Hyundai IONIQ 5 Uses Vehicle-to-Load Technology to Power Hotel
It’s a first for the UK hospitality industry, as the Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature in the Hyundai IONIQ 5 is used to electrically power a hotel.
Would you stay in an electrically powered, sustainable hotel?
Apparently, lots of travellers might, based on recent research completed by the Hyundai brand looking into current travel and accommodation trends.
In a survey, nearly half (46%) of participants said that sustainability and the environment are now more of an important factor in their decisions when searching for their next accommodation.
An additional quarter of participants (25%) are even actively choosing staycations and minibreaks in the UK instead of travelling abroad in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
With money also playing an important factor, 40% said that they are looking for less expensive accommodation options, with over half (55%) citing this down to the rising costs of living.
Other findings from the survey included the fact that 53% of people would rather invest the money they spend on a holiday in the UK economy, with 51% saying this is to reduce the stress of travelling abroad, 25% due to warmer summers in the country, and 26% as a way of saving money.
The result? An electrically powered, pop-up hotel you could see more of right here in the UK.
Known as Hotel Hyundai, this new, sustainable hotel innovation presents an exciting future for the hospitality industry and a way to make accommodation both cleaner and greener.
Hotel Hyundai
Hotel Hyundai is the work of broadcaster and critic Grace Dent, who commissioned the hotel in response to the rising importance of sustainability in influencing guests’ accommodation when travelling.
The hotel features a luxury-style cabin powered exclusively by a Hyundai IONIQ 5 and the V2L feature.
Complete with an onsite restaurant and private cinema, the hotel offers everything you need for a relaxing getaway, with a selection of locally produced food and drink available to guests.
There’s even a coffee lounge serving freshly ground espresso powered by the car itself so you can get your coffee fix.
With a car-powered projector you can even watch a film with popcorn thanks to the constant stream of electric power from the V2L feature.
Grace Dent, Curator of Hotel Hyundai, said:
“We’re looking for unique, memorable stays more now than ever and this is a delicious blend of innovation, luxury and comfort that gets you thinking.
With power coming from the car, where could Hotel Hyundai pop-up next? I’m excited for those staying with us to sample the sustainable, locally sourced menu as well as the equally fabulous cocktails, and of course to enjoy a good night’s sleep.
I hope this three-week pop-up hotel is just the start for this concept of a car plugging in and powering a luxury experience like this. I’m predicting that guests will be hoping that this amazing hotel and the full experience it offers might be here again in 2023.”
Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers Vehicle-to-Load technology, which allows you to plug a device into the socket for domestic charging using the car as a source of power.
In this case, the device is the hotel, which draws its power from an AC supply (230V/50Hz) with up to a maximum of 3.6kW (or 15 Amps), powered by the V2L feature.
This powers everything from the lights to the amenities and more, making the Hotel Hyundai an exciting potential lead for sustainable accommodation if it becomes open for business permanently.
Ashley Andrew, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor UK, said:
“Our award winning IONIQ 5 is able to power Hotel Hyundai using its V2L feature, where an adapter from the car provides a socket which domestic appliances can be plugged into.
The whole experience demonstrates the practicality of this pioneering technology, and we hope the concept inspires more people to go off grid.”
The Hotel Hyundai was open for 14 nights as part of a trial running from 19th October to 5th November, and the hotel could be set to open permanently next year should things go to plan.
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