Hyundai Kona 2023 Electric – the EV becomes a mobile power bank

When it launches in autumn 2023, the new Hyundai Kona Electric will also offer bidirectional charging. Although the compact e-SUV does not use the E-GMP platform from the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, customers can connect and use or charge their electronic devices via a standard socket inside the vehicle. Outside the vehicle, this is possible via a V2L adapter.

This is how bidirectional charging can be used

With bidirectional charging, customers can power their electronic devices as they wish, wherever they wish. Since 2021, Hyundai has launched a series of projects to demonstrate this technology across Europe. One of these projects was the use of V2L technology in the remote and icy wilderness of Northern Norway. A Hyundai Ioniq 5 served as a mobile power source, supplying the reindeer farm Tromsø Arctic Reindeer with electricity for three days – including dinner in a self-sufficient cabin that was powered solely by the V2L function of the Hyundai.

Even power supply while camping in nature is possible thanks to bidirectional charging and V2L technology. This is demonstrated by Hyundai's Camp Zero in Sweden. Here, an Ioniq 5 supplied a caravan with the necessary power, including an induction cooktop, espresso machine, electric kettle, refrigerator and freezer, speaker system, and string lights.

Vehicle-to-Grid – The Solution for Stabilizing the Power Grid

Another form of bidirectional charging is Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). V2G can utilize the electricity stored in the batteries of electric vehicles and feed it back into the grid at specific times, for example during peak load. Over the past two years, Hyundai has further developed this innovative Vehicle-to-Grid technology (V2G). Both vehicle owners and society at large benefit from V2G. In addition to electricity generation from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, the use of electricity from electric car batteries can also contribute to diversifying the energy mix.

Hyundai's V2G Pilot Projects

To implement its corporate vision "Progress for Humanity" and support the goal of carbon neutrality in Europe by 2035, Hyundai is seeking practical solutions for sustainable mobility of the future. Bidirectional charging and V2G technology are examples of this. In Europe, the company is already putting V2G technology into practice. In collaboration with partners in the energy supply and technology sectors, Hyundai has launched two important pilot projects in the Netherlands and Germany.

In the Dutch city of Utrecht, the world's first bidirectional region is set to emerge. Here, Hyundai is working with local mobility provider "We Drive Solar" and deploying a fleet of Ioniq 5 vehicles for a new car-sharing system powered by V2G technology. The fleet will not only transport residents in the Cartesius urban development district but also support the local power grid by being charged at solar-powered charging stations. During peak times, when large amounts of energy are consumed, these vehicles can feed the sustainable energy back into the local grid.

Another V2G test project was launched by Hyundai in Germany, coordinated by Cradle Berlin, the Corporate Venturing and Open Innovation division of Hyundai Motor Company. As part of the project, Hyundai tested the ability of the Ioniq 5 to share energy with the grid within a closed home energy system. For this purpose, an Ioniq 5 was connected to eight households respectively, to balance the energy flow between them and back to the grid. To predict when and how much energy the electric vehicles can deliver, Hyundai developed its own Home Energy Management System (HEMS).

V2G for a Sustainable Future

The more energy generated and used from renewable sources, the more V2G technology can be a building block in mitigating the impacts of climate change. As BEVs with this technology can store energy from alternative energy sources such as sun and wind during peak periods and feed it back into the grid when needed, V2G technology can be the solution for balancing the supply and demand of energy.