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Weeks after announcing a collaboration with Kia America to bring bidirectional charging capabilities to EV9 drivers, Wallbox has demonstrated the potential of its technology first hand. Today, the energy management technology company posted a video you can see below that showcases its Quasar 2 home EV charger not only charging an EV9, but also using the SUV to power home devices the opposite direction as well as other intuitive features. Check it out.

Wallbox ($WBX) describes itself as a developer of “advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine the relationship between users and the network.” In less than a decade since being founded, Wallbox’s portfolio of commercial and public EV charging solutions has expanded to several EV chargers and accessories, now available in over 115 different countries.

Its current lineup includes a 400kW DC fast charger we saw during a visit to Wallbox’s newest facility in Texas last fall, which can deliver 100 miles of range in five minutes of charging. We also got a look at the Quasar 2, a new home 11.5 kW EV charger presented by Wallbox this past January that offers a CCS-combo DC charger with bi-directional charging that enables vehicle-to-home (V2H) capabilities.

Not many electric vehicles being built today support bidirectional charging just yet, but the 800V E-GMP platform designed by Hyundai Motor Group certainly does, one of its best selling points in our opinion. One vehicle that currently sits atop the E-GMP platform is the Kia EV9 SUV, which is just starting to begin deliveries in North America.

In late August, Wallbox announced it is working with Kia to give EV9 drivers access to its Quasar 2 home charger, offering the potential opportunity for bidirectional charging. It’s one thing to know the technology is available and another to see it in action. “Show don’t tell,” as we used to say in the Hollywood.

Today, Wallbox is showcasing its Quasar 2 charger connected to an EV9, and its capabilities are something special.

Wallbox charging
Credit: Wallbox

Watch Wallbox’s Quasar 2 demonstrate V2H charging

Following the initial announcement of its collaboration with Kia and the EV9, Wallbox’s chief business officer Douglas Alfaro visited Hyundai Motor Group’s proving grounds in California to plug the company’s Quasar 2 into the EV9 and truly demonstrate how it works. According to Wallbox, this is the first time it has live demonstrated its bidrectional charging technology in the US.

As you can see in the video below, Alfaro starts pretty standard, plugging the Quasar 2 into a Kia EV9, which automatically commences charging the SUV. On a table next to the charger, Wallbox set up several devices representing common energy users in a home – lights, air, appliances, etc.

Here’s where things get interesting. Alfaro cuts the grid power and you can see the Wallbox charger automatically recognize the shortage and switch direction of the charging – pulling from the EV9 to keep all the devices running.

As we’ve pointed out in the past, bidirectional charging like that in the Quasar 2 essentially empowers EV drivers with homes to turn their vehicle into a power bank. Another interesting fact to consider is that the Kia EV9 holds between 76-100 kWh of battery power depending on what configuration you buy – that’s a lot of backup power. Wallbox explains that the even the smaller pack in the Kia is more than 5-times the capacity of a standard home energy storage system (13.5 kWh), ensuring the lights can stay on longer during blackouts or inclement weather.

Grid power comes back, the Quasar 2 automatically switches back to charging the EV9, simple. The charger also recognizes peak energy demands on the grid and can automatically pause EV charging and wait for a later time in the evening when energy costs are down.

One last huge benefit is the Wallbox charger’s ability to deliver vehicle-to-grid capabilities as well, in which Kia EV9 owners could someday flush their excess vehicle energy directly into the local grid and potentially be paid for it.

As we pointed out in today’s other news about legacy automakers teaming up to bolster the grid in North America, there will be a lot of regulatory red tape to cut through before V2G becomes commonplace, but the technology already exists on both the EV and charging sides of the equations. Utility companies now need to optimize and allow for it.

Regardless, there are plenty of perks to bidirectional charging available to EV owners today, as demonstrated by Wallbox below. Have a look for yourself and let us know what you think.

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Troubling times for Tesla, Nissan, and Dodge – plus some fun yellow stuff!

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Troubling times for Tesla, Nissan, and Dodge – plus some fun yellow stuff!

Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!

We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.


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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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OpenAI says Robinhood’s tokens aren’t equity in the company

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OpenAI says Robinhood's tokens aren't equity in the company

Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images

OpenAI is distancing itself from Robinhood‘s latest crypto push after the trading platform began offering tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX to users in Europe.

“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”

The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”

Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.

“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.

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Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.

“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”

The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain

U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.

Robinhood hits record high as OpenAI, SpaceX go on-chain

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BYD launches new discounts, offering +50% off smart driving tech

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BYD launches new discounts, offering +50% off smart driving tech

Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.

BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech

After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”

Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.

BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).

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It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.

The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).

BYD-new-discounts
BYD Fang Cheng Bao 5 SUV testing (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).

Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.

BYD-Tai-3-electric-SUV
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3 electric SUV (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.

BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.

The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.

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