Your EV is a 70 kWh battery for your home.

V2L (vehicle-to-load) means your car can power a single appliance through its own outlet. V2H (vehicle-to-home) means your car can power your entire house through a transfer switch during an outage. V2G (vehicle-to-grid) means your car can sell power back to the grid through your utility, typically during peak demand hours. V2L is common today, V2H is rolling out, and V2G is in pilot phase in Connecticut.

Both Eversource and United Illuminating are running bi-directional charging pilots in Connecticut. The programs are early-stage and not heavily advertised, which is why most homeowners and many electricians do not realize they exist. Eligibility is limited, paperwork is involved, and incentives are still being finalized. West Electric is participating in pilot installs for the state and walks customers through enrollment.

Realistic estimates for the current CT pilots are in the $500 to $1,500 per year range for a typical homeowner who allows 5 to 10 dispatches per month during peak demand. The math is highly dependent on which pilot you enroll in, your time-of-use rate, and how much battery capacity you let the utility tap. The bigger value for most homeowners is V2H backup, not V2G revenue.

Modern EVs use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or NMC chemistries with cycle lives well above what V2G dispatches require. Pilot programs limit total energy throughput and typically warranty against accelerated degradation. That said, this is new technology, and we are honest with customers that long-term real-world data is still being collected. Most OEMs do not yet void warranty for V2G use, but you should confirm with your specific manufacturer.

No. That is exactly the point of V2H. Your EV battery is typically 70 to 130 kWh, which is 5 to 10 times the capacity of a typical home battery like a Tesla Powerwall (13.5 kWh). For most outages your EV alone provides days of backup. Some customers add a small home battery so daily-use loads do not pull from the car overnight, but it is not required.

Bi-directional installs run $5,500 to $9,500 all-in before incentives, depending on the charger, the transfer switch or smart panel choice, and how the vehicle ties to the home electrical system. CT pilot incentives are being finalized. We give a firm number after a site visit.

Hardware install is typically one to two days. The longer lead time is the utility interconnection and pilot enrollment paperwork, which can take 4 to 10 weeks depending on the utility and your address. We file as soon as we have your signed agreement and walk the application through with the utility.