Polestar has taken its first steps in enabling bi-directional charging with the launch of a vehicle-to-home (V2H) offer.

Initially available to Polestar 3 customers in California ahead of a wider rollout in the US and other markets, the V2H offer enables Polestar drivers to use their car as a powerbank and monetise it when parked while supporting the electric grid.

The Swedish performance EV brand launched its Polestar Energy home charging service across key European markets at the start of the year, and the rollout of V2H capabilities in Polestar’s line-up will expand the incentives on offer.

Further benefits with dcbel’s home energy system mean Polestar 3 customers in California can reduce charging costs and use the car as blackout protection support for their home

Michael Lohscheller, Polestar CEO, said: “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.”

Bi-directional charging technology allows electric cars to both charge and discharge energy from their batteries, with the capability to send energy to the user’s home or back to the electricity grid. As a result, the car can help reduce energy costs, act as a backup source for your home support the local grid, and increase the use of renewable energy.

This initial bi-directional charging solution uses direct current (DC) and enables V2H functionality for Polestar 3 customers on the 400V electrical architecture. The commercial offer is aimed at residents in California who can take advantage of local state incentives and includes the dcbel home energy system, Ara, and allows customers to reduce charging costs by up to $1,300 (£988) per year and use their car as an energy backup during blackouts for up to 10 days.

In California, residents can enjoy rebates as part of a California Energy Commission programme administered by dcbel, offsetting large parts of the investment for both the energy system and installation.

Olivier Loedel, head of software product management at Polestar, said: “We are very excited to deliver this initial bi-directional charging offer together with our North American partner dcbel. It’s a new technology that requires a sophisticated and intelligent ecosystem, and this marks an important first step as we aim to launch bi-directional charging features to more Polestar customer in more markets.”

Polestar continues the development of bi-directional charging capability and plans to introduce a wider offer in the future.

In Germany, Polestar has launched the Zaptec Go2 bi-directional-ready AC home charger together with partner Zaptec. Compatible with Polestar 3, this charger enables bi-directional charging when the feature becomes available for the car in the future and will roll out to further European markets.