Kia has given six Soul EVs to the Advanced Power and Energy Program at University of California, Irvine
Kia Motors America is starting a partnership that’s set to electrify the automotive industry. The South Korean carmaker recently provided the Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at the University of California, Irvine with six 2016 Soul EVs to help the program develop Vehicle-to-Grid advanced smart charging software algorithms.
This partnership will help the two organizations use these algorithms in coordinating the charging of plug-in electric vehicles.
“Grid-connected electric vehicles offer tremendous potential in terms of energy storage and dispersion during high-demand periods, and Kia is excited to collaborate with APEP in the study and development of advanced smart grid technologies,” said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning for Kia Motors America. “Kia’s green car roadmap 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.”
Vehicle-to-grid, also known as V2G, is a system that allows vehicles to serve as energy storage when attached to the grid, along with helping manage energy demand. V2G allows electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids to communicate with the power grid to allow for bi-directional power flow when they are connected to the grid.
Using the Soul EVs will allow the APEP to determine how electric vehicles are used on the electric grid. It also allows the group to study and predict the charging behavior of these electric vehicles.
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