GM, PG&E Pay California EV Buyers to Delay Charging — SkimNews
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- GM and PG&E launched the "Smart Charge Bundle," giving new GM EV buyers in PG&E's Northern and Central California service area a free GM PowerShift ($1,399–$1,999) or PowerUp2 ($899) home charger, with buyers paying installation through GM's selected partner Electrum.
- Participants in PG&E's "Charge Manager" managed-charging program get a $15 monthly bill credit for enrolling (via OnStar) plus up to $50 more per month based on how much of their charging shifts to grid-optimal times — potentially $65/month total.
- The deal covers essentially all of GM's electric lineup — Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC models including the Bolt, Equinox, Blazer, Silverado, Sierra, Optiq, Lyriq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ — and runs until February 2027 or until capacity is reached.
- Managed charging is distinct from bidirectional (V2G/V2H) programs: the utility remotely starts and stops charge sessions to align with off-peak grid demand, without requiring owners to send power back to the grid.
- PG&E's Charge Manager is one of several utility programs using remote control and time-of-use rates to flatten demand spikes; SoCal Edison runs a parallel "Charge Ready" program.
Why it matters: California EV buyers in PG&E territory can now stack up to $780/year in bill credits plus a free $899–$1,999 charger by letting the utility time their charging — turning the purchase decision into a small grid-services contract and giving GM a concrete answer to the 'EVs overload the grid' critique by making new vehicles enrolled as managed grid assets from day one.
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