Kia Motors America and Hyundai America Technical Center Inc. have partnered with the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), to develop and demonstrate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) advanced smart-charging software algorithms.
According to Kia, V2G is a system that enables battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) to communicate with the power grid for bi-directional power flow while grid-connected. This enables the vehicles to serve as energy storage to help manage energy demand.
Kia says it will provide six Soul electric vehicles (EVs) with the goal of creating algorithms to coordinate the charging of plug-in EVs to support grid resource operation.
The demonstration and evaluation of Soul EVs will increase the understanding of how BEVs are managed on the electric grid and identify challenges and solutions for V2G deployment, says Kia. Also, the program will help predict BEV and PHEV charging behavior and understand their impact on the grid.
“Kia’s green car road map calls for a dramatic expansion of electrified vehicles over the next five years, and we are proud of the role the Soul EV will play in helping UCI’s students and faculty develop new and better advanced smart-charging technologies,” says Orth Hedrick, Kia’s vice president of product planning.
