Image: Wallbox
Wallbox has completed the first installations of its Quasar 2 bi-directional charger in homes across the U.S., marking a major step toward transforming electric vehicles into home power sources. Wallbox chargers allow Kia EV9 owners to draw energy from their car to power their home.
In collaboration with Kia America and the University of California, Irvine (UCI), six Quasar 2 units were installed in Menifee, California. The pilot project brought vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology into homes and demonstrated how electric vehicles can double as power sources for homes, reducing costs and strengthening the power grid.
Here's how it works: Quasar 2 charges compatible electric vehicles and allows them to send power back into the home. Homeowners can use their car batteries during peak times to reduce their utility bills or keep the lights on during power outages.
“This is more than a technological milestone. It's a glimpse into a future where every electric vehicle is an energy asset,” said Douglas Alfaro, Wallbox's chief business development officer. “Quasar 2 gives homeowners control over their energy and helps them achieve resilience, independence and sustainability in their daily lives.”
The six units will be tested in a newly constructed, all-electric neighborhood to examine how clean energy technologies can support homeowners and the electric grid.
Kia says V2H capability is part of its Kia Connect suite, rolling out soon to eligible EV9 models. “As we continue to expand our electric vehicle offerings, projects like this help us demonstrate how electric vehicles can provide value beyond mobility,” said Sujith Somasekharan, director of connected cars and mobility at Kia America. “By partnering with Wallbox and UCI, we can demonstrate how our vehicles can power homes, reduce costs and have a meaningful environmental impact for families.”
Professor Scott Samuelsen, who leads the project in UCI's Advanced Power and Energy Program, said: “Real-world deployment of bi-directional charging is critical to capturing the data and technical and customer adaptation insights needed to scale V2H deployment across the grid.”
With these initial installations now complete, Wallbox says it is preparing for wider availability of Quasar 2 in the US.
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