Wallbox and Kia team up to try and bring bidirectional charging capabilities to EV9 owners

EV charging and energy management developer Wallbox announced it is working with Kia America to try and bring viable bidirectional charging capabilities to the homes of EV9 owners. This process will begin with Wallbox’s Quasar 2 EV charger.

Wallbox ($WBX) describes itself as a creator of “advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine the relationship between users and the network.” In its eight years since being founded, Wallbox’s portfolio of commercial and public EV charging solutions have expanded to 115 different countries.

Last October, we visited the company’s newest facility in Texas, where it demonstrated a 400kW DC fast charger capable of delivering 100 miles of range in a mere five minutes. Truthfully, most EVs are built to handle such high rates just yet – but some EVs that are close are those atop Hyundai Motor Group’s 800V E-GMP platform, including the Kia EV9 which recently began US deliveries.

Today, Wallbox announced it is working with Kia to give EV9 drivers access to its Quasar 2 home charger, offering the potential opportunity for bidirectional charging.

Can Wallbox make bidirectional charging viable with EV9?

Wallbox announced its new collaboration with Kia America today, sharing it will begin offering EV9 customers the second-generation version of its Quasar 2 home charger in the first half of 2024. The model first debuted at CES in January of 2022 and gained some good press given its bidirectional capabilities.

By using the home charger, owners can essentially turn their EV in a power bank with the capability to send energy from the vehicles battery into their home, also known as vehicle-to-home or V2H. We are seeing this capability to power homes during blackouts, inclement weather, or peak usage times more and more across the EV landscape, but although the technology exists, implementing it takes a lot more effort.

With a less than stellar electrical grid in the US especially, not all homes are built to handle the hardware, not to mention major hurdles EV owners have come across when trying to install a home charger including permits and installation. Not to mention wait times for said equipment.

Regardless, Wallbox is confident it can get the Quasar 2 charging for Kia EV9 owners next year, and empower them to save on energy costs and gain peace of mind during outages. Per Wallbox cofounder and CEO Enric Asunción:

We’re excited to work with Kia America toward our shared vision for accelerating electrification and transforming how we harness and interact with energy. Bidirectional charging can offer long term benefits to users, grid operators, utilities and will accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources. When combined with an EV capable of bidirectional charging, such as Kia’s advanced EV9, Quasar 2 offers one of the most functional and affordable home energy management solutions on the market.

The second-generation Quasar offers bidirectional charge rates up to 11.5kW. Wallbox points out that combined with the EV9’s 76kW or 100kW battery pack, owners can store five-times the amount of standard home storage system – enough to power a home with typical energy consumption for up to four days.

The company also estimates Quasar 2 owners will save over $1,000 annually on energy bills when combined with other time-of-use programs. As mentioned, the Wallbox chargers are expected to begin rolling out in the first half of next year.