Kia’s EV9 will soon be able to power your home

Kia EV9 owners can soon take advantage of the SUV’s “Vehicle to Home” power backup capabilities with the availability of a bidirectional charger coming in June. The new Wallbox Quasar 2 electric vehicle charger is the first home EV power connector in the US that works with the EV9 and is now up for preorder for owners and lessees of the vehicle. The Quasar 2 can feed power to the EV9’s battery to charge it or draw from it to keep your home’s lights on during a blackout. You’ll need both the charger and a special Power Recovery Unit to interface with your home power panel to make the home generator features work. EV9 owners get first dibs on the Quasar 2 but will need to register with Wallbox to preorder both items. According to Kia, they will be available “on a first-come, first-served, while supplies last basis.” Not all homes can support the system; owners will need at least 200-amp service in their home and may also need permission from a utility company or municipality to use all the features. The Quasar 2 also supports solar panels and includes software to manage energy flow from the sun to your car battery, home, and the grid. Ideally, you could charge your vehicle off of solar energy or the grid during off-peak hours and sell back excess power to the utility company.