General Motors has announced that it will expand its commitment to electric vehicles with their new business unit called GM Energy. The company has said that it will offer vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid charging, stationary battery storage, solar products, software applications and cloud management tools for retail and commercial customers.
“We are not just focused on the vehicle,” said Mark Bole, vice president and head of V2X battery solutions at GM.
“We’re focused on energy, on the infrastructure, on the entire ecosystem because we know we really need to enable it for EV adoption.”
The company said in a press release that “the central face for GM Energy solutions will be GM’s Energy Services Cloud, which will house data and energy management tools, connecting customers seamlessly with residential, fleet and commercial energy assets.”
The aim for the company is that customers can manage their energy consumption through GM’s energy software applications.
“The reliability of the U.S. electrical power grid has never been more important,” said Travis Hester, vice president of GM EV Growth Operations.
“GM Energy has the opportunity to help deliver sustainable energy products and services that can help mitigate the effect of power outages and provide customers with resilient and cost-effective energy management.”
Several companies are already on board with GM energy to provide energy solutions to customers and receive product or service offerings; an agreement with SunPower has been made to develop and offer customers a home energy system which is said to consist of integrated EV and battery solutions, solar panels and home energy storage.
SunPower is also said to become a preferred installer for the home energy system and offer customers the opportunity to add solar to their home. The home energy system will be available alongside the retail launch of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, expected to begin production in fall 2023 said GM.
Another venture includes a V2H pilot program between GM Energy and Pacific Gas and Electric Company. This plan is to allow residential customers to use their compatible EVs along with a bi-directional charger, as backup power for essential home needs during short-term power outages. Services are expected to begin in 2023.
“GM Energy’s mission is to offer customers access to a full suite of energy products and services, including solutions beyond the vehicle, accelerating the seamless transition to an all-electric future,” said Hester.
“With the expansion of our enterprise business through GM Energy and one of the most comprehensive portfolios of energy management products and services available, we will help to reduce the barriers of entry for sustainable power and further accelerate the mass adoption of EVs.”
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