dcbel is bringing its vehicle-to-everything charger to Massachusetts

Bidirectional EV charging company dcbel (pronounced “decibel”) has announced its participation in the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) pilot program overseen by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC).

The announcement means eligible homeowners in Massachusetts can get a dcbel Ara Home Energy Station installed at their home at no cost, and can then use the equipment to charge and discharge energy between their car and home as long as they agree to provide charging data to MassCEC through December 31, 2027.

Additionally, participants are encouraged to sign up for the ConnectedSolutions, Connected Homes and Clean Peak programs, under which they can receive compensation for allowing their utility to control the dbcel charger at certain times. dcbel says the Ara system can save Massachusetts homeowners “up to $1,300 per year” through the program.

Details for how the ConnectedSolutions program pays EV owners were released in July.

In addition to the residential arm of the V2X pilot program, MassCEC is running an electric school bus pilot program, the application window for which closed on July 31, 2026.

Eligibility and restrictions

In order to qualify for the dcbel equipment under the program, participants must own or lease a Nissan Leaf (2018-2025), a 2025 Polestar 3 or a 2025 Volvo EX90, and cannot already have solar or storage installed. The latter restriction exists because current Massachusetts law does not allow participants to receive net metering compensation if there is a V2X system installed at the home.

MassCEC expects to deploy a total of 100 bidirectional chargers across the state under the program, but only 50 to 60 of those are earmarked for single-family residential locations.

Prior to the dcbel announcement, the residential side of the program had previously offered hardware only from Wallbox, which connects with the Kia EV9 (2024-26), and Sunrun, whose partnership with Ford allows homeowners with F-150 Lightning trucks (2022-25) to participate.

Funding and timelines

Funding for the V2X pilot program was provided by the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council (EVICC). The program received $6.3 million of an overall pool of $50 million that Massachusetts received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support EV charging initiatives across the Commonwealth.

Installations under the V2X program were originally slated to be completed by June 2026, but applications are now open through September 2026 — or until funding is exhausted.

After the V2X program has ended, MassCEC will use the data it gathers about user behavior and environmental and financial effects of the program to guide future V2X initiatives across the state.