PG&E Expanded Its V2X Pilot — and dcbel Says Eligible Customers Can Stack Up to $18,300 in Incentives

PG&E has widened its residential Vehicle-to-Everything pilot to cover more EVs and bidirectional chargers, including new combinations for the Nissan Leaf, Volvo EX90, Polestar 3, Kia EV9 and Kia EV6. At the same time, charger maker dcbel says some qualifying California homeowners can combine incentives tied to its Ara system with PG&E incentives for a total of up to $18,300.¹²

That $18,300 number needs an important qualification: it is dcbel's eligibility-dependent maximum, not a blanket PG&E rebate.² PG&E's own residential program rules say its upfront infrastructure incentive is unavailable when another utility or non-utility incentive has already covered the total cost of the EV charger and its installation.³ That does not establish that dcbel's stack is invalid; it means the amount a household can actually receive remains dependent on its costs and which incentives have already paid them.³²

What PG&E added

PG&E announced the expansion on Aug. 24, adding Bidirectional Energy and PowerFlex as approved partners and expanding its list of eligible vehicle-and-charger combinations.¹

The newly listed combinations are:¹

• 2018-2025 Nissan Leaf with dcbel Ara
• 2025 Volvo EX90 with dcbel Ara
• 2025 Polestar 3 with dcbel Ara
• 2024 and newer Kia EV9 with Wallbox Quasar 2
• 2025 and newer Kia EV6 with Wallbox Quasar 2

The change matters because PG&E's V2X program does not simply accept any EV that can theoretically send energy in both directions. Participation depends on an approved combination of vehicle, charging hardware and related program requirements. PG&E's live program page also directs customers to check the eligible-product list for the functions a particular setup supports.⁴

In practical terms, V2X can cover several different uses. A compatible setup may provide backup power during an outage, while systems that discharge electricity while the grid is operating require Rule 21 interconnection. PG&E separately offers Hourly Flex Pricing for qualifying participants, with additional eligibility rules.⁴ Being listed in the V2X pilot therefore should not be read as a guarantee that every newly eligible setup can perform every backup or grid-export function in every home.⁴

Where the incentive numbers come from

PG&E's residential rules provide a one-time upfront infrastructure incentive of $2,500, or $3,000 for customers in disadvantaged communities. The first 250 residential customers to enroll can also receive a $1,500 early-adopter incentive.³

PG&E's Aug. 24 announcement says the newly added offerings also qualify for up to $13,000 in additional California Energy Commission grant funding, subject to additional eligibility requirements.¹

dcbel describes the numbers somewhat differently. The company says its California Connected Home Rebate can provide eligible customers with up to $13,800 in rebates and incentives, and says that amount can be combined with up to $4,500 in PG&E incentives for a maximum of $18,300.² dcbel's current California program page likewise advertises up to $13,800, while noting that the amount depends on eligibility, enrollment, participation and availability.⁵

The public sources reviewed for this story do not establish one universal maximum that every qualifying V2X customer can claim. PG&E says up to $13,000 in additional CEC grant funding; dcbel advertises up to $13,800 through its own CEC-linked program. The research does not resolve the $800 difference into a single program-wide number, so the $18,300 figure should be understood specifically as dcbel's advertised maximum for eligible customers using its program.¹²⁵

The stacking rule matters

The key fine print is in PG&E's currently linked residential V2X program rules. Those rules say customers who have received an incentive from another utility or non-utility program covering the total cost of their EVSE and installation are not eligible for PG&E's upfront infrastructure incentive.³

That is narrower than a blanket ban on stacking incentives.³ If another rebate has not already paid the entire eligible charger-and-installation cost, the rule does not by itself establish that PG&E's upfront incentive is unavailable. But it also means a homeowner cannot assume that simply adding dcbel's advertised $13,800 maximum to PG&E's advertised maximum will produce an $18,300 payout in every installation.³²

PG&E's V2X enrollment window remains open through June 30, 2027.¹⁴ Customers considering one of the newly eligible combinations still need to satisfy the program's vehicle, charger, installation and participation requirements, and PG&E directs applicants to confirm the supported functions of their particular vehicle-and-charger pairing before purchasing equipment.⁴

Sources

Footnotes

1. More California EV Owners Can Now Power Their Homes, Save on Energy Costs, and Support the Grid Through PG&E's Expanded Vehicle-to-Everything Program — Pacific Gas and Electric Company / PG&E Corporation, Aug. 24, 2026. https://investor.pgecorp.com/news-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/More-California-EV-Owners-Can-Now-Power-Their-Homes-Save-on-Energy-Costs-and-Support-the-Grid-Through-PGEs-Expanded-Vehicle-to-Everything-Program/default.aspx. Primary program announcement establishing the new partners and vehicle/charger combinations, PG&E incentive amounts, additional CEC-funding statement and enrollment deadline; promotional benefit claims remain PG&E's assertions. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. California homeowners offered up to $18,300 in incentives to increase their home's energy independence — dcbel Inc. via PR Newswire, Aug. 25, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/california-homeowners-offered-up-to-18-300-in-incentives-to-increase-their-homes-energy-independence-302858750.html. Vendor announcement supporting dcbel's claimed up-to-$13,800 rebate and up-to-$18,300 combined maximum; eligibility and stacking are vendor claims rather than universal customer entitlements. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

3. Vehicle Grid Integration Pilot 1 — Residential Program Rules, Version September 2025 — PG&E, currently linked from the live V2X page and checked Aug. 25, 2026. https://www.pge.com/assets/pge/docs/clean-energy/electric-vehicles/VGI-Pilots-Program-Rules-Residential.pdf. Establishes the $2,500/$3,000 upfront infrastructure incentive, $1,500 early-adopter incentive and the rule making the upfront infrastructure incentive unavailable when another incentive has already covered the total EVSE-and-installation cost. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) Program — PG&E, current program page, checked Aug. 25, 2026. https://www.pge.com/en/clean-energy/electric-vehicles/getting-started-with-electric-vehicles/vehicle-to-everything-v2x-pilot-programs.html. Establishes current enrollment status, backup versus grid-connected participation distinctions, Hourly Flex Pricing requirements and the need to confirm functions supported by an eligible product combination. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

5. California Connected Home Rebate Program — dcbel, current program page, checked Aug. 25, 2026. https://solar.dcbel.energy/v2h/. Current vendor page advertising up to $13,800 in rebates and incentives and stating that amounts depend on eligibility, enrollment, participation and availability. ↩ ↩²