GM Energy specifies B2C services and bi-directional charging
General Motors’ charging and energy business, GM Energy, has released details on its consumer-facing services. The Ultium Home suite now includes three bundles which offer V2H functionality and the integration of renewable energy storage, with or without an EV.
The new solutions are the first available to residential customers through GM Energy after GM established the business in the autumn of 2022. GM Energy said it designed the bundles “to provide greater energy independence, resiliency and value, enabling the use of backup power for essential home needs during times when energy is unavailable from the grid”.
Said backup power mainly relies on V2X-ready electric cars. However, the third option called Ultium Home Energy Storage Bundle does not require customers to own an electric car. Instead, it utilises GM’s PowerBank, inverter and the home hub. When launching GM Energy, the company had already previewed such a solution and worked with SunPower, a solar technology and energy services provider. This cooperation was confirmed today.
As for the other two options involving an electric car, GM intends to launch the new system for V2H services in synch with the Chevrolet Silverado EV, expected in 2024.
The Ultium Home V2H Bundle will include GM’s PowerShift Charger, which enables bidirectional charging with a compatible GM EV when paired with Ultium Home V2H Enablement Kit. The latter includes said inverter and home hub alongside a dark start battery. It delivers up to 19.2 kW AC charge speed and 9.6 kW discharge power.
The following service in the lineup, the Ultium Home Energy System, offers all of the above with the addition of the GM PowerBank (think Tesla’s solar batteries). The Ultium stationary storage unit can connect to the V2H kit to provide backup and store solar or grid energy. It is available in 5 kW/10.6 kWh and 7 kW/17.7 kWh variants.
The Ultium Home products will be connected to the GM Energy Cloud, a software platform allowing customers to manage energy transfers.
MSRP and timeline for delivery for each of the initial product bundles will vary, GM said today, but looking at previous communications will likely come to fruition earliest next year.
Not mentioned in today’s communications was V2G capacity. However, GM Energy is working with PG&E in pilot projects with Con Edison, Graniterock and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC).
“As GM Energy’s ecosystem of connected products and services continues to expand, we’re excited to provide customers with options for greater energy management beyond the vehicle,” said Wade Sheffer, VP of GM Energy. “Our initial Ultium Home offerings represent an opportunity for customers to take greater control over their personal energy independence and resiliency.”
General Motors presented the Ultium platform in September 2021, calling it “the heart of the EV product strategy” as the architecture includes the proprietary batteries (manufactured by Ultium Cells, a joint venture with LGES) and the proprietary drive and power electronics. These build the foundation for all future GM electric vehicles and services now offered through GM Energy. GM will launch 30 new EVs globally through 2025, utilising Ultium technology.
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