General Motors Plans To Test Its Electric Vehicles As Backup Home Generators

General Motors has been at the forefront of automative innovations in recent years, ranging from a self-driving Cadillac concept to revolutionary airless tires.

Now, it’s teamed up with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) for a new project: to use electric vehicles as backup power generators for homes.

According to NPR, the pilot program will begin tests this summer in Northern and Central California, as part of an effort to reduce greenhouse emissions.

This initiative will make use of bidirectional charging, which will allow an electric vehicle to both use power from a grid as well as supply power elsewhere, such as a home.

“Not only is this a huge advancement for electric reliability and climate resiliency, it’s yet another advantage of clean-powered EVs, which are so important in our collective battle against climate change,” explained PG&E CEO, Patti Poppe.

As per Input, PG&E’s involvement in the project will allow GM to identify how bidirectional charging interacts with a larger supply grid, enabling the firm to come up with the most efficient way of implementing the technology going forward.

Following the trial, the team will expand the test to a small group of customers who will experience power generation at their own homes. 

“Our teams are working to rapidly scale this pilot and bring bidirectional charging technology to our customers,” said GM CEO, Mary Barra. 

[via NPR and Input, cover image via Jonathan Weiss | Dreamstime.com]