Wallbox has completed the first US residential installations of its Quasar 2 bidirectional charger. The project demonstrates how electric vehicles (EVs) can serve as backup power sources for homes, allowing households to draw energy directly from their vehicles during peak demand or outages.
Six Quasar 2 units were installed in Menifee, California, through a collaboration with Kia America and the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The field trial brought vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology into real residential settings, showing how EVs can provide energy savings and enhance grid stability.
Quasar 2 enables compatible EVs to both charge and discharge power to a home. By using stored energy when rates are highest, homeowners can reduce electricity costs and lessen strain on the grid.
“This initiative illustrates the importance of collaboration between research institutions and industry,” said Professor Scott Samuelsen, project director and founding director of UCI’s Advanced Power and Energy Program. “Real-world deployment of bidirectional charging is essential for gathering the data and insights needed to scale V2H across the grid.”
Set in a newly built all-electric neighborhood, the project is part of a broader effort to understand how EVs, homes, and smart energy systems can work together to improve resilience and sustainability.
With these first installations complete, Wallbox plans to expand availability of Quasar 2 in the US as bidirectional charging gains traction among automakers and utilities exploring grid-interactive EV technologies.
Filed Under: Charging, Technology News, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)