Lucid Motors is preparing to introduce vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging capability, allowing owners to use their electric vehicles as backup power sources for their residences, the company’s interim chief executive officer revealed.
“I don’t want to steal the thunder yet,” Marc Winterhoff said, adding that Lucid will announce the feature “in the not-too-distant future.”
V2H technology allows EV owners to use their vehicles as mobile backup generators, with typical electric car batteries capable of powering an average home for two to three days during outages.
The systems can also reduce electricity bills by storing cheap off-peak power and supplying it to homes during expensive peak hours, though installation of required bidirectional chargers typically costs several thousand dollars.
Winterhoff’s comments, first reported by Axios on Thursday, came during Winterhoff’s visit to Washington, where the company announced a partnership with Nvidia to integrate advanced autonomous driving technology.
Under the collaboration, Lucid‘s upcoming mid-size platform vehicles will use Nvidia’s DRIVE AGX Thor computing platform, targeting Level 4 autonomous driving capability.
Building on Existing Bidirectional Technology
The move would expand on Lucid‘s existing bidirectional charging capabilities.
In late 2023, the company launched “RangeXchange,” a feature enabling its flagship Air sedan to directly charge other electric vehicles at rates up to 9.6 kilowatts using an adapter.
Lucid has already laid groundwork for V2H functionality through its Connected Home Charging Station, which the company’s website describes as having “built-in bidirectional capabilities” that will “soon let you power your home.”
The EV maker had already noted on its website that its proprietary bidirectional technology is evolving for “future applications,” specifically mentioning vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities.
Joining Crowded Field
Volkswagen AG began offering the feature with its ID. series in 2023, while Ford Motor Co.’s F-150 Lightning pickup has supported home backup power since its 2022 launch.
General Motors added V2H capability to models including the Chevrolet Blazer EV and GMC Sierra EV last year.
South Korean manufacturers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia offer V2H in models including the Ioniq 5, EV6, and EV9, while Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf — the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle — has supported the technology for years using the CHAdeMO charging standard.
Tesla, which markets energy storage products alongside its vehicles, recently expanded its “Powershare” V2H feature beyond the Cybertruck to include the Model Y Performance variant launched in the US earlier this month.
The California-based EV maker had previously limited the capability to the Cybertruck since its 2023 debut.
Rival premium EV maker Rivian, based in Irvine, announced plans earlier this year to introduce V2H charging in 2026, though the company has not provided updates on development progress.
Rivian has instead focused on incremental charging improvements for existing owners in recent months.
