Automotive Engineering - September 2024 - 14

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Rendering of
anticipated GM
Energy V2H
Bundle offering.
Simulated
products shown.
Subject to
change. Actual
production
model may
vary. Expected
timeline for
delivery will
vary.
hid all of the electrical plumbing. If
there isn't sufficient room on a garage
or carport wall, everything is rated for
outdoor installation as well, William
Hotchkiss, GM Energy's head of safety
and quality, told SAE Media.
The proprietary system consists of a
$1,699 GM Powershift Charger, a $5,600
V2H Enablement Kit and, available later
this year, an optional $5,000, 10.6 kWh
modular backup storage battery stack. A
17.7 kWh battery will also be available,
and each segment can be purchased
separately, so a system can be staged
over several years to accommodate budgetary
constraints. Additional modules
can be added to the backup battery for
a total of 35.4 kWh of storage.
There are three parts to the
Enablement Kit - the Home Hub, a
power inverter and a small " dark start "
battery that provides initial power when
a blackout hits.
GM Energy's home system contains a
2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST in a residential driveway with GM Energy products.
Ultimately, GM intends to enable its
system owners to earn some money
back by charging when power is cheap
and selling unused energy to the grid at
peak periods when utilities will pay
them a premium, said Aseem Kapur, GM
Energy's chief revenue officer.
In addition to the Silverado EV, which
lists for $96,495 (less expensive trims
will follow), the GM Energy Home
System requires $7,299 worth of equipment.
Ford's is around $5,200. This isn't
a DIY system, so installation could add
more than 50% to the total, depending
on how many circuits you want on
backup power, how long the electrical
runs are and whether you need to upgrade
your home's electrical service in
order to handle the mandatory EV charger's
maximum draw of 80 amps.
An equivalent whole-house solar
backup power system could cost more
14 September 2024
than $20,000 but doesn't require EV
ownership. Whole house generators
that run on natural gas or propane cost
considerably less, but are noisier and
emit environment-damaging gases
By the end of 2024, GM Energy plans
to make modular storage batteries
available and implement solar panel
system connectivity that would make
the system - like Tesla's Powerwall - usable
without being connected to an EV.
How it Works
GM recently showed off its system at a
10,000 sq-ft (929 sq-m) residence in
Beverly Hills, California, that powered
critical home elements - lights, ventilation
and kitchen appliances - for an
entire evening using just a few kW.
The system components were installed
on an interior wall of the garage
behind a neatly finished pop-out that
Wi-Fi modem and Ethernet connection
that enables remote monitoring and
control via the homeowner's smartphone
or computer, along with an electrical
panel that connects to up to 200
amps of home circuits. There's also a
controller with the programming and
circuitry to identify a power outage,
shut down the home's connection to
the grid and order the charger to stop
delivering current to the vehicle and
start drawing from it.
The bidirectional charger allows the
appropriate GM vehicle's battery to be
charged at up to 19.2 kilowatts when
connected to a dedicated 80-amp, 240volt
circuit.
The charger will operate with power
from the grid or from a home solar panel
array. It sends alternating current to
the vehicle, where an onboard inverter
changes it to direct current for storage
in the battery pack. When the system
draws power from the battery, at a
maximum of 9.6 kW, the inverter in the
Enablement Kit changes it back to AC
to feed the home's circuitry.
GM Energy is using Qmerit, a national
EV charger installation company, for
installation.
John O'Dell
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
BOTH IMAGES: GM
Automotive Engineering - September 2024

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