homes. The company has reported positive internal testing for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability and is working toward certification with local utilities. In the future, EVs could send energy not just to homes, but back to the grid — helping stabilize the broader electricity system during peak demand.
If successful, GM’s leasing program could accelerate adoption by making energy hardware more financially accessible — not just for GM EV owners, but potentially for any homeowner interested in smarter energy management.
As EV adoption grows in the U.S., the ability to turn your vehicle into a backup generator — and eventually a grid-connected energy asset — could become one of the most compelling benefits of going electric.
[source: Axios]
