Massachusetts Launches Vehicle-to-Grid Program to Feed Energy Back Into Grid

The concept of using electric vehicles as mobile power plants is shifting from theoretical potential to a practical market offering. In Massachusetts, electric utilities Eversource and National Grid have partnered with EnergyHub, Sunrun, and The Mobility House to incorporate EVs into the existing ConnectedSolutions program. While this platform previously managed the energy usage of smart thermostats and home batteries, it now allows participating vehicle owners to return stored energy to the grid during periods of peak demand.

Automakers Pivot to Home Energy Integration

Beyond utility-scale grid support, major automakers are moving to position their vehicles as personal backup generators. This shift comes as the industry navigates a period where pure electric vehicle sales in the United States have declined by 23.8% year-over-year, according to a July Cox Automotive report on the first half of 2026. By focusing on home energy, manufacturers aim to provide tangible value to owners who may be hesitant about a pure EV purchase.

Ford, for instance, has introduced a solution for its F-150 Lightning and PowerBoost hybrid models. The system uses a one-foot adapter and a transfer switch installed at the home’s electric meter to connect the truck directly to the breaker box. The company estimates that the Lightning can provide power for two to three days, while the PowerBoost Hybrid can run for up to five days on a single tank of gas.

Amanda Roraff, grid and energy services business acceleration lead at Ford, explained that for customers who already own a compatible vehicle, the power source is already available in their driveway.

This setup, which requires professional installation, starts around $1,100. Ford notes that this is a more cost-effective alternative to traditional diesel-powered portable generators or full-home standby systems, which often require significantly higher investment.

Broadening Industry Adoption and Grid Reliability

Other manufacturers are rolling out similar capabilities. General Motors has partnered with WeaveGrid to allow owners of certain EVs to enroll in grid reliability programs, enabling their vehicles to disconnect from the grid and power the home automatically during an outage. Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM energy, emphasized the goal of creating a unified platform that gives customers full control of the energy.

Tesla’s approach involves specific hardware for home connectivity, with the Cybertruck offering full vehicle-to-home capability, while other models remain limited to powering specific appliances. Meanwhile, Kia has teamed up with Wallbox to facilitate home backup and grid support for compatible vehicles. Estimates suggest that over 630,000 vehicles in the U.S. currently possess some form of this energy-sharing functionality.

The V2G Landscape in Portugal

While the U.S. market is scaling these technologies through utility-backed pilots and consumer-facing hardware, similar developments are occurring in Portugal. EDP has tested bidirectional charging technology capable of returning energy to the national grid or supporting building-level consumption during peak hours. Additionally, the European project EV4EU conducted a demonstrator in São Miguel, Azores, to explore V2X—or vehicle-to-everything—strategies.

Despite the promise of using EVs to stabilize grids and provide home resilience, experts note that the technology faces hurdles. Parth Vaishnav, an assistant professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan, observed that automakers are actively seeking new business models to sustain growth, noting that they are attempting to identify other businesses into which they might sell.

Challenges remain regarding the standardization of hardware, complex energy regulations, and the long-term impact on battery health. Nevertheless, the integration of millions of vehicles into a distributed energy network is increasingly viewed as a critical component for managing energy during extreme weather events, such as the February 2021 winter storms in Texas that remain a primary driver for consumer interest in backup power solutions.