Hyundai Motor Group completes V2G pilot infrastructure, says technology could cut power grid investment by W78.5tr

Hyundai Motor Group has completed the infrastructure setup for its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot service targeting general consumers, accelerating domestic demonstration efforts. The program is expected to generate real-world data on bidirectional charging between electric vehicles and the power grid in ordinary households, supporting the path toward full V2G commercialization.

V2G technology connects an electric vehicle's battery to the power grid, enabling electricity to flow in both directions. Vehicles charge during off-peak nighttime hours and discharge stored power back to the grid during peak daytime demand, helping to stabilize supply. The technology has drawn growing attention as an alternative for improving grid efficiency, particularly amid heightened energy security concerns stemming from geopolitical risks around the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Korea Electric Power Corp., if 100,000 electric vehicles capable of 10-kilowatt bidirectional charging all discharge simultaneously for one hour, they can supply power equivalent to a 1-gigawatt pumped-storage hydropower plant or a large-scale energy storage system — enough to power roughly 800,000 people for an hour.

With domestic EV registrations projected to reach 4.2 million by 2030, the role of V2G as an alternative power resource is expected to expand significantly once the technology enters widespread use. Applying Korea Electric Power Corp.'s analysis, 4.2 million vehicles could serve as a power resource equivalent to 42 units of 1-gigawatt generation capacity.

The cost advantage is also substantial. Building 42 gigawatts of power infrastructure through pumped-storage hydropower would require about 84 trillion won ($54.8 billion), whereas V2G could achieve the same capacity for roughly 5.46 trillion won — a potential saving of up to 78.5 trillion won in facility investment. Construction timelines differ sharply as well: pumped-storage projects take more than seven years and fixed battery energy storage systems require at least six months, while V2G can be deployed in about one month by leveraging existing EVs and charging infrastructure.

Hyundai Motor Group is running the pilot service on Jeju Island with 40 customers who own an Ioniq 9 or EV9. The group had previously partnered with mobility platform Socar on a V2G pilot on Jeju Island in the second half of last year, and has since expanded the program to include ordinary Jeju residents.

Participating customers are the first in South Korea to experience bidirectional charging between a vehicle and the power grid at home. Hyundai Motor Group plans to analyze their charging patterns and battery tolerance to design a commercial service model and compensation structure.

Customer feedback has been positive, the group said. An EV9 owner said the experience was not much different from regular charging — "you just plug in the charger" — and noted that a minimum battery level setting eliminated concerns about running out of charge. An Ioniq 9 owner said uptake would grow if dedicated rate plans, tax incentives and reserved parking zones were introduced.

However, industry officials say regulatory reform must come first before V2G can be commercialized domestically. Under current rules, electric vehicles are not clearly defined as participants in the electricity market or as distributed energy resources, leaving the legal basis for power trading and compensation arrangements incomplete.

"Overseas, V2G has reached the threshold of commercialization as a power resource supplementing national grids," one industry official said. "South Korea must move quickly beyond the Jeju demonstration to enable nationwide expansion — that means regulatory improvements alongside the swift establishment of a legal framework covering EV participation in the electricity market and standards for settlement and compensation."