US households can use electric vehicles as backup power sources with this two-way charger
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2022, Wallbox Industries will announce a second-generation two-way home charging station for the North American market.
Like its predecessor, the Wallbox Quasar 2 can draw power from an EV’s battery pack, allowing the vehicle to act as an emergency backup power source for homes. The two-way charging will effectively turn electric cars into energy storage, giving homeowners more flexibility in energy usage, Wallbox said in a press release.
Homeowners can also schedule charging sessions when electricity prices are low, store that electricity in their electric vehicles, and discharge it to power their homes when electricity prices are higher. Those with solar installations at home can also store excess energy in an EV and use it during peak speeds, the company claims.
The Quasar 2 delivers up to 11.5 kilowatts of power and is compatible with the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) used by most new EVs. It connects to a dedicated app via WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G data connection or Ethernet.
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The previous quasar only compatible with the Nissan Leaf — and the Nissan Leaf in the US doesn’t officially support two-way charging, though part of EV .’s CHAdeMO interface.
However, several automakers have announced two-way charging as a built-in feature for new electric vehicles.
Volkswagen recently said that their electric vehicles will support two-way charging soon after in 2022. Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 will also support the technology, as their shared E-GMP platform is designed with bidirectional charging in mind.
Ford also has big plans for two-way charging in F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The automaker has stated the Lightning will be able to function as an additional power source for the home, albeit with some additional devices. Ford has its own two-way home charging station and also plans to offer a Sunrun home solar pack to customers.
