Bidirectional EV Charging (V2H & V2G) in California

• V2L (Vehicle-to-Load): plug appliances directly into the car through an outlet or adapter. Simplest; no home wiring.
• V2H (Vehicle-to-Home): the EV backs up your house through a bidirectional charger and a transfer switch/gateway, powering circuits when the grid is down. Not exported to the grid.
• V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid): the EV exports energy back to the grid. Requires utility interconnection and approval.
• V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything): the umbrella term for all of the above.

The table below lists vehicles with manufacturer-confirmed US vehicle-to-home capability: GM and Kia rows checked on October 6, 2026, Ford and Tesla on August 4, 2026. Availability, firmware, and required equipment change — confirm the current details for your exact vehicle and model year with the manufacturer.

Sources: GM Energy V2H-capable list · Kia Vehicle-to-Home · Ford Home Backup Power · Tesla Powershare · verified August 4, 2026.

Not confirmed for US V2H home backup (do not assume these work): the Ford Mustang Mach-E and electric Explorer (Ford states these are not capable of home backup — it is F-150 Lightning only); the Hyundai Ioniq 5/6 (they support V2L and the platform has the hardware, but native US V2H is not officially enabled); and Tesla Model S/3/X/Y (Powershare is Cybertruck-only). The Kia EV6 is manufacturer-announced for late 2026 and is listed above as not-yet-available. Ecosystems are brand-locked — a Ford charger pairs with a Ford truck, and so on. Because this space changes fast, this matrix is scheduled for monthly review.

The California Energy Commission counts new EV registrations by county and model. Of the 96,891 battery-electric cars registered in Los Angeles County in 2025, these models appear on the V2H lists we checked (GM, Ford, Kia, Tesla); other makers may add V2H, so check your own model:

The two best-selling EVs in the county, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, made up 41% of 2025 registrations and do not offer V2H. For most LA EV owners today, a car is a load to charge rather than a backup source; see panels to charge an EV.

Costs vary widely by ecosystem, so a single “installed price” is misleading. Hardware and installation are separate, and published hardware prices exclude some or all permitting, electrical upgrades, gateway equipment, labor, taxes, and utility requirements. Installed pricing requires a property-specific quote.

If you already own a compatible EV, a V2H setup can cost less than adding a dedicated home battery — because the large battery is the car you already bought. A dedicated home battery such as a Powerwall 3 is typically a larger installed cost (a Cali Energy market estimate is roughly $12,000–15,000, but Tesla and installers price it per property). The exact all-in cost for either option is ecosystem- and site-specific and requires a property-specific quote.

Hardware sources: Wallbox Quasar 2 store · Ford Home Backup Power · Tesla Powerwall · installed pricing requires a quote · verified August 4, 2026.

An EV holds far more energy — a full F-150 Lightning battery is several times a Powerwall’s usable capacity — but that is a capacity comparison only, not equivalent power output or availability. The core trade-off: the car is a bigger battery, but only when it’s parked and plugged in, and you can’t drive it and back up the house at the same time. A dedicated battery is smaller but always there.

Using an EV for backup adds some cycling. How much that matters depends on cycling depth, temperature, power level, and each vehicle’s battery-management system. Warranty treatment varies by vehicle, model year, software, and whether manufacturer-approved bidirectional equipment is used. Cali Energy does not determine warranty coverage — obtain current written confirmation from the vehicle and charging-equipment manufacturer before enabling V2H or V2G. Tesla describes its Powershare as a designed, approved use case managed by the vehicle’s battery-management system.

• UL 9741 is the safety standard for bidirectional EV charging equipment; UL 1741 SB covers grid-interactive smart inverters (relevant when exporting to the grid).
• California SB 59 (Skinner), signed September 27, 2024, authorizes the California Energy Commission — after the required analysis and consultation with the CPUC and CARB — to require a class of battery EVs to be bidirectional-capable if it finds a sufficiently compelling use case. It does not itself impose a universal “all new EVs by 2027” mandate. (An earlier bill, SB 233, was not enacted — don’t confuse the two.)
• Interconnection. Exporting to the grid (V2G) requires utility interconnection and Permission to Operate. Non-export backup and grid-export operation are treated differently: export compensation and interconnection requirements depend on the utility tariff, the equipment configuration, and the approval received for the site.

Sources: CARB — SB 59 (2024) · CEC — vehicle-grid integration & interconnection · verified August 4, 2026.

• The car has to be home and plugged in to back up the house — it’s no help if you drove somewhere during the outage.
• You can’t drive and provide backup at the same time.
• Ecosystems are fragmented and brand-locked; availability differs by region.
• For most Los Angeles homeowners in 2026, V2H is a real and fast-maturing option but not yet a drop-in replacement for a dedicated home battery — it’s a complement, best when you already own a compatible EV and want backup on a budget.

Safety: bidirectional equipment must be installed and configured in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, applicable electrical and building codes, permit requirements, and utility rules, by appropriately qualified professionals. Do not attempt DIY wiring, back-feeding, or bypassing transfer equipment.

Third-party product and company names are used for identification and comparison only. Cali Energy is not affiliated with or endorsed by the manufacturers or utilities discussed unless expressly stated.

Figures on this page come from the primary sources below and, where noted, from Cali Energy calculations using the stated assumptions. Rates, incentives, and program terms change; each was verified October 6, 2026.

1. CARB — SB 59 (2024, chaptered)
2. Ford — Home Backup Power support
3. GM Energy — V2H
4. Kia — Vehicle to Home (EV9)
5. Tesla — Powershare
6. California Energy Commission — New ZEV Sales by county and model (data as of June 30, 2026)
7. IRS — Residential Clean Energy Credit (ended for property placed in service after 2025)
8. Tesla — Powerwall 3 datasheet (13.5 kWh, 11.5 kW)