Kia Announces Wallbox Quasar 2 Vehicle-to-Home Charger for EV9
As bigger, more power-dense batteries extend the range of electric vehicles, EVs make sense for more people’s daily commutes and longer trips. But when an EV is not being driven, that big battery just sitting in the garage represents a load of untapped potential. Now, Kia EV9 drivers can start to realize that potential with a new vehicle-to-home (V2H) charger from Wallbox.
Related: How Fast Does the 2024 Kia EV9 Charge?
The Wallbox Quasar 2 is the first bidirectional charger that is compatible with Kia’s award-winning electric SUV. While the EV9 has always been capable of bidirectional charging (also known as V2X, or vehicle-to-X), the ability requires not only specific components within the vehicle, but also in the charger they connect to. While early EVs were designed only to accept high-flow electricity and their chargers only to output the necessary current, bidirectional charging requires both components to be capable of sufficient output and input.
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How Much Is the Quasar 2 Charger for the EV9?
By connecting their EV9 to a Quasar 2, EV9 owners and lessees can do more than simply juice up their vehicle and schedule it to charge when electricity is cheaper during off-peak hours. The Wallbox unit allows them to draw electricity from the EV9 to power areas of the home during peak hours, cutting down on electricity costs, or use the EV9 to keep critical appliances running during a power outage.
Initially, the Wallbox Quasar 2 is only available to EV9 drivers in seven states — California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Washington — although a nationwide rollout will follow. At $6,440 (not including installation or taxes), it is significantly more expensive than a typical one-way charger, which are readily available for less than $1,000.
Installation, too, is more expensive for a bidirectional unit, but costs will vary significantly from home to home. When six Cars.com editors installed EV chargers at their homes in 2022, installation ranged from $900 to more than $6,000, averaging $3,035. But, particularly for EV9 owners with solar panels on their roofs, the energy independence and peace of mind may be more important than the math on how long it will take to recoup that upfront cost.
More From Cars.com:
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