The idea of your electric SUV running your house during a blackout used to sound like science fiction. Now Hyundai and Kia are turning it into hardware. In early 2025, Kia launched Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) for eligible EV9 drivers in the US, using Wallbox’s Quasar 2 charger to let the big three-row SUV feed power back into a home.
Photo by smart-me AG
Hyundai Motor Group is now expanding that play. Company announcements and trade coverage confirm that Hyundai will roll out V2H on the new Ioniq 9, while Kia extends the service to the EV6, starting in key markets in North America, Europe, and South Korea. As one recent industry briefing put it, the goal is simple: turn your EV into a “reliable household backup power source” during outages and peak-demand hours.
How V2H Changes Your Emergency Playbook
V2H lets you charge your EV when electricity is cheap—overnight or during sunny hours if you have solar—then push that energy back into your home when the grid is stressed or the lights go out. Unlike basic Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) systems that only power a few outlets, properly wired V2H can run major circuits, from your fridge to lights and routers.
You will still need compatible home hardware, a bidirectional charger, and an electrician who knows this world. Not every trim or market will support full-home backup on day one. But if you already want a Kia EV9 or Hyundai Ioniq 9 as a family hauler, V2H quietly turns that purchase into a piece of serious home backup power kit—especially if you live in a wildfire, hurricane, or ice-storm zone where the grid is flaky.
What you are looking at: a simple flow diagram showing how power moves from the grid into your EV and then back into your home, turning the car into a quiet backup battery for essential household circuits.
My Verdict
If you’re shopping a big electric SUV and live anywhere with sketchy grid reliability, V2H should be high on your wish list. A vehicle that covers school runs all week and then keeps the refrigerator, lights, and Wi-Fi up when the neighborhood goes dark is the definition of useful tech. As more brands copy Hyundai and Kia, the smart move is to buy the EV that doesn’t just move you—it keeps your home alive when the storm hits.
