PG&E and GM Energy bundle charger at no additional cost, $15 monthly credit

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and GM Energy announced the Smart Charge Bundle on September 23, 2026: a GM Energy home charger at no additional hardware cost, which the release values at up to $1,999, and a $15 monthly credit on the customer's PG&E bill, offered at the point of sale when a customer buys or leases a new Chevrolet, GMC or Cadillac EV at a participating dealership in Northern and Central California. The credit comes through PG&E's EV Charge Manager managed-charging program, and the release says participants may save up to an additional $50 per month by shifting charging to periods when electricity costs and demand are lower.

Customers choose between two chargers, per the release: the PowerUp 2, which it describes as everyday Level 2 charging, and the PowerShift, which it says can be paired with GM Energy equipment and a compatible EV to support bidirectional charging, moving energy from the vehicle back to the home during an outage. The release gives two routes in: at the dealership, customers can complete enrollment in EV Charge Manager as part of the purchase or lease process, and customers can also learn more through a participating dealer or by visiting the GM Energy Enrollment Portal; the bill credits start after installation. The release says managed charging automatically schedules the vehicle to charge during lower-cost periods while making sure it is ready when the customer needs it, that customers remain in control and can override a managed-charging session whenever necessary, and that WeaveGrid supplies the software layer that optimizes charging.

The release calls the bundle "a new, first-of-its-kind offering". Wade Sheffer, VP of GM Energy, uses a smaller word in his quote: "This pilot with PG&E is the result of listening to owners, reducing steps, and doing the hard work in the background ...". Asked in its own Q&A which dealerships participate, the release answers that customers can go to their nearest local dealer and request additional information.

PG&E's Smart Charge Bundle page sets the terms the release leaves out. To participate, a customer must have residential electric service with PG&E, live in a single-family home or detached residence, own or lease an eligible GM EV, and have an active OnStar service plan with location services enabled. The page's list of eligible GM EVs, introduced as what the term "currently" includes, runs to twelve model ranges by our count, among them the 2024–2027 Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV and Blazer EV, the 2024–2027 Cadillac LYRIQ and the 2027-and-later Chevrolet Bolt EV. Earning the credit in a given month takes an active OnStar plan, active PG&E electric service and at least one home charging session that month. The page also says a customer cannot enroll if already enrolled in another PG&E demand response or EV managed charging program. It does not mention PG&E's separate Vehicle-to-Everything program, which The Duck Curve covered when it expanded on August 24, 2026; that program pays residential enrollees $2,500 upfront, rising to $3,000 for customers in disadvantaged communities, plus a $1,500 Early Adopter Incentive for the first 250 customers to enroll, and its August additions included three General Motors models.

The general program's own page reports a different state. As of September 23, 2026, PG&E's EV Charge Manager page carries a callout above its program details reading "The EV Charge Manager Program is fully subscribed"; the bundle page's callout in the same slot reads "Available exclusively for GM + PG&E Smart Charge Bundle participants", and neither page says whether the general program's status affects the bundle track. The general page, which says the program is provided by PG&E in partnership with WeaveGrid, lists four applicant requirements: residential electric service with PG&E, residence in Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda or San Mateo County, a single-family home or detached residence, and an eligible Tesla or a supported Level 2 EV charger, which its footnote says currently includes the Tesla Cybertruck, Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y, and EVs that use Level 2 Wallbox, ChargePoint or Emporia chargers. It says the program "offers varying incentive amounts to participants to understand and compare what features and benefits are most relevant for our customers", with the amount set at enrollment for the duration of the program, and its FAQ describes a $75 Tango gift card for enrolling, paid only to customers who stay enrolled at least three months and remain connected to WeaveGrid at least 50% of the time. WeaveGrid's PG&E enrollment page, read the same day, advertises the same $75 gift card under the same two conditions behind an eligibility form and carries no fully-subscribed notice. The bundle page lists no county restriction, and its credit is $15 for every month a participant stays connected and meets the requirements.

Two terms come from neither PG&E document. Electrek reported on September 23, 2026 that the customer pays for installation through GM's installation partner, Electrum, and that the offer runs until February 2027 or until the program reaches capacity. The release says only that the credits begin after installation, and neither it nor the bundle page names an end date or a cap.

The bundle joins the home-flexibility programs PG&E has launched in 2026 that The Duck Curve has covered, among them the SHARE virtual power plant, announced September 3, 2026, which PG&E said would enroll nearly 21,000 existing home energy devices and put new battery-enabled heat pumps into Bay Area homes, with Google paying for the program. The bundle's flexible device is the car: $15 a month for letting WeaveGrid's software schedule its charging, with the release saying customers can override a managed-charging session whenever necessary.