New year, new bidirectional cars: 2025 edition

While 2023 was full of new vehicle announcements, last year carmakers took the strategic approach to refine and enhance their existing offerings instead – and that’s to be expected. The release of new models typically follows a multi-year planning and development cycle, often ranging from three to five years or more.

Read on to learn about the latest bidirectional EVs, followed by a breakdown of those we’ll likely see on US roads in 2026 and beyond.

Ford

F-150 Lightning

GM

Chevrolet Silverado EV RST

GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1

Chevrolet Blazer EV

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Cadillac LYRIQ

Cadillac ESCALADE IQ

Cadillac OPTIQ

Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Kia EV6

Kia EV9

Kia Soul EV

Genesis GV60

Lucid

Air

Mitsubishi

Outlander PHEV

Nissan

Leaf

Stellantis

RAM 1500 REV

Tesla

Cybertruck

Volkswagen

ID.4

Volvo Cars

Volvo EX90

Polestar 3

Polestar 4

All new for 2025

Cadillac OPTIQ

A variety of bidirectional-capable Chevy, GMC and Cadillac models debuted last year, and GM carries that momentum into 2025 with the OPTIQ.

This compact crossover shares its DNA with the Equinox EV, featuring two electric motors that produce 300 hp combined. All-wheel-drive comes standard. With 85 kWh of usable energy, the OPTIQ can travel 300 miles before needing to recharge.

Many of the luxurious touches found in the larger LYRIQ have made their way to the OPTIQ, including a 33-inch continuous display with 9K resolution, Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance, LED ambient interior lighting with a choice of 126 colors, and a panoramic glass roof. Pricing starts at $52,895.

Biggest updates to existing models

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Little was known about the three-row SUV when we discussed it last year – it was called the Hyundai Seven concept at the time. Details are now trickling in ahead of its Spring 2025 launch.

Built longer and taller than the Kia EV9, this family hauler maximizes interior space and comfort. Buyers can choose a six- or seven-seat configuration, and those passengers will enjoy a plethora of USB-C charging ports as well as a center console that can slide all the way back to the second row. The Ioniq 9 will be available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, with the latter also being offered in a Performance variant that boosts total available power.

Battery capacity rings in at an impressive 110 kWh, and Hyundai is targeting over 330 miles of range.

Chevrolet Silverado EV

Silverado EVs can be purchased in a wider range of trim levels and price points this year. Those interested in bidirectional power flow need to give the new LT trim a pass and opt for one of the two RST packages (390-mile Extended Range or 460-mile Max Range), or one of the three rugged Work Truck trims available to both fleet and retail customers. These new trims will be rolling off assembly lines by end of year.

GMC Sierra EV Denali

Like the Silverado EV, the luxurious Sierra EV can now be purchased in Extended Range and Max Range versions.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

A number of compelling updates this year make the Ioniq 5 mightier than ever.

Speed afficionados should look no further than the Ioniq 5 N variant (pictured) and its awe-inspiring 601 hp that temporarily jumps to 641 when mashing the boost button.

For those that fancy going off the beaten path, the XRT trim lets you ride high on all-terrain tires and sports a “digital camouflage” front bumper.

Battery capacity has been enhanced this year: buyers who opt for the larger of the two available battery packs will now have 84.0 kWh to play with instead of 77.4 kWh (same goes for the Kia EV6). NACS charging also makes its debut. Finally, the car will be outfitted with a rear windshield wiper for the first time.

Looking down the road

BMW

“Customers will be able to control the energy flow in such a way that home charging is possible off grid at times. And, of course, they will also be able to lower their charging costs by feeding the electricity stored in their BMW back into the power grid.” — Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Development

This is it: BMW’s new EV platform is finally here. Built from the ground up, “Neue Klasse” vehicles are distinguished by crisp, clean designs, more efficient batteries, and a brand-new software stack under the hood that promises up to ten times more computing power. Inside the driver-centric cabin, the traditional gauge cluster is replaced by a customizable digital screen spanning the bottom of the windshield. The 800-volt electrical architecture reportedly supports bidirectional charging.

Toyota

“Bidirectional charging is a great way for customers to leverage their electric vehicles in a way that supports the grids and their home electricity ecosystem.” — Christopher Yang, group vice president, Toyota EV Charging Solutions

EV adoption is growing significantly in Maryland. Last year, the state passed groundbreaking vehicle-to-grid legislation requiring utilities to develop interconnection processes for bidirectional chargers. Toyota collaborated with a local utility to explore vehicle-to-grid power flow, lending a bZ4X to research and understand the needs of EV owners through their charging habits and vehicle usage.

Rivian

“I should correct a misconception that exists about R1. Some people think that we’re not able to offer vehicle-to-home, which is untrue. We have DC output which can be exported out of the vehicle.” — Vidya Rajagopalan, Senior Vice President, Electrical Hardware

During Rivian’s Investor Day webcast in June 2024, the company’s VP of Hardware Engineering mentioned that it would one day be releasing its own bidirectional charger to be used with its R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV.

Power at all hours

Think that bidirectional power flow is limited to the EVs on this list? Technically, that’s not the case: any EV is theoretically capable of allowing the battery to discharge power towards an external load (like your home). Whether it will do so depends only on whether the vehicle’s manufacturer has “unlocked” this feature via software programming – and those that offer official support for this are the ones we showcase every year.

As bidirectional charging becomes more commonplace, we’ll likely see compatibility with most EVs unlocked retroactively.

This is great news when considering the extraordinary amount of energy available in America’s collective EV fleet, which is growing every year. In terms of usable capacity, many of the vehicles on this list approach or surpass the 100 kWh threshold – enough energy to power at least three days of average home consumption.

Think about it: a few years ago, that amount of backup power was hard to come by. Now it may be parked in your driveway!