GM says EV batteries can send power back to the grid

In short: General Motors says parked electric cars could help keep the power grid stable by sending electricity back when demand is high.

What happened

General Motors (GM) shared several energy related updates at an event in San Francisco. The company linked its plans to rising electricity use, including demand from AI data centers (large buildings full of computers that run AI services).

First, GM said it will activate new vehicle-to-grid capabilities for existing customers who own a GM electric vehicle and use GM home energy equipment. Vehicle-to-grid, often called V2G, means a car can both take power from the grid when charging and also send power back out when needed. Think of it like a phone power bank, but much bigger, and connected to your house or the local power network.

Second, GM outlined a new strategy for commercial energy storage. It plans to use newly developed sodium ion batteries for industrial scale grid uses. Sodium ion is a type of battery chemistry that uses sodium instead of lithium, and it is aimed here at large storage systems rather than cars.

Third, GM said it is launching a new feature for EV owners that it claims will make public charging simpler.

Why it matters

The US now has millions of EVs, and many sit parked for long stretches with full batteries. GM is betting that utilities will want to tap some of that stored energy, especially during heat waves, cold snaps, or other peak times, to reduce strain on the grid and avoid outages. If this works at scale, EV owners could eventually have more ways to use their car battery at home, not just for driving.

Source: The Verge AI