GM establishes new unit to help connect EVs with the power grid

One of the largest looming questions about the mass adoption of electric vehicles is whether the power grid can keep up with increased demand.

General Motors wants to provide an answer – and perhaps some power – to ensure reliability for both utility operators and motorists.

The automaker unveiled a new business unit Tuesday called GM Energy that houses EV-related products and services for residential and commercial customers.

GM Energy is comprised of the new "Ultium Home" and "Ultium Commercial" lines, which share branding with the company's signature battery platform, and it includes the preexisting "Ultium Charge" offering that aims to provide more seamless on-the-go charging experiences, which GM started in 2021.

Combined, the automaker envisions a portfolio of products and services that provide reliability and flexibility at a time when the transportation and energy sectors are increasingly intertwined.

"This all allows us to move into a new white space that's being created by energy management," Travis Hester, vice president of GM EV growth operations, told Automotive News.

The availability of all GM Energy components is expected by the end of 2023, Hester said, but the initial rollout already started in August and will occur in stages.

Ultium Home and Commercial will offer products and services that enable bidirectional charging, allowing an EV to draw power from an electrical service or send excess power back to utilities and perhaps receive compensation.

"If you're a customer and allow GM Energy to access, say, 10 percent of your battery on an as-needed basis we can move that energy around," Hester said.

In addition, GM Energy will provide solar and stationary energy storage products, and will be compatible with fuel cells. The hardware is supported by software and management tools that are part of GM's Energy Services Cloud, according to GM.

The company says it has already enrolled EV customers in charging programs through its Energy Services Cloud, the result of work with multiple utility companies in four U.S. states. Several firms already have been working with GM Energy or agreed to work with the business unit.

Solar technology and energy provider SunPower is one of them. The two companies have agreed to offer customers home energy systems that consist of integrated EV and batteries, solar panels and home energy storage. SunPower will be a preferred installer of the home energy system, which will be available alongside the retail launch of the 2024 Chevy Silverado EV, GM said.

GM is further working with utility companies such as Con Edison, Graniterock and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative. A separate initiative involved a pilot project between GM Energy and Pacific Gas and Electric that allowed customers to use compatible EVs for backup power during outages.

The intent is for these solutions to ease the burden on utilities as EV adoption grows and to strengthen the grid when power is needed, Hester said.

"GM has been pretty overt in saying that we think we're going to have a million customers driving EVs by 2025," he said. The Chevrolet Silverado will have a 200-kilowatt battery. "You multiply that by a million units and that's more capacity anybody would need at any given time," Hester said.

On the receiving end, GM Energy's storage devices will allow EV owners to purchase energy when it is less expensive and save it.

"When there's a local blackout and you can't run your business or your home, the stationary storage devices can supplement and run them," Hester said.

"That's when utilities can lean on us," he said. "We can take percentages of all of those battery assets, aggregate it and push power back to the utilities."