Implementations of the present invention contemplate using the communicative connections between telematics units in vehicles and a telematics service provider (TSP) to facilitate discharging and recharging of high energy electrical power storage devices, e.g. batteries, in vehicles. Specifically, implementations of the present invention contemplate an entity, e.g. a TSP, located remotely from a vehicle, that issues a command to a telematics unit in the vehicle to discharge or recharge an electrical power storage device in the vehicle. In some implementations, the command to discharge the storage device is issued by the TSP or other remote entity in response to a prior transmission sent by the telematics unit in the vehicle to the TSP or other entity. In other implementations, the command to discharge or recharge the storage device issued by the TSP or remote entity is triggered by the determination that a disaster may impact the vehicle.