Volvo EX90: New E-SUV enables bidirectional charging

The next info tidbit on the upcoming E-SUV flagship from Sweden is here. The new Volvo EX90, which will premiere on November 9, also supports bidirectional charging. This allows the electric car to be used as a mobile energy storage unit that can power your home or even e-bikes.

Volvo EX90 with bidirectional charging function

The new Volvo EX90 is a hot ticket item that awaits us in November 2022. Until its release, the manufacturer wants to make its new E-SUV palatable to us with info tidbits and first put the focus on the safety aspects.

For example, new sensors that can measure the attention of the occupants and warn of drowsiness, for example, made the start. At the end of September, Volvo introduced occupant detection that warns if there are still people or animals in the car when you get out.

Now Volvo unveiled the EX90’s bi-directional charging feature. The all-electric SUV, which will be unveiled on November 9, 2022, is the first model from the Swedish premium car brand to feature bidirectional charging.

The E-SUV is thus able to transfer electricity to external sources, but also does its part to balance the load on the energy grid. Intelligent charging management increases efficiency and sustainability, and should also let you save money effectively in the process.

Many areas of application

Bidirectional charging is nothing new in this regard. Hyundai is testing a corresponding power delivery via V2G (Vehicle to Grid) to feed into the public power grid, Vehicle to Building (V2B) for houses and Vehicle to Home (V2H) for the home for the Ioniq 5. Porsche is also already testing a V2G buffer storage for the Taycan.

The all-electric Volvo EX90 is the first model from the Swedish premium automaker to be designed for bidirectional charging. Initially offered in select markets, the capability helps make energy use more cost-effective, efficient and sustainable.

Added to this is a smart charging function via the Volvo smartphone app, through which the vehicle is charged when electricity demand is low and energy prices are correspondingly low. Here, the focus is to be on the availability of many renewable energies.

The possibilities for bi-directional charging in the EX90 are many, as Olivier Loedel, Head of Electrification Ecosystem at Volvo Cars reveals:

“Drivers can use the battery in many ways: They can charge their e-bike when they’re on the road, or plug in an outdoor cooking device during a weekend camping trip. During expensive peak periods, even the house can be supplied with cheap electricity from the car.”

In the process, the E-SUV also works with other electric cars from the manufacturer and can supply them with power or draw its own energy from the batteries of other E-cars. If available, the entire charging process takes place automatically via the intelligent charging function of the Volvo Cars app.

Thanks to an intelligent algorithm, the battery is only charged and discharged to a limited extent during this process; this is intended to extend the durability of the high-voltage batteries.

Stabilizing the power grid

But the Volvo EX90 not only saves cash by charging when there is a surplus of renewable energy. It can even sell back leftover energy when demand is higher at peak times.

This is intended to even out charging peaks in the power grid, improving overall sustainability. Stored, regenerative energy in the vehicle can simply be sold off, reducing the need for fossil fuels during periods of high grid utilization.

In addition to the Volvo EX90 with bidirectional charging function, the Swedish automaker also plans to release other hardware such as an advanced wallbox and home energy management system. Other accessories such as adapter plugs for devices and cables for charging other cars will also be offered.

However, it is noted that the technologies and features are not yet available and may differ at the time of the EX90’s launch. Bidirectional charging will initially only be available in selected markets.