Massachusetts will give residents free bidirectional electric vehicle chargers if they participate in a statewide bidirectional charging demonstration program.
Run by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC), the program aims to place bidirectional chargers at residences and with fleet operators to show the possibilities of using EVs to supplement the grid or provide backup power for homes and buildings.
Nissan Leaf and Fermata Energy FE-15 bidirectional charger – Photo by Fermata Energy
Participants with EVs capable of bidirectional charging will receive free charging equipment, with installation costs also covered, in exchange for sharing data on charger use and maintenance, as well as potentially providing feedback on the experience of using bidirectional chargers, according to an FAQ document for the program. EV owners will get to keep the chargers after the program is finished.
By the numbers of chargers, it’s a relatively small program. The CEC plans to allocate 50-60 chargers for single-family homes, with an emphasis on environmental justice communities, and additional 30-40 chargers for commercial fleets across three to five sites, and 10-20 chargers for electric school buses across three sites.
Electric school buses with Zum bidirectional charging stations
Applications for the program open in April, with onsite assessments in July through December. The CEC did not list a definitive date for the start of charger installations, but said it’s aiming to complete them by September 2026, with data reporting for the project wrapping up that December.
Numerous pilot programs and demonstrations have been conducted over the years around the ability of EVs to discharge power from their battery packs for other uses, but they’ve become more relevant as automakers like General Motors and Hyundai/Kia have begun building more vehicles with this capability. California has even floated a requirement for bidirectional charging capability in future EVs sold within its borders.