GM Says Vehicle-To-Home Charging Is Coming, But There's A Long Wait

Update 8/8/2023: GM has reached out to SlashGear to confirm that the Silverado EV RST and other Ultium EVs will be getting bidirectional charging before 2026, but hasn't confirmed specific timing yet. GM has also confirmed that the next-gen Chevy Bolt will be capable of bidirectional charging as well, but details regarding timing will be revealed at a later date.

Vehicle-to-home charging (also known as bidirectional charging) is one of the more exciting — and useful — aspects of electric vehicle ownership. In the event of a power outage or high strain on the electrical grid, an EV can effectively power important parts of your house, provided the right infrastructure is in place. This technology was one of the main selling points of Ford's flagship F-150 Lightning EV. 

Now, General Motors has announced that it's adding the technology to its entire lineup of EVs that use the Ultium architecture, including several 2024 models. But there's a catch, as you may have to wait until 2026 to use the feature, according to a General Motors press release. Such 2024 model-year EVs include the Silverado EV, the yet-to-be-revealed Escalade IQ, the Blazer EV, Equinox EV, Sierra Denali EV, and Lyriq. GM has not announced how it will roll out the technology in 2026.

GM's Ultium Home tech (part of the larger GM Energy label) will be center stage for all its home energy solutions. Wade Sheffer, the vice president of GM Energy, said: "GM Energy's growing ecosystem of energy management solutions will help accelerate GM's vision of an all-electric future, by further expanding access to even more benefits that EV's can offer. By integrating V2H across our entire Ultium-based portfolio, we are making this groundbreaking technology available to more consumers, with benefits that extend well beyond the vehicle itself, and at broader at scale (sic) than ever before."

Notably absent from the list of supported vehicles mentioned are the GMC Hummer EV series of super trucks and the upcoming next generation of Chevy Bolt. Although GM has not stated why, the super limited nature of the Hummer is likely to blame, and the next generation Bolt may not utilize a full Ultium platform, only some components. But if you plan on owning a Silverado or Equinox EV, it will pay to be patient and wait for the new features to roll out.