How the Kia EV9 can help slash energy costs

This standout new electric SUV is the first of its kind and has a hidden ability that will be able to save owners big on their power bills.

2023 Kia EV9

The Kia EV9 could be the household saviour to skyrocketing power bills.

The large seven-seat SUV is set to become the first family electric SUV to offer vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging capability when it arrives later this year.

It means the sizeable all-electric SUV could soon be powering Australian houses for days courtesy of one of the largest batteries fitted to an electric car.

In theory, it could also allow owners to buy electricity at off peak rates and sell them back to the grid when prices are higher.

The Kia EV9 will have the ability to power your house … eventually.

There is one catch: the V2G capability will not initially be activated in the EV9 – and V2G has not achieved regulatory approval in most parts of the country.

While the required hardware to enable V2G will be fitted at the factory, the functionality will be activated via an over-the air software update once the company deems local conditions suitable.

“We standardised all the V2G functions to all EV9s but we’re not going to offer the service [at launch] … not because we are not ready for that but because we need a third-party to operate that V2G service,” says a senior product manager at Kia.

That third-party system he’s referring to is a V2G box that needs to be added to a garage or house to enable the car to interact with the grid or power the house directly.

The EV9 is the first electric seven seat SUV. (overseas model shown)

The boxes currently cost around $10,000, adding a rather large hurdle for those considering V2G.

But the potential is big. The EV9 has a battery pack up to 99.8kWh, which could provide the average household with about three days of electricity.

“The hardware for V2G is already standardised on all EV9s,” says the senior product manager. “When the service is ready all the customers will have it.”

The Nissan Leaf is currently to only vehicle capable of bidirectional charging.

Until now the only battery electric vehicle with V2G functionality has been the Nissan Leaf.

The Leaf beat other EVs because it uses the CHAdeMO charging plug that has long incorporated that bidirectional functionality.

The EV9 will become the first car in Australia to allow V2G with the more commonly used CCS combo charging plug.

The Kia EV9 will be the brand’s most expensive model yet.

The EV9 is expected to be offered in three model grades in Australia.

The entry-level Air is expected to start at about $100,000 and get a single 169kW/350Nm motor powered by a 76.1kWh battery pack.

There will also be a mid-level Earth and flagship GT-Line, each will use a dual-motor system making 283kW and up to 700Nm and a 98.1kWh battery with about 470km of driving range.

Prices are expected to stretch to about $130,000, but the EV9 will be available with some of the most advanced tech in any new car, including fingerprint recognition, advanced driver assist systems and the ability to program a smartphone as a key.

The Kia EV9 is due in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Originally published as How the Kia EV9 can help slash energy costs