Polestar 3 Can Now Power Your Home For 10 Days: California Buyers Get $13,800 In Rebates

We’ve been tracking the bidirectional charging space closely, and Polestar just made a significant move that deserves attention. The Swedish-Chinese automaker announced a partnership with Canadian startup Dcbel to bring vehicle-to-home (V2H) capability to Polestar 3 owners in California, making the luxury SUV double as a home backup battery capable of powering a house for up to 10 days during outages.

The timing couldn’t be more interesting. Federal EV tax credits expired on September 30, 2025, and automakers are scrambling to add value propositions that don’t depend on government incentives. Polestar’s answer: turn your $68,900 SUV into a home energy system that can save you $1,300 per year on electricity bills.

How the System Works

The magic happens through Dcbel’s Ara home energy station, which connects your Polestar 3 to your home’s electrical system. When you plug in, the Ara’s artificial intelligence analyzes energy prices, forecasts your driving needs, and predicts solar generation if you have panels installed.

“Should I charge the car right now? Should I supercharge the car? Should I wait and charge later? Should I use the energy from the car to power the house, to basically avoid buying energy from the grid at a very high price?” explained Dcbel CEO Marc-Andre Forget, describing the system’s decision-making process.

The equipment converts DC power from your Polestar 3’s battery into AC power for your home’s wiring. During blackouts, the car automatically wakes up and starts powering your house. Polestar spent 18 months working with Dcbel to design this seamless integration.

The Real Story: California Rebate Math

Here’s where it gets interesting for California buyers. Dcbel won a $52 million grant from the California Energy Commission, and that funding translates into serious rebates for early adopters:

• Up to $8,100 for the full-featured Dcbel Ara system
• Up to $2,000 for installation costs
• Up to $200 for grid interconnection
• $1,000 for enrolling in a dynamic rate utility program
• Up to $2,500 toward a bidirectional EV like the Polestar 3

Total potential rebates: $13,800

The Dcbel Ara system starts at $5,000 for a base model, which means early California buyers could get the charging equipment nearly free. The rebates operate on a first-come, first-served basis and decline over time.

“We chose to focus on California primarily because of the state incentives that are available,” said Peter Wexler, head of product for Polestar in North America. “They made a natural introductory plan for us.”

Customers in other states can buy the Dcbel system, but they’ll have to front the full cost without state assistance.

Eight Automakers Are Coming

Perhaps the most significant detail buried in this announcement: Dcbel claims it’s currently working with eight automakers to add bidirectional capability to their vehicles.

“I think we’re going to see lots of news about current cars becoming bidirectional over the next couple of months,” Forget predicted.

This aligns with the broader industry trend we’ve been tracking. Ford launched V2H capability for the F-150 Lightning. GM unveiled its PowerBank system for Ultium-based EVs. Tesla added vehicle-to-home to the new Model Y in China. BMW announced V2H plans for its upcoming Neue Klasse EVs.

Volvo, Polestar’s corporate sibling, simultaneously announced bidirectional charging for the 2025 Volvo EX90 using the same Dcbel Ara system, making the EX90 the first Volvo with this capability.

EVXL’s Take

This announcement reveals an uncomfortable truth about Polestar’s position: the company needs to stack value propositions to compete in the post-subsidy market.

We’ve covered Polestar’s financial struggles extensively, from the reverse stock split to avoid Nasdaq delisting to the $365 million quarterly loss. CEO Michael Lohscheller, who previously helmed the now-bankrupt Nikola, is executing a familiar playbook: differentiate on features rather than price.

The V2H capability makes sense strategically. With federal EV tax credits dead as of September 30, automakers can no longer rely on $7,500 government discounts to close sales. They need tangible ownership benefits that justify premium pricing. Turning a $68,900 SUV into a home backup system that saves $1,300 annually is exactly that kind of pitch.

But let’s be honest about the limitations. The V2H system only works on the 400-volt Polestar 3 architecture, which is being superseded by 800-volt models in 2026. California’s generous rebates won’t last forever, and customers outside the Golden State face the full $5,000-plus equipment cost with no assistance.

The bigger picture here connects to what we’ve been saying about the post-subsidy EV market: automakers that built their strategies around government incentives are now scrambling to find new value propositions. Bidirectional charging is one answer, but it requires expensive home equipment and favorable utility rates to pencil out.

For California Polestar 3 owners who can capture those rebates, the math works. For everyone else, it’s a premium feature on an already premium vehicle from a company fighting for survival.

What do you think? Does V2H capability change the calculus on luxury EVs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.