What if your car powered your toaster?

Polestar rolls out bidirectional V2H charging, a new step towards a smarter home energy ecosystem.

Polestar launches its first bidirectional charging offering for Polestar 3 customers in California, marking a significant advance towards smarter use of home energy. Thanks to a partnership with dcbel, this “vehicle-to-home” (V2H) device allows owners to use their car as a power source for their home, reducing electricity costs and enhancing their energy independence.

The V2H is based on a simple principle: the vehicle’s battery is no longer just charged; it is also capable of supplying energy. In practice, the car can power a home during peak pricing, stabilize energy needs, or serve as a backup solution in the event of a power outage. This capability is based on bidirectional charging, which allows electricity to flow in both directions, and on a compatible charger that converts the vehicle’s direct current into alternating current usable in the home.

Polestar as a pioneer

The solution offered by Polestar, based on dcbel’s home system Ara, uses direct current (DC) and seamlessly integrates with the Polestar 3’s 400-volt architecture. It allows drivers to reduce their charging expenses by up to $1,300 per year, while providing backup power that can last up to 10 days depending on energy demands. In California, customers can also benefit from financial incentives from the California Energy Commission, significantly lowering the cost of the system and its installation.

With this launch, Polestar joins a movement that has been ongoing for several years by other manufacturers. Nissan was a pioneer in V2H with the Leaf and the widely deployed CHAdeMO standard in Japan. Ford already offers a commercial V2H system with the F-150 Lightning. Hyundai and Kia are actively developing complementary solutions to their V2L technology, while Volkswagen is preparing the V2H introduction on its MEB platform. Even Tesla, long lagging behind, now integrates bidirectional capability in the Cybertruck.

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Polestar plans to expand bidirectional charging in the future. In Europe, the brand has already introduced the AC home charger Zaptec Go2, designed to be compatible with future bidirectionality. A further step towards vehicles being at the heart of tomorrow’s energy networks.

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