The Kia EV9: An Electric Vehicle That Packs a Powerful Punch for Your Home

Korean auto manufacturer Kia recently announced that pre-orders for its newest all-electric vehicle, a three-row SUV called the EV9, are now open. This family-friendly vehicle is equipped with an impressive range of up to 304 miles with the single-motor setup and a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. But what sets the EV9 apart from other electric vehicles on the market is its ability to conduct bidirectional charging, allowing it to share energy between the SUV and your home, creating a circular energy cycle. This innovative feature is made possible through an agreement with Wallbox, an EV charging and energy management solutions company, which will also enable Kia to deliver energy back to the community grid through the EV9.

Earlier this year, Kia’s sister company, Hyundai, unveiled its Ioniq 6 EV, which has the ability to charge up in about 18 minutes and provide a vehicle-to-load (V2L) energy exchange to charge and operate electric devices. In a bid to offer more options for energy management, the public is expressing interest in V2H (vehicle-to-home), V2G (vehicle-to-grid), and V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) charging. The partnership with Wallbox is a precursor to this vision, as they have developed a next-generation bidirectional charger for the EV9. According to Wallbox, the Kia EV9 can hold between 76 and 100 kilowatt hours of energy, making it capable of powering an average home for up to four days in case of a power outage, acting as a backup generator when needed.

To emphasize the simplicity and effectiveness of bidirectional charging, Kia showcased the V2H capability at the Los Angeles Auto Show by creating a demo “Kia Connected Home.” With the installation of the bidirectional charger at your home and plugging in your vehicle, the Wallbox Quasar 2 can manage energy needs by either charging the EV9 or discharging power from the EV9 to the home based on intelligent time-of-day management and vehicle energy needs. This groundbreaking feature further highlights Kia’s commitment to bridging the gap between energy consumption and mobility.