Building on last week’s successful installation of the first Wallbox bidirectional charger in North America, the EV charging company announced a bidirectional charging program open to 180 homes across California and Connecticut.
The pilot programs will enable Kia EV9 owners to leverage Wallbox’s Quasar 2 bidirectional charger and a virtual power plant (VPP) platform from Bidirectional Energy to save money, support the power grid and accelerate the adoption of flexible energy systems across the United States. The program will expand to additional vehicles and homes at a later date.
The program, developed with local utilities and stakeholders in the two states, provides participating customers with substantial incentives: up to $8,800 in California for charger and installation costs, and up to $10,800 in Connecticut, alongside estimated annual energy bill savings and grid support earnings of up to $1,500 and $1,350 in each respective U.S. state. These initiatives make it easier than ever for drivers to adopt cutting-edge charging technology while helping stabilize the grid.
“A key aim of Bidirectional Energy is to make it easy and desirable for drivers to unlock the full value of their EVs while supporting the grid,” said Frances Bell, CEO at Bidirectional Energy. “Opening this program through a partnership with Wallbox helps us bring this innovative technology to everyday consumers — in a way that is simple to enroll, valuable to use, and ready to scale.”
The Quasar 2, Wallbox’s 12.48-kW bidirectional charger, enables EV owners to power their homes or send energy back to the grid. Paired with its Power Recovery Unit, the Quasar 2 is also able to provide critical backup power in the event of an outage, transforming the EV into a powerful home generator for several days.
As utility rates continue to climb and power outages become a more common occurrence, bidirectional charging can give homeowners more independence and control over their energy usage. Bidirectional Energy is committed to making this technology more accessible to everyone, beginning with its software platform that helps EV owners cut bills, gain backup power and earn from grid services.
“Bidirectional charging holds the potential to transform how people use and manage energy at home,” said Douglas Alfaro, Chief Business Development Officer at Wallbox. “By partnering with Bidirectional Energy, we’re empowering EV owners to turn their vehicles into energy assets, earning money while supporting a more resilient grid. This is a crucial step in bringing our technology to households across the U.S.”
The pilot program across these two states offers a seamless experience for participants to save thousands of dollars. For this initial phase of the program, homeowners in the two states must own or lease a Kia EV9 to participate and can sign up by verifying their home’s qualifications on the Bidirectional Energy website. Once their home is verified as eligible for program participation, the homeowner can purchase and schedule installation of charging hardware from Wallbox, submitting receipts via the Bidirectional Energy app for rebate reimbursement thanks to the state-funded grants. Bidirectional Energy and its electrical partner will then manage the rest of the process for participants — handling utility interconnection, securing rebate payments and more. Once the charger is installed, drivers can use the Bidirectional Energy app to “set and forget” charging and grid participation preferences, including mileage buffers to leave in the battery for daily driving needs. Regardless, the app allows drivers to retain full control over how and when their vehicle charges, supports the grid and is used for driving.
To qualify for this first phase of the pilots, participants must also reside in a single-family or small multi-family home (four units or fewer), be customers of participating utilities, agree to share charging data and enroll in grid-support programs such as time-of-use or demand response plans. Priority populations make up a significant portion of the target participants in both states, reflecting Wallbox’s and Bidirectional Energy’s commitment to equitable energy access.
Kia EV9 drivers interested in program participation can learn more and reserve their spot in California and Connecticut.
