Volvo EX90 electric SUV could power your house if there's a blackout

Volvo's upcoming EX90 has great potential with its bi-directional charging that allows a flow from the vehicle back to the energy grid.

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The Volvo EX90 uses bi-directional charging and may have the ability for owners to make energy utilization cheaper, more efficient, and more sustainable. The bi-directional charging would make it possible for an EX90 owner to power a house if there is a blackout or some other issue that occurs.

Ideally, many other EVs could be used to create a "virtual powerplant" that would be able to ease the strain of an overloaded electric grid.

The Volvo Cars app is an automatic - and managed - process and will ensure battery degradation risk is avoidable because the charge and discharge from the battery is limited. Volvo will provide hardware such as an advanced wall box and required energy management system, with accessories and adapter plugs also available.

As noted by Olivier Loedel, head of electrification ecosystem at Volvo: "With the Volvo EX90 you can power your life. 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."

Volvo will fully premier the EX90 in November. It is a replacement for the popular XC90 mild hybrid SUV and we will have to wait a while longer for full details.

The Swedish automaker is ramping up the development of EVs, with the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge on the horizon.

Expect other automakers to make bi-directional support available as concern related to the power grid with blossoming EV sales expected to take off in the coming years. For example, the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and Ford F-150 Lighting all provide bi-directional charging support with various configurations.