Catalyst with Shayle Kann
Catalyst with Shayle Kann

The multi-billion dollar promise of vehicle-to-grid integration

July 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In California, a Kia EV9 with a 100-kilowatt-hour battery sits in a garage doing nothing most days. That battery holds the equivalent of about seven Tesla Powerwalls of storage capacity. And it is not unusual: electric vehicles spend 90 to 95 percent of their lives parked and idle. The idea of feeding that power back into the grid—vehicle-to-grid integration, or V2G—has been obvious for thirty years, and for thirty years it has mostly stayed in pilot programs. The standard explanation was that the hardware was not there. That excuse is now running out. Almost every major automaker is shipping or has announced bidirectional models. GM alone says it has more than 250,000 bidirectional-capable EVs on the road, each capable of about 10 kilowatts of export—2,500 megawatts of nameplate capacity from a single automaker. If the hardware is here and that capacity still does not show up on the grid, then the hardware was never really the obstacle.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:13) **The idle asset in your garage** - Shayle introduces the central problem: EVs sit idle 90-95% of the time, representing massive untapped battery capacity (his Kia EV9 has ~7 Powerwalls of storage).
  • 2 (00:28) **Why V2G has stayed in pilots for 30 years** - The standard explanation (cars couldn't send power back) is running out. The real experiment is beginning: if hardware is here and capacity still doesn't show up, the barriers are elsewhere.
  • 3 (04:17) **Interview begins: the three technical components of V2G** - Steve Letender breaks down the essential stack: a bidirectional EV, a bidirectional charger, and a software platform to manage power flow and preserve mobility.
  • 4 (05:38) **DC vs. AC architecture: the cost trade-off** - Two flavors of V2G architecture determine where the DC-to-AC conversion happens (onboard vs. offboard).
  • 5 (08:58) **Why haven't GM and Ford gone AC native?** - Standards were the holdup. The UL 1741 FC safety standard for V2G AC was only approved about a month ago. Rivian's R2 is announced with AC architecture; others are considering the pivot.
  • 6 (10:50) **What can you buy today for V2G?** - A walkthrough of current compatible EV + charger pairings.
  • 7 (14:38) **The economics: capex vs. monetization** - The "billion dollar question." DC systems cost ~$8-10k installed; AC systems are expected to be much cheaper (high hundreds to low thousands in incremental cost).

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Shayle Kann

Show Notes

Most electric vehicles spend nearly all of their lives parked, doing nothing. But under the hood of those idle cars, a massive store of energy sits untapped. The Kia EV9, for instance, holds a 100-kilowatt-hour battery—which is equivalent to about seven home backup batteries—just waiting to be utilized.

Yet despite this enormous potential, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology has remained mostly limited to small-scale pilot programs for decades. But with advanced tech hitting the market, that could soon change.

In this episode, Shayle sits down with Steve Letendre, senior advisor at the Vehicle-Grid Integration Council and editor of V2G News, to explore why the V2G revolution is finally moving from concept to reality. They break down the technical battle between AC and DC architectures, tackle the looming questions around battery degradation and warranties, and debate the business models that will finally convince everyday drivers to plug their cars back into the grid.

Shayle and Steve discuss topics like:

- The unused energy capacity hidden in parked EVs

- The technical debate, cost trade-offs, and hardware differences between off-board power conversion (DC architecture) and on-board power conversion (AC architecture).

- Current compatible EV options, including the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Cybertruck, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Kia EV9

- The high upfront cost of V2G systems

- Consumers' fears regarding whether discharging power to the grid will ruin their EV batteries or void manufacturer warranties.

- Streamlining the V2G enrollment process via VPP programs or at point-of-sale

- How financing can unlock mass V2G adoption

Resources

Catalyst: Repurposing EV batteries for grid storage

Catalyst: How China is reshaping the global auto market

Catalyst: Enter the electric supercycle

Latitude Media: Electric Era is turning its EV-charging tech into a data center power play

Latitude Media: The future of optimized EV charging


Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Max Savage Levenson. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor.


This episode of Catalyst is brought to you by ENGIE, the smarter energy supplier. ENGIE doesn't just provide the power to run your business — they supply the energy to move it forward, wi

Catalyst with Shayle Kann

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