The competition between car manufacturers to achieve the greatest possible energy savings for electric vehicle owners is intensifying.
GM Energy, the subsidiary of General Motors, has just launched PowerBank, a stationary energy storage battery pack that gives electric vehicle (EV) owners the ability to store and transmit energy from the grid and integrate with residential solar power systems enabled.
The PowerBank, available in 10.6 kWh and 17.7 kWh battery capacity variants, can power a home during a power outage or help offset higher electricity rates during peak demand, GM said. Additionally, customers can also use the PowerBank to store and utilize solar energy, supplement electric vehicle charging, and power a home without the presence of an electric vehicle.
GM says combining two of its 17.7 kWh PowerBanks can provide enough energy to power an average American home for up to 20 hours.
The PowerBank can be purchased as part of two packages: the GM Energy Storage package for $10,999 or the GM Energy Home System package for $12,700. The latter includes a bi-directional electric vehicle charger capable of delivering up to 19.2 kWh of power.
In comparison, Tesla's PowerWall 3 energy storage system can store 13.5 kWh of energy and costs $9,300.
According to GM Vice President Wade Sheffer, a key advantage of the PowerBank is its “modularity,” which allows for easy integration into existing technology.
GM announced in August that it would provide vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology on all of its 2026 models. It will now also offer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which can provide additional energy and financial savings.
Energy savings through the integration of electric vehicles, solar-powered homes and energy grids are increasingly at the heart of electric vehicle manufacturers' offerings.
Nissan, BMW, Ford and Honda have joined forces to offer ChargeScape V2G software, which connects electric vehicles to utilities and the electric grid. Electric vehicle owners can receive financial incentives to pause charging during peak demand or sell energy back to the grid.
While Tesla has so far held back from introducing V2G technology, CEO Elon Musk has hinted that V2G technology could be introduced to Tesla vehicles in 2025.
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