Wallbox Brings Bidirectional EV Chargers to U.S. Homes, Unlocking Energy Independence for Drivers
Wallbox (NYSE:WBX), a leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions, today announced the successful completion of the first U.S. residential installations of its Quasar 2 bidirectional charger. American households can power their homes directly from their Kia EV9, turning the car in the driveway into a reliable and sustainable source of energy.
Six Quasar 2 units were deployed in Menifee, California, through a collaboration with Kia America and the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The project brought vehicle-to-home (V2H) technology into real residential settings, showing how EVs can deliver benefits far beyond mobility by powering homes, reducing costs, and strengthening the grid.
Quasar 2 enables compatible electric vehicles not only to charge but also to discharge energy back into the home. This allows homeowners to lower electricity bills by using stored energy when rates are highest and contribute to grid stability during peak demand.
"This is more than a technology milestone. It is a glimpse of a future where every EV is an energy asset," said Douglas Alfaro, Chief Business Development Officer at Wallbox. "Quasar 2 puts homeowners in control of their energy, helping them achieve resilience, independence, and sustainability in their daily lives."
The project is part of a broader effort to explore how EVs, homes, and smart energy systems can work together to create more sustainable, resilient communities. Set in a newly built all-electric neighbourhood, it demonstrates how integrated clean energy technologies can support both individual homeowners and the wider grid.
As part of Kia's commitment to delivering smart, intuitive mobility solutions, V2H is a part of the Kia Connect1 suite of services and will soon be available for eligible EV9 vehicles. "As we continue to expand our lineup of electric vehicles, projects like this help us showcase how EVs can deliver value beyond mobility, playing a central role in energy management and sustainability at home." said Sujith Somasekharan, Director, Connected Car & Mobility at Kia America. "Partnering with Wallbox and UCI allows us to show how our vehicles can power homes, reduce costs, and create meaningful environmental impact for families."
"This initiative illustrates the importance of collaboration between research institutions and industry," said Professor Scott Samuelsen, project director and founding director of the UCI Advanced Power and Energy Program. "Real-world deployment of bidirectional charging is essential for gathering the data, and the technical and customer adaptation insights needed to scale V2H deployment across the grid."
Quasar 2 represents a breakthrough in redefining the role of the electric vehicle. With these first installations now live, Wallbox is preparing for broader U.S. availability. The company's goal is to enable drivers to unlock the full potential of the energy in their EVs and support a cleaner, more resilient grid.
About Wallbox
Wallbox is a global technology company, dedicated to changing the way the world uses energy. Wallbox creates advanced electric vehicle charging and energy management systems that redefine the relationship between users and the network. Wallbox goes beyond charging electric vehicles to give users the power to control their consumption, save money and live more sustainably. Wallbox offers a complete portfolio of charging and energy management solutions for residential, semi-public, and public use in more than 100 countries around the world. Founded in 2015 in Barcelona, where the Company's headquarters are located, Wallbox currently has offices across Europe, Asia, and America. For more information, visit www.wallbox.com.
About The UCI Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP)
Established in 2000 at the University of California, Irvine, APEP comprises over 120 graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, research staff, and visiting scientists that are addressing the paradigm shift of the grid to renewable electric power generation, the electrification of buildings and vehicles, and the evolving merging of mobility with the grid. APEP seeks to develop and deploy increasingly efficient and environmentally sustainable power production and energy conversion with a focus on the creation and sharing of new knowledge through fundamental and applied research, education, and outreach.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the continued listing of Wallbox's Class A ordinary shares on the NYSE. The words "anticipate," "believe," "can," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "focus," "forecast," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," ""target," will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: Wallbox's history of operating losses; the adoption and demand for electric vehicles including the success of alternative fuels, changes to rebates, tax credits and the impact of government incentives or reduction thereof; political and economic uncertainty and macroeconomic factors, such as impacts from tariffs and trade barriers, geopolitical conflicts, consumer spending, inflation and foreign exchange rates; the accuracy of Wallbox's forecasts and projections including those regarding its market opportunity; competition; risks related to losses or disruptions in Wallbox's supply or manufacturing partners; Wallbox's reliance on the third-parties outside of its control; risks related to Wallbox's technology, intellectual property and infrastructure; executive orders and regulatory changes under the U.S. political administration and uncertainty therefrom; as well as the other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Wallbox's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and the Investors Relations section of Wallbox's website at investors.wallbox.com. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. Any forward-looking statement that Wallbox makes in this press release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, Wallbox disclaims any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
1Purchase/lease of certain 2026 Kia vehicles with Kia Connect includes a complimentary 3-year subscription starting from new vehicle retail sale/lease date as recorded by the dealer. After your complimentary 3-year Kia Connect subscription expires, continued access to the full suite of Kia Connect services available on your Kia will require a paid subscription at the then-current subscription rate or your use of certain Kia Connect features may immediately terminate. Use of Kia Connect is subject to agreement to the Kia Connect Privacy Policy (available at owners.kia.com/us/en/privacy-policy.html) and Terms of Service (available at owners.kia.com/us/en/terms-of-service.html). Complimentary Kia Connect subscription is transferable to subsequent owner during the original Kia Connect service term. Only use Kia Connect when safe to do so. Kia Connect may currently be unavailable for 2026 or newer vehicles sold or purchased in Massachusetts; please see the Kia Owner's Portal for updates on availability. Kia Access with Kia Connect app is available from the Apple App Store or Google Play store. Kia America, Inc. reserves the right to change or discontinue Kia Connect at any time without prior notification or incurring any future obligation. Message and data rates may apply. Cellular and GPS coverage is required to use most features. Kia Connect features may vary by model, model year, and trim level. Features, specifications, and fees are subject to change. For more on details and limitations, visit www.kia.com or your authorized Kia dealer. Apple and App Store are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Google and its related trademarks are trademarks of Google LLC or its affiliates.
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Wallbox Public Relations Contact:
Albert Cabanes
Public Relations
[email protected]