Get paid to charge, a free charger, *and* save the grid with a new GM EV in CA

If you're buying a new GM electric vehicle and you're a PG&E customer in Northern or Central California, GM and PG&E have a deal that could save you money on charging equipment and your electric bill. Through GM's "Smart Charge Bundle," buyers get a free home charger, either GM's PowerShift (normally $1,399 to $1,999) or PowerUp2 (normally $899), with any new Chevrolet, Cadillac, or GMC EV bought from a participating dealer. You still have to pay for installation, done through GM's partner, Qmerit. The offer runs until February 2027 or until the program fills up.

The bigger payoff comes after installation. If your vehicle has OnStar, GM's connected-car service, you can enroll in PG&E's "Charge Manager" program, which lets the utility shift your charging to times when electricity demand is lower. In exchange, you get a $15 monthly bill credit just for participating, plus up to $50 more per month depending on how much of your charging gets moved to those lower-demand periods. Unlike vehicle-to-grid setups that send power back out of your car's battery, this program only adjusts when you charge, so it doesn't require special two-way equipment.

The deal covers nearly all of GM's EV lineup, including the Bolt, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Silverado EV, Sierra EV, and several Cadillac models. If you're shopping for one of these in PG&E territory, it's worth asking the dealer directly whether they're participating in the Smart Charge Bundle before finalizing a purchase.