Pacific Gas and Electric and GM Energy announced on Sept. 23, 2026, a bundle for PG&E residential customers in Northern and Central California: buy or lease a new Chevrolet, GMC or Cadillac EV at a participating dealer, enroll in PG&E's managed-charging program at the time of purchase, and get a GM Energy home charger at no additional hardware cost. The offer is open now. Electrek reports it runs until February 2027 or until the program reaches capacity.
The charger choice is a GM Energy PowerShift or PowerUp 2, which the PG&E Corp. announcement values at up to $1,999. Participants who stay connected and meet the program's requirements earn a $15 monthly bill credit through PG&E's EV Charge Manager program. Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy, described the effort as a pilot in the announcement: "This pilot with PG&E is the result of listening to owners." The release also carries remarks from Chelle Izzi, GM's senior vice president and chief commercial officer, and Apoorv Bhargava, CEO and co-founder of WeaveGrid, which supplies the software layer that optimizes charging.
How the bundle works
The arrangement trades charging flexibility for hardware and a recurring credit. According to PG&E's program page, EV Charge Manager charges the car automatically when electricity costs and energy demand are lower, and PG&E lists it as available exclusively to GM + PG&E Smart Charge Bundle participants.
Enrollment in EV Charge Manager happens at the dealership during the purchase or lease, and the release tells customers to contact their nearest local dealer. The bill credit begins after the charger is installed. Beyond the fixed credit, the release says customers "may save up to an additional $50 per month by shifting charging to periods when electricity costs and demand are lower." That is the companies' estimate of possible savings, not a guaranteed amount, and Electrek notes that it depends on how much charging is shifted.
The two chargers
The PowerShift supports bidirectional charging: paired with additional GM Energy equipment and a compatible EV, it can send power from the vehicle to the home during an outage, according to the release. Electrek listed the PowerShift at $1,399 to $1,999 and the PowerUp 2 at $899 as of Sept. 23, 2026. Those list prices are the value of the hardware covered by the bundle; they are not what a participant pays.
What is not covered
Installation is the buyer's cost. Electrek reports that buyers must use GM's selected installation partner, Electrum. Charger installation should be done by a licensed electrician following the manufacturer's instructions and local code.
Who qualifies
PG&E's program page lists the eligibility rules:
- PG&E residential electric service
- A single-family home or detached residence
- An owned or leased eligible GM EV
- An active OnStar plan (Connected Access or OnStar Basics) with location services enabled
To earn the credit in a given month, a participant must keep the OnStar plan active with location services enabled, keep active PG&E electric service and complete at least one home charging session that month. Customers already enrolled in another PG&E demand-response or EV managed-charging program cannot join.
The eligible vehicles, per PG&E:
| Model years | Models |
|---|---|
| 2024–2027 | Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV; Cadillac LYRIQ; GMC Sierra Denali EV |
| 2025–2027 | Cadillac CELESTIQ, Escalade IQ/IQL, OPTIQ; GMC Sierra EV |
| 2026–2027 | Cadillac VISTIQ; GMC HUMMER EV |
| 2027 and later | Chevrolet Bolt EV |
Context
The bundle is limited in scope: one utility's territory, new GM vehicles bought or leased through participating dealers, and a managed-charging program that PG&E offers only to bundle participants. PG&E's page notes that similar programs may be available through local Community Choice Aggregators, with terms that may vary. Because the offer ends in February 2027 or when the program reaches capacity, it could close before that month if enrollment fills.
What It Means for Drivers
The hardware offer applies at the point of sale. Shoppers in PG&E territory considering one of the listed GM models should confirm, before signing, that the dealer participates in the Smart Charge Bundle; Electrek advises buyers to ask first.
Renters in apartments and condo owners are excluded by the single-family or detached-residence requirement. Households already in a PG&E demand-response or managed-charging program would need to weigh that program against this one, since they cannot be in both.
The credit carries ongoing obligations rather than a one-time payout. Drivers who mostly charge at work or on public networks should consider whether they will reliably log a home session every month, and should factor the OnStar plan into the cost of participating.
Budget for installation separately and get a quote from Electrum before committing. Drivers interested in using the PowerShift as outage backup should note that the vehicle-to-home function depends on equipment beyond the charger itself.
Eligibility details are on PG&E's EV Smart Charge Bundle page, which links to GM Energy's Smart Charge Bundle page at gmenergy.gm.com.
