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There’s a lot of research in “vehicle to home” systems. Many EVs support such bidirectional power, but the manufactures don’t ship a product that’s economical.

There’s a lot of research in “vehicle to home” systems. Many EVs support such bidirectional power, but the manufactures don’t ship a product that’s economical. It’s a real shame it’s not easier to use. For my leaf, I have a simple 12v pure sine wave AC inverter. In a pinch I can turn on my car and hook up the inverter to the lead acid battery, which is charged from the leafs main battery.

Syonyk 6y ago
At least in the US, the problem is mostly regulatory. If you want to plug an EV in to charge, put a circuit in and have fun. If you want to backfeed any power to the grid, well, you need an application with the power company (which usually has an application fee), plans that often have to be reviewed and approved (which is a giant pain in some areas, mine included), then the new rate schedules, inspections of the generating facilities for initial operation and continuing operation, and it's a giant pain in the rear. Plus, there's really no strong incentives to actually do this sort of thing, financially - if you've got a solar install, OK, but just a battery... eh. A backup generator is an awful lot cheaper in most cases.
- rootusrootus 6y ago
  That's only if you want to backfeed. If you just want to supply your home in an outage, it's pretty straightforward to get a permit and have a transfer switch installed. Something tells me that it will be a while before we have EVs with built-in 240V split-phase inverters.
  - bob29 6y ago
    Hyundia announced an EV with built in inverter, they call it Vehicle To Load[1]. Like you mention with a transfer switch your whole house could be a "load" For a non-emergency it probably makes sense to use a <70% depleted 2nd life battery, and save the new battery for transportation usage. [1] https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/company/newsroom/hyundai-ioniq-5-redefines-electric-mobility-lifestyle-0000016626 https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/company/newsroom/hyunda...
    - rootusrootus 6y ago
      I didn't see anything in there about inverter output, other than it's pretty modest at 3.6 kW. My guess is it will do 120V, like most(all) built-in car inverters right now. IMO, a good V2L setup needs to have split phase 240V in the US. But that would add significantly to the manufacturing cost of the car, so I won't hold my breath.
      - chipsa 6y ago
        Most EV internal chargers are setup only for rectification. However, there's some slightly more expensive designs that would let it also act as an inverter. I believe this is what's spec'd for the Cybertruck.

Syonyk 6y ago

At least in the US, the problem is mostly regulatory. If you want to plug an EV in to charge, put a circuit in and have fun. If you want to backfeed any power to the grid, well, you need an application with the power company (which usually has an application fee), plans that often have to be reviewed and approved (which is a giant pain in some areas, mine included), then the new rate schedules, inspections of the generating facilities for initial operation and continuing operation, and it's a giant pain in the rear. Plus, there's really no strong incentives to actually do this sort of thing, financially - if you've got a solar install, OK, but just a battery... eh. A backup generator is an awful lot cheaper in most cases.

rootusrootus 6y ago
That's only if you want to backfeed. If you just want to supply your home in an outage, it's pretty straightforward to get a permit and have a transfer switch installed. Something tells me that it will be a while before we have EVs with built-in 240V split-phase inverters.
- bob29 6y ago
  Hyundia announced an EV with built in inverter, they call it Vehicle To Load[1]. Like you mention with a transfer switch your whole house could be a "load" For a non-emergency it probably makes sense to use a <70% depleted 2nd life battery, and save the new battery for transportation usage. [1] https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/company/newsroom/hyundai-ioniq-5-redefines-electric-mobility-lifestyle-0000016626 https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/company/newsroom/hyunda...
  - rootusrootus 6y ago
    I didn't see anything in there about inverter output, other than it's pretty modest at 3.6 kW. My guess is it will do 120V, like most(all) built-in car inverters right now. IMO, a good V2L setup needs to have split phase 240V in the US. But that would add significantly to the manufacturing cost of the car, so I won't hold my breath.
    - chipsa 6y ago
      Most EV internal chargers are setup only for rectification. However, there's some slightly more expensive designs that would let it also act as an inverter. I believe this is what's spec'd for the Cybertruck.