Hyundai Motor Group is looking to turn its electric vehicles into more than just transportation, envisioning them as mobile power sources for the home.
Through a new brand called AllDayEnergy, the automaker says EV batteries could eventually help owners charge their vehicles when electricity is cheapest, keep essential appliances running during power outages, and, in some cases, send stored electricity back to the grid.
What happened?
According to The Gadgeteer, the first step of the AllDayEnergy platform is the launch of Hyundai's V1G smart charging, which shifts charging times to match power prices and grid conditions.
This technology could help EV drivers lower their charging costs by allowing them to avoid expensive time-of-use electricity rates and charge when power is cheaper. While Hyundai says this is the first piece of the technology it plans to make available to customers, the automaker describes it as just the beginning of a broader effort to turn EV batteries into flexible energy resources for their owners.
A later step, The Gadgeteer reported, is V2H or vehicle-to-home charging. This type of charging allows users to send power back into the grid when a utility needs it or can power vital home appliances when the grid goes down.
Adding battery storage is one of the best ways to protect your home during outages, save money on energy, and even move closer to going off-grid. While an EV can provide a significant amount of energy to your home depending on its make and model, more and more homeowners are opting for whole-home backup options.
If you're curious about upgrading your home's energy system, check out EnergySage's free tools to get information about home battery storage options, including competitive installation estimates from vetted installers. EnergySage has teamed up with the electrification brand Qmerit to guarantee you get the best price on home battery storage solutions.
Hyundai's rollout is starting on a relatively small scale. The Gadgeteer reported that AllDayEnergy is planned to arrive first through UK Kia App smart charging in the second half of 2026, with Europe, the U.S., and Korea mentioned for later expansion.
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A large EV battery could serve as a backup power source for essentials such as lights, refrigerators, and Wi-Fi when storms or other outages take down the grid. On regular days, smart charging could also help drivers save money by powering up when electricity is cheaper.
As The Gadgeteer reported, the average major U.S. outage went from 9.6 hours in 2018 to 11.8 hours by 2024. The same source said outage costs in the most expensive state climbed from $7.8 billion in 2018 to $38.9 billion in 2024.
If you're interested in a battery backup system but are not ready for a whole-home setup, Pila is another company offering excellent battery backup options, and its plug-and-play batteries are priced at a fraction of what a whole-home backup system would cost.
Battery storage is also one of the most effective ways to make a home more resilient while reducing reliance on unpredictable utility prices. Whether it comes from a standalone home battery or an EV capable of bidirectional charging, stored electricity can give families more control when the grid is under stress.
Hyundai, according to The Gadgeteer, has already run pilots of its vehicle-to-grid technology in Europe, including a test in Utrecht that began in 2022 with We Drive Solar. The Gadgeteer reported that it has also joined a Vattenfall pilot involving as many as 80 Dutch households, with participants receiving a free bidirectional charger, installation, and up to €500 in reimbursed home charging over six months in exchange for battery access between 4 and 9 p.m.
Scaling AllDayEnergy beyond smart charging would turn a parked EV into both an emergency power source and a home energy tool. The remaining question is how quickly that promise will make its way to more driveways.
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