Hyundai Home Launches To Give Tesla Some Green Power Competition
A new player has appeared in the previously uncompetitive niche of "car manufacturer that would also like to take over and electrify your home." Experts have known home electrification was the new hotness for years, but confidently expected the major players to build either houses, batteries, or both. Tesla, being big on both batteries and futuristic flexes, seemed like an obvious candidate. Likewise, Kohler, which makes home goods, and Sonnen, which specializes in home electrification specifically.
Hyundai? Didn't see that coming. Per a November 17 press release, Hyundai Home, a seamless service intended to transition an owner's home and car to the same source of clean electric power, is now on the market. The Korean automaker has partnered with home electrification experts Electrum to deliver a comprehensive home-and-car solution for solar charging and off-grid power storage. The service seems to be marketed only in the U.S. at present, but will presumably expand availability with sufficient buy-in.
Clean, off-grid energy from a trustworthy source
Hyundai Home wasn't a complete shock for people plugged into the private power storage movement. The automaker previewed the Home concept at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show and got some solid feedback (via Hyundai). Not every engineering concept becomes a marketable product within a year, however. Hyundai is serious. At present, the Hyundai offer is similar to other home electrification offers: solar panels, an in-house battery, certified installers, and 24/7 service. The main value-add is the Hyundai name. Hyundai has a solid reputation for cheap, cheerful, reliable engineering and dependable service. By comparison, while there are many wonderful things about Teslas, not so much with the reliability.
Hyundai Home is clearly selling the automaker's reputation. The Hyundai Home Marketplace connects a user with an Energy Advisor and guarantees three different bids for installation. Installers and maintenance professionals come from partner Electrum's network of certified technicians. The goal appears to be a personalized, comprehensive electrification solution for every customer. Thus far, of course, Hyundai Home is just a concept, a website, and a press release. That said, Hyundai has proven commendably serious about electrification throughout its production line. Between the Home concept and its planned Ioniq 6 EV, Hyundai could be the cheap and cheerful alternative to Tesla that future-minded sensible spenders have been hoping for.