Polestar Launches Bi-Directional V2H Charging for Polestar 3 Owners in California

Polestar is taking a first step to turn its electric vehicles (EVs) into powerful home-energy assets. On Tuesday the company announced a new bi-directional charging program for Polestar 3 owners in California. The program, launched in partnership with home energy company dcbel, marks the automaker’s first real-world rollout of vehicle-to-home (V2H) capabilities—giving owners the ability to send energy from their EV back into their house, provide blackout backup, and cut charging costs. The company says the move is the beginning of a much broader bi-directional strategy that will eventually allow customers to treat their vehicle like a mobile power source, and even monetize stored energy when the car is parked. “Bi-directional charging is a gamechanger, not only for the car industry, but the home energy ecosystem. As it lowers your total cost of ownership and makes your car work for you even when parked, this makes the choice of driving a Polestar even more attractive,” said Polestar CEO Michael Lohscheller. What Is Bi-Directional Charging? Bi-directional charging allows an EV to both receive and discharge energy using its battery, enabling power to flow into the home or back to the grid. The technology can help homeowners reduce reliance on expensive grid power, offset peak-time electricity rates, and keep essential devices running during outages. For this first offering, Polestar is using a DC-based setup that activates V2H support on the 400-volt architecture of the Polestar 3. The company esimates that through dcbel’s Ara home energy system, participating customers will be able to lower charging-related energy costs by up to US$1,300 per year, depending on usage patterns. The system can also act as emergency backup power during outages, potentially sustaining a home for as long as 10 days. Expansion Plans Underway in Europe This U.S. launch comes as Polestar continues to build out a global bi-directional infrastructure strategy. In Germany, and soon across additional European markets, the company has introduced the Zaptec Go2, an AC home charger already built with bi-directional capabilities in mind. While Polestar 3 support for bi-directional AC charging isn’t available yet, the hardware ensures early adopters will be ready the moment the feature is activated. Related Stories:• GM to expand Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) charging tech to entire Ultium-based EV lineup by 2026• Tesla Model Y Performance Supports Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Capability• Rivian reveals first details of R1 bidirectional charger