Polestar has introduced its first bi-directional charging offer in the United States, enabling Polestar 3 owners in California to use their vehicles as a power source for home energy and grid support. The rollout marks the company’s initial step toward broader commercial deployment of vehicle-to-home (V2H) and smart charging functions.
The Swedish EV maker partnered with home-energy company dcbel to provide a package that includes the Ara home energy system, blackout protection and smart charging management. Polestar said the solution operates on the model’s 400-volt electrical architecture and uses direct current to support energy transfer in both directions. According to the company, the feature can lower annual charging costs by as much as $1,300 and supply backup power for up to 10 days during outages.
State incentives administered through a California Energy Commission programme allow eligible residents to apply for rebates that significantly reduce installation and equipment expenses. The offer is available to Polestar 3 customers beginning with the California market, where electric-vehicle adoption and residential energy-policy frameworks support early deployment.
“Bi-directional charging is a gamechanger, not only for the car industry, but the home energy ecosystem,” CEO Michael Lohscheller said. “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.”
Olivier Loedel, Polestar’s head of software product management, said the launch reflects the technology’s early stage. “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 customers in more markets,” he said.
Polestar plans to expand bi-directional capability in coming years. In Germany, the company has already released a bi-directional-ready AC home charger developed with Zaptec that is compatible with the Polestar 3 once software activation becomes available. The company said further markets will follow as development progresses.