The U.S. Department of Energy says that American companies lose $150 billion a year because of power outages. Because of this, it is very important to have a backup plan ready in case the power goes out. Some electric vehicles can charge their batteries in both directions, so they can power a home or company in case the power goes out on the grid while also getting power to charge their batteries. With GM Energy’s new technology, people can store energy to use when prices go up, charge their electric Chevy or Cadillac, or power their homes when the power goes out.
GM Energy wants to make things easier for its customers by putting everything they offer into one package, even though other companies do the same. Customers can go to their website or a GM store to get the hardware and start the process. Installation help is given by a third-party company called Qmerit. Qmerit can also help if a house needs a new electricity panel.
How it works
GM Energy sells the Ultium Home V2H Bundle, which has a home hub, an inverter, a charger that can charge in both directions and a dark start battery. This device can safely unplug your home from the power grid and send 9.6kW of electricity to it. GM Energy also sells a PowerBank that can store energy from solar panels or off-peak grid power in case you want to be ready for anything.
How much time do you have to run your house
It will depend on how big your home is and which appliances are driven by your EV. Based on the size of the battery, GM Energy execs say that a fully charged EV can power your home for three to six days. Based on an average daily use of 30 kWh, the Silverado EV’s 200-kWh battery pack could power a home for six days.
How much does it cost
It costs $7,500 to get the whole GM Energy V2H package without the PowerBank. Installation needs to be included. Your charger, inverter, and dark start battery may need to be changed for them to work right because every house is different.
Last year, Christian Seabaugh, features writer at Invoice Pricing, looked at how much it would cost to use our long-term Ford F-150 Lightning to power his home with a Ford and Sunrun inverter and charger. The estimate was way off. Seabaugh’s house was built in the 1950s and has a 100-amp electrical panel, which is normal in California. The installation and electrical upgrades would cost $17,340. Different people pay different amounts, and some may be able to do the job for less. Qmerit couldn’t give MT a fitting price because every home is different, but they did promise that prices would go down as more people bought this kind of equipment.
Does this make sense
You should think of this buy as an investment that will pay off over time and could even make your home worth more. You might think the price is too high for what you’re getting, or you might need more power outages where you live. You can now use your car while it’s parked, which will save you money on power and even let you sell it back to the grid if you park your car at home all the time, which is what most people do. In a way, your car can be used as a big battery pack that powers your home’s basics even when the power isn’t out.
During an event in a Beverly Hills, California, home, we saw for ourselves how easy it is to use this bundle. The plugged-in Chevy Silverado EV took over when the power went out at the house and ran it for about eight seconds. GM Energy’s technology can only be used with GM cars right now, but the company is looking into other choices.
The house is powered by the car’s battery, which normally dies when it drops below 20%. But you can change this setting in the entertainment system. Even though we’d love to see this in person one day, this show was pretty simple. GM Energy wants the change to be as easy on GM users as possible.
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