Bidirectional charging is nearly mainstream

A home in Silicon Valley goes dark for a moment, then clicks back to life. A GM Energy employee had switched off the house's access to the grid. When it detects a lack of power the GM Energy PowerShift Charger box, inverter, and Silverado EV switch from charging the vehicle or sitting idle to powering the home.

Ford's F-150 Lighting and Kia's EV9 also have bi-directional charging boxes that can keep the lights on when the grid fails. Bidirectional charging, or V2H (vehicle to home), is one of the more important features of electric vehicles. It has the potential to keep the lights on during blackouts, save people money on their utility bills and help balance the grid.