Electricity Stored in EVs Can Be Used at Home... Hyundai Motor Group Accelerates Commercialization of Bidirectional Charging

Hyundai Motor Group said on the 8th that it recently completed infrastructure installation at the homes of ordinary customers participating in its Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) pilot service, successfully enabling charging and discharging between electric vehicles and the power grid.
Because the trial was conducted at private homes rather than at research institutes or limited demonstration sites, the group is expected to secure V2G data that reflects real-life conditions, which could speed up future commercialization discussions. V2G is a technology that connects an EV battery to the power grid so electricity can flow both ways. It charges the vehicle during late-night hours when demand is low and supplies power from the battery to the grid during the day when demand is concentrated.
Domestic research institutions say that once V2G is commercialized on a full scale, large numbers of EVs connected to the grid could complement existing power plants and stationary Energy Storage System (ESS) facilities, creating significant economic and social benefits.
Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has estimated that if 100,000 10-kW bidirectional EVs were discharged simultaneously for one hour, the power supply effect would be equivalent to up to 1 GW of pumped-storage generation or a large ESS. That is enough capacity for about 800,000 people to use for one hour.
With the number of registered EVs in South Korea projected to rise to around 4.2 million by 2030, the role of V2G as an alternative power resource could grow as adoption expands.
In that case, using V2G could cut infrastructure investment costs by as much as 78.5 trillion won compared with pumped-storage power generation.
Hyundai Motor Group is currently running a V2G pilot service for 40 vehicle owners living in Jeju Island who own an IONIQ 9 or a Kia EV9. For the first time in South Korea, participating customers are experiencing charging and discharging between their vehicle batteries and the power grid at home.
An industry source said, "Overseas, V2G has already come close to the threshold of commercialization as a power resource that complements national grids," adding, "South Korea also needs to create conditions for V2G commercialization to expand beyond Jeju trials nationwide, and it must quickly establish a legal framework covering EV participation in power markets, settlement, and compensation standards."
[email protected] Kim Hak-jae Reporter