Power outages have become an unfortunate recurring event across much of the country. Last month, for example, a powerful winter storm in the Northeast caused an outage for over 600,000 homes and businesses.

I’ve written before about how you or someone you know needs clean backup power (read: not from a fossil fueled generator). The recent winter storm may just be one of those times, or it may be the next event, whether a winter storm, public safety power shut off for wildfire prevention, hurricane, or another emergency. At that time, I also wrote about how electric vehicles can be a solution in times of power outages, acting like a quiet generator with no direct air pollution emissions through vehicle-to-home (V2H) power flow. Short of V2H, the more limited vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality that many electric vehicles have can also help in a pinch to power a critical devices, such as a refrigerator or fan. V2L is also great for powering tools at a job site or gear on your next camping trip.

In principle, electric vehicles can do more than backup power V2H and off-grid V2L.  Drivers with a properly equipped electric vehicle and home set-up have the option to use their vehicles routinely in coordination with electricity grid needs to lower their electricity bills through bill credits or incentives. Drivers can do this through managed charging (grid-to-vehicle aka V1G) or bidirectional charging (vehicle-to-grid aka V2G).  

V1G and V2G involve charging up vehicles at times when renewable generation is abundant or when demands on the grid are low. In the case of V2G, vehicles also discharge when the grid needs some extra juice. In so doing, V1G and V2G lower costs for the grid by better utilizing grid resources, including cheaper sources of energy, and by deferring or avoiding grid upgrades that would otherwise need to be made to meet the demand for energy on the grid. Lower grid costs mean relatively lower bills over the long term for all electricity customers. UCS analysis has demonstrated the potential magnitude of V1G and V2G grid savings into the future. (spoiler: it’s in the billions per year!)

I’ll come back to V1G and V2G a little later. First, we need to know, what is the market currently delivering in terms of vehicle functionality and what else may you need to use that functionality?  

To do any kind of bidirectional charging, the vehicle must have both the hardware and software to enable that capability. A key component is a battery management system that allows for discharging the battery for a purpose other than running the electric motors that move the vehicle.

Many new electric vehicles can do V2L bidirectional charging. My Hyundai Ioniq 5, for example, has USB outlets in the cabin, and I have the option of using an adapter for the charging port through which a power cord or extension cord can be plugged in. Some Ioniq 5 trim levels also have a regular wall outlet type receptacle under the back seat. My Ioniq 5 is not, unfortunately, equipped for V2H, but many new vehicles are.

Indeed, the good news is that the market is beginning to deliver V2H capability for home backup power in a growing number of electric vehicle models. And drivers are buying those models: V2H-capable models have grown as a share of electric vehicle sales, reaching over 18 percent in the U.S. in 2025. News from Hyundai outlines plans to start full V2H for home backup power with the Ioniq 9, and meanwhile, Hyundai subsidiary Kia rolled out V2H in 2025 for the Kia EV9. Other available models include Chevy’s Equinox, Balzer,  Silverado, and upcoming 2027 Bolt, as well as the Ford F150 Lightning units that made it off the line before production stopped (over 100,000 of them). There’s the Tesla Cybertruck, Volvo E90, and Polestar 3, too. V2H-capable models from Rivian and BMW are anticipated in the near future.

The most sophisticated end of the bidirectional charging capability range V2G. It allows an EV to discharge power to a driver’s house while the house is actively connected with the grid. Grid-coordinated EV discharge may involve offsetting the house’s electricity needs or exporting power through the house and beyond the electricity meter back to the grid.  This is different from V2H that is set up for backup power purposes only, which you may also see referred to as V2H. (It’s confusing, I know!) The main difference is the kind of connection to the electricity grid you pursue with your local utility. There may also be software to update in the vehicle.

Providing consumers with more options for affordable models with V2H is important. Notably the V2H-capable models mentioned above span a range of price points, including the forthcoming 2027 Bolt on the more affordable end (advertised at around $30,000). However, that V2H capability (and V2G capability for that matter) is not universal in new vehicles is a problem. The majority of drivers purchase on the used market, and consequently are subject to the preferences of new car buyers. If new car buyers choose V2H capable models, then more V2H options will be available on the used market. If they don’t, V2H capability on the used market will remain limited, preventing many drivers from having this important option for clean backup power and other bidirectional charging opportunities. That’s where policy can help by ensuring V2H capability (and better yet, V2G) is offered across all electric vehicle models: if all new models have V2H, the more and more vehicles on the used market will have it over time.

For V2L, you may need the charging port adapter. Some models come with it (check the spec sheet posted in the window!), or it may have to be purchased separately.  

V2H, even just for home backup power, takes a bit more external hardware, including a bidirectional capable charger, control system, and other electronics. This is where additional setup cost comes in, though most of the extra cost would be the same as that of a whole house generator or stationary battery system. Currently, most automakers have only OK’ed their vehicles to push power through their own proprietary system or a single, specific third-party provider. Take, for examples, the General Motors V2H kit (also requires their PowerShift Charger) or the Sunrun system for the Ford F-150 Lightning (requires Ford’s Charge Station Pro and a V2H activation fee for some trim levels).

It’s encouraging to see automakers going beyond vehicle capability to ensure their customers have all the components needed to set up V2H at their homes. At the same time, the walled gardens each automaker has created limits driver choice and prevents them from shopping around for the best price and functionality for a V2H rig. This is another instance in which policy can help by requiring interoperability. And I mean implementation of interoperability, not just capability to adhere to the relevant standards.

When my household first acquired an electric vehicle, I lived in a rented apartment. Even if my Ioniq 5 was equipped with V2H backup capability, I wouldn’t have been able to install the home setup because I didn’t have access or authority to make changes to my electrical panel. Multiunit housing is a tough nut that needs cracking to unlock V2H for back-up power, as well as vehicle-to-grid opportunities for those who would like to participate. There’s much work to be done to develop solutions for V2H in multiunit housing where access to charging can be a challenge in the first place.

Without a full V2H setup, V2L can still be a lifeline in power outages. As I noted before, V2L can power critical devices to help you through an outage. Aside from the ability to plug in a device, an electric vehicle can be a place to escape from very hot or cold weather while the power is out. I contemplated sleeping in the car with the AC running in a post-hurricane power outage in order to cope with the sweltering weather. That’s not something you can do in a gasoline car parked in a garage due to the tailpipe emissions. Luckily for me, that power outage didn’t last long enough for me and my household to have to camp in the car in order to rest at a safe temperature.

Regardless of whether you personally have an electric vehicle, you may still be able to go to a place where one is providing backup power. A growing area of emergency planning is incorporating electric school buses as a source of backup power for schools, shelters, and other community gathering locations. Check out these examples from Illinois and Oklahoma.

V2H for backup will get many drivers thinking about and using their electric vehicles for more than just getting around. That’s a huge mental shift that was once unthinkable for the hundred or so years that fossil fueled vehicles ruled the road. Once you’ve made the shift in thinking, you might be wondering how else you can leverage your vehicle’s capabilities.

That’s where vehicle-grid integration comes in. If you’re set up for V2H backup, the next step to grid-coordinated bidirectional charging. Whether you stick to offsetting some of your energy use from the grid or go all the way to pushing power to the grid, you could earn you some incentives while supporting the operation of the grid. And don’t forget (one directional) managed charging! The UCS analysis mentioned above shows that actively managed charging, which delays or advances charging based on grid conditions, can create significant benefits all on its own.

The availability of grid-coordinated managed charging and V2H/V2G programs depends on what your local electric utility or third party aggregators offer in your area. I’ll cover more on that another time. For now, I’ll assure you that UCS is working with stakeholders in the vehicle-grid integration space to make sure bidirectional capable vehicles and opportunities to use those vehicles are available to more drivers.