Get paid to charge, a free charger, *and* save the grid with a new GM EV in CA — SkimNews
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- GM Energy and PG&E announced a 'Smart Charge Bundle' giving new GM EV buyers in Northern/Central California a free home charger — the GM PowerShift ($1,399–$1,999) or PowerUp2 ($899) — installed through GM's selected partner Electrum, with the buyer covering installation costs.
- Participants in PG&E's Charge Manager managed-charging program receive a $15 monthly bill credit just for enrolling, plus up to $50 more per month depending on how much of their charging shifts to grid-optimal times — a potential $780+ annually.
- The bundle requires buyers to have PG&E residential service, an active OnStar connected-vehicle subscription, and to purchase from a participating GM dealer; the program runs through February 2027 or until it hits capacity.
- The deal covers all of GM's electric lineup — Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC EVs including the 2027 Chevy Bolt, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, and Silverado EV, the 2027 GMC Sierra EV, and the 2027 Cadillac Optiq, Lyriq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ.
- Managed charging differs from bidirectional or V2G/V2H programs: EVs don't send energy back to the grid, they simply delay charging until the utility signals excess capacity — requiring only a remotely controllable charger rather than specialized bidirectional hardware.
- Other California utilities run similar managed-charging incentives — SoCal Edison's Charge Ready program is cited — situating the GM/PG&E bundle within a broader utility push to flatten grid demand peaks and troughs.
Why it matters: A buyer in PG&E territory purchasing a new GM EV can pocket a charger worth up to $1,999 plus up to roughly $780/year in bill credits, materially lowering the cost of EV ownership — but the deal is geographically narrow (Northern/Central California only), runs through February 2027 or until capacity, and requires surrendering some charging-time control to the utility, a tradeoff other utilities like SoCal Edison are also asking EV owners to make.
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