GM Employee: Solar Sierra EV Costs $0 to Fill vs $96 Gas
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- Jim Reilly, a microgrid expert and GM Energy employee, posted his real-world cost data on LinkedIn from a whole-home setup pairing a GM Energy backup battery, a GMC Sierra EV, and a rooftop solar array.
- Reilly's per-fill-up math breaks down as $96 for gas (24 gal at $4/gal), $96 for public EV charging (200 kWh at $0.48/kWh), $28 for home charging on his PSE rate ($0.14/kWh), and $0 when the solar system is sized correctly for the home.
- The GMC Sierra EV's 205 kWh Max Range battery can be fully charged at home for under $30 — a figure Reilly called a 'game changer' in a market where gas runs $5 and diesel $7.
- Reilly framed the setup as a geopolitical hedge, writing that 'tensions in Iran threaten a gas price surge' and that solar-charged EV drivers lock in 'independence' from unpredictable fuel costs.
- Reilly said he will keep documenting his home system's performance on LinkedIn over the coming weeks to verify whether the cost gap between solar-EV and gas widens further.
Why it matters: An insider at GM Energy (Reilly) just published concrete operating data — not manufacturer marketing — showing a solar-plus-home-battery-plus-EV-truck stack can deliver a literal $0 'fill-up' against $96 for gasoline on the same range. For consumers weighing the upfront cost of rooftop solar and a large-battery EV, the post offers a rare working example rather than a theoretical payback estimate.
