Electricity is quickly becoming the be-all solution to powering tomorrow’s vehicles, and its implementation could drastically change how we live. Bidirectional charging turns vehicles into mobile charging stations, capable of bringing electricity to new locations. It’s a technology available on the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 that’s already proving itself useful as a new Asian Petrolhead video shows the crossover powering the Hyundai Porest motorhome.
Hyundai’s Vehicle to Load system is surprisingly simple to set up. The Ioniq has a V2L connector located in the cargo area’s floor that plugs into the crossover’s charge port. The next step is to take the 220-volt cord plugged in to the camper and plug it into the V2L connector – and that’s it. In the car, the infotainment screen shows the system engaged and working, displaying “EV Charge Transfer: V2L.” The car can still function when transferring charge, including operating the air conditioner.
Gallery: Hyundai IONIQ 5 (2021)
You wouldn’t know you’re getting power from the crossover when you step inside the motorhome. The fridge, air conditioner, and all the lights work as you’d expect them to. The Ioniq is also capable of charging the camper’s onboard battery. Transferring power from your EV to your motorhome may not be practical in all situations because eventually, you’d need to charge the EV once its battery drained. Still, we know the feature can be pretty valuable in extreme ones.
Learn more about the new Ioniq 5:
Earlier this year, an overpowering deep freeze toppled the Texas electrical grid. As temperature plunged and deadly power outages plagued the state, Ford asked dealers to loan out F-150 hybrid pickups with onboard electric generators so residents could power their homes. The trucks proved quite useful to many. Bidirectional charging is impressive, and it’s something that could become a standard feature on EVs. It gives cars a new utility that we didn’t really have before.
Gallery: 2020 Hyundai Porest
Source: Asian Petrolhead / YouTube