Author: EVAI

General Motors is looking at different ways to utilize electric-vehicle bidirectional charging capability and multiple charge ports, a newly surfaced patent filing shows.

Published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Dec. 26, 2024, after being filing by GM Jun. 22, 2023, the document deals less with specific hardware and more with usage schemes and control strategies—and how to balance current in and out of different charge ports.

What it could lead to is a greater flexibility for charging or discharging EVs at any given time, as energy storage devices.

GM lays out a few examples of how this capability can be combined with multiple charge ports, including using one port to charge an EV while using the second port to send power to an external energy-storage system.

General Motors multi-port bidirectional charging patent image

Another possibility is “daisy-chained” vehicles, with only one vehicle actually plugged into a conventional charging station. That vehicle would then be connected to a second vehicle via its other charge port. That second vehicle could in turn be used to charge a third vehicle in a similar manner, according to GM.

This will require a new generation of charge controllers, the patent underscores, and a new range of thinking about how people will use bidirectional charging capability. A fleet of compatible vehicles would be required as well.

GM has expanded bidirectional charging across its lineup, but only with one charge port as of yet. It’s already laid out what large electric trucks might be able to do with multiple charge ports in a separate patent filing, though.

General Motors multi-port bidirectional charging patent image

Ford has also, in a patent, previously laid out what multiple charge ports might accomplish. That includes connecting multiple EVs in series, similar to what GM is discussing here.

Other automakers, such as Tesla, have also discussed adding bidirectional charging capability, while Volvo has shifted that capability into a separate energy business. But it might take mandates like the one proposed by California to further scale up bidirectional charging—and unlock some of the possibilities GM apparently sees in the tech.

What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe? What does it compare to? The Tahoe three-row SUV sports seats for up to nine (!) people plus cargo, with heavy-duty V-8 or turbodiesel powertrains for big towing ratings. Its rivals include the Ford Expedition, Toyota Sequoia, and Chevy’s own Suburban. Is the 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe a good SUV?…

CEO Jim Farley said Ford is planning an extended-range EV possibly for use in pickups and large SUVs The technology uses a gas-powered generator to charge a battery that feeds the motors that drive the vehicle It could provide up to 700 miles of range Ford has begun planning a plug-in hybrid system for use in SUVs and, possibly, some of its…

Damage to the batteries’ separator could lead to shorts and/or fires Recall campaigns from Stellantis, Ford, and Audi allow replacement of battery packs New paperwork filed by battery supplier Samsung SDI says the issue remains under investigation Plug-in hybrids from multiple automakers have been recalled due a potential issue with vehicles’…

Jaguar is working on three ultra-luxury EVs to replace its current lineup The first will be a four-door grand tourer, debuting in late 2025 and ushering in the new JEA platform The grand tourer was previewed in 2024 with the Type 00 concept Jaguar is redefining its identity, evolving into an ultra-luxury car brand to rival the likes of Bentley and…

• DOT to review $7.5B federal EV charging program, funded with 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
• Keeps funding projects in progress but rescinds guidance for continued buildout
• Means new state proposals for rules not yet released, months of delay for states’ funding
• Tesla has captured more than $41 million in government money for the buildout

The Trump Administration is stalling on dispersing more funds to U.S. states for the Biden Administration’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure program—one that Tesla has profited from handily.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program calls for 500,000 charging stations nationwide, and was funded with $7.5 billion under the 2021 infrastructure law to make that happen. That total was split into $5 billion for a highway-based program, and $2.5 billion for rural and underserved communities, with states submitting proposals for use of the available funds.

But on Thursday the Department of Transportation (DOT) said it had “decided to review the policies underlying the implementation” of the NEVI program, and was rescinding all previous guidance. That’s being used as an excuse to stop the funding of new projects.

Redirect of FHWA webpage that previously contained NEVI documents from Feb. 6, 2025

The DOT stated that “effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new state plans are submitted and approved.” Payments will still be made for projects already in progress, though.

“Until new guidance is issued, reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed in order to not disrupt current financial commitments,” the DOT said.

Lawsuits will likely follow to free up the rest of the money, which the DOT is legally obligated to release to projects that meet requirements set out in the infrastructure law. While the DOT can issue guidance to clarify specifics, it can’t contradict the law itself or withhold funds in perpetuity.

As of late Thursday evening, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) had also removed NEVI documents from its website. This follows a reported pattern of information being removed from federal websites since Trump’s return to office.

Tesla Supercharger

As Elon Musk continues to exert influence on the federal government as a private citizen, it’s worth noting that Tesla ended up winning many NEVI contracts, so this will have a serious financial affect on the EV company—and a growing conflict of interest. As of January 18, Tesla had captured more than $41 million in federal funding covering 99 different NEVI sites, according to the Paren NEVI Database.

The Ionna charging network—funded by eight full-line automakers and the most likely rival to Tesla’s Supercharger network in North America—has also suggested it will look to take advantage of the NEVI program.

Although it picked up speed last spring, NEVI-funded project rollout has been slow because states submitting plans must also deal with individual regulators, utilities, and other bureaucracies. Now that they have to submit new plans, all over again, it’s a major setback for the buildout—many months, if not years—even if the money isn’t actually taken away.

Owners of certain plug-in hybrids need to take vehicles into a service center Jeep, Ford, Audi PHEVs have battery packs that may need replacement The faulty battery packs were supplied by Samsung SDI A software update to fix a battery fire risk in popular plug-in hybrids by Jeep, Audi, and Ford may not have worked, according to a Wednesday filing…

Nikola, a developer of hydrogen fuel-cell and battery-electric trucks that was once among the most hyped automotive startups, is now considering filing for bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. In 2020, when it went public via a then-fashionable reverse merger with a special…

Norwegian battery firm Freyr has canceled plans for a Georgia factory that would have supplied batteries for energy storage.

First reported by the Newman Times-Herald of Newman, Georgia, Freyr confirmed plans to cancel the factory in a letter to the local Coweta County Development Authority dated Jan. 21, and in a Thursday meeting with the authority. Freyr also told the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that it would repay grants and incentives tied to the factory project.

Rendering of proposed Freyr

Announced in November 2022 and branded “Giga America,” the factory would have sat on a 368-acre site in Coweta County, which is on the southwestern edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Production was due to be stepped up in phases, starting with a $1.7 billion investment to build out 34 gigawatt-hours of annual production capacity. A second phase was to add more cell production lines and bring total investment to $2.6 billion by 2029.

Rising interest rates, falling battery prices, and a change in leadership at Freyr all contributed to the decision, Jason Peace, the company’s senior vice president of business development, said in an interview with The Newman-Times Herald.

Although oddly omitted in the original report, it’s hard to imagine that policies of the Trump administration pulling back on incentives for renewables wasn’t also a significant factor in this loss of potential Georgia jobs.

Rendering of proposed Freyr

Freyr is also not on totally solid financial footing, the newspaper added. In its third-quarter 2024 financial results, the company reported a net loss of $27.5 million, compared to $9.8 million for the same period in 2023. Peace told authority members that Freyr had been burning cash to get the battery plant built, and was now looking at a nearly-finished solar-panel plant in Texas as an alternative, quicker way to generate revenue.

Rivian, meanwhile, still appears to be moving ahead with plans for an EV assembly plant about an hour from downtown Atlanta. The plant was announced in 2021 and originally scheduled to open in 2024, but Rivian then paused construction. As a result, the opening was first pushed back to 2027, and then 2028, with a $6.6 billion conditional loan from the Department of Energy potentially helping get it across the line.

No, it’s not real. But based on owner data, this imagined EV has all the attributes buyers want.