- General Motors' energy solutions subsidiary is now selling batteries for your home.
- The GM Energy PowerBank is available in three sizes.
- It integrates with the company's inverter and hub.
General Motors Energy, the automaker’s energy management solutions subsidiary, launched a new battery pack that can power an average American home for up to 20 hours in the case of a blackout.
It’s called the GM Energy PowerBank and it integrates nicely with the company’s Home Hub, Inverter and PowerShift EV charger for an all-in-one solution. Owners can store energy from solar panels in the PowerBank and their GM EV’s battery through vehicle-to-load, or they can skip the bi-directional EV charger and just use the hub, inverter and battery pack.
The PowerBank is available in three different sizes. The base unit can store 10.6 kilowatt-hours of energy and has a maximum charge and discharge rate of 5 kilowatts. Next up is a 17.7-kWh unit that can charge and discharge at a maximum of 7 kW. The largest PowerBank offered by GM links two 17.7-kWh units for a total of 35.4 kWh of energy, but it also offers a higher charge and discharge rate of 9.6 kW while connected to the grid and 11.5 kW when grid power is down and the battery is providing energy to the house.
All versions can be mounted on the wall or the floor and can be stored either inside or outside, according to GM Energy. They also come with a 10-year limited warranty and are eligible for a 30% federal tax incentive.
“One of the core differentiators of GM Energy’s portfolio is its modularity,” said Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy. “The flexibility of our energy management tools, combined with one of the market’s largest lineups of vehicle-to-home-capable EVs, gives our customers more control over their energy use, helping to mitigate the impact of power outages, integrating renewable energy options and unlocking additional values.”
Gallery: GM Energy PowerBank
Prices start at $10,999 for the GM Energy Storage Bundle which comes with an inverter, hub and small battery. Upgrading to the GM Energy Home System–which includes a bi-directional EV charger capable of providing up to 19.2 kW of power–increases the starting price to $12,700. This only covers the cost of the hardware and does not include installation and taxes.
By comparison, Tesla’s Powerwall 3 can store 13.5 kWh of energy and costs $9,300–this includes a gateway and the necessary accessories but doesn’t include the installation costs. The Powerwall is also eligible for a 30% federal tax credit and can be linked with other Powerwalls to increase the storage capacity.
