The question remains whether the feature will be offered here, like is already available—and very popular—with the Ford F-150 Lightning.
Volvo- The Volvo EX90 is set to offer bi-directional charging as an option, which will allow it to transfer power to a house, another car, or appliances.
- The electric SUV is set to be revealed November 9, with a number of new safety and tech systems on board.
- Volvo is still deciding in what markets it will offer bi-directional charging, which will also require the purchase of several pieces of special hardware.
Due to be revealed in four weeks, the Volvo EX90 is set to offer no shortage of new features, being the automaker’s electric flagship. Previewed a year ago by the Recharge concept, the SUV’s formal name was revealed a couple of weeks ago, with Volvo also indicating that it will offer LiDAR as a standard feature, believed to be part of an upcoming SAE Level 3 driver-assist system offering eyes-off, hands-off capability.
Volvo has kept other high-tech details under wraps, ahead of the model’s official debut scheduled for November 9.
We’ve now learned that Volvo’s electric flagship will also offer bi-directional charging—a technology promised by a number of EV developers for some time, but which hasn’t yet become as commonplace a feature as once anticipated.
Volvo intends to change that with the EX90.
“With the Volvo EX90 you can power your life,” said Olivier Loedel, head of Electrification Ecosystem at Volvo Cars. “You could use its battery in many ways, from topping up your electric bike when you’re out and about, to hooking up an outdoor cooking appliance for your weekend camping trip. It could even power your house during the expensive peak hours of the day.”
Of course, powering a home with the EX90 will require a home energy management system and an advanced wallbox, so it’s not quite plug-and-play. Giving some juice to another car will require a special cable and an adapter as well; it won’t be just matter of finding an extension cord.
Volvo also proposes a use case in which the EX90 can power the home with “cheaper and cleaner electricity” received elsewhere, during peak times as opposed to some kind of emergency.
“Imagine this scenario: You come home from work with plenty of energy left in the battery, which has earlier been charged with cheaper and cleaner electricity. During the evening, your car can be plugged in and discharge energy when electricity prices are higher,” the automaker says.
However, nighttime is when electricity is usually cheapest, and it’s also when most EVs are home and are busy recharging themselves, making this a fairly narrow scenario.
There is also the question of just how much people who can afford a pricey electric SUV to begin with really pay attention to the electricity costs of their home, especially at the expense of range in that EV. As a number of developers have pointed out, such a system would have to be completely automated, making decisions based on energy pricing in order to be attractive for powering a home.
When it comes to powering items like camping appliances, however, the EX90 should be ready to go right out of the box.
Bi-directional charging has not been confirmed for every market at this point, including the US. Volvo says that it will be “launched in selected markets” at first. The automaker is also looking into which use cases it will be able to offer in different countries.
As a technology, bi-directional charging is on a handful of EVs already available in the US—including the Ford F-150 Lightning—and has become a popular feature in those EVs that offer it.
Jay Ramey Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum.
Keyword: 2024 Volvo EX90 to Offer Bi-Directional Charging