The world of electric vehicles is moving very quickly. Sometimes new technology arrives that really blows your mind. One such technology is the ability to charge other things from your vehicle. There are 4 different types of reverse charging that I will be looking at more closely in this blog, and hopefully be able to explain them clearly. These are Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle to Grid (V2G), Vehicle to Load (V2L) and Vehicle to Home (V2H).
Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) Charge
Yes, it is possible to charge another vehicle from an EV. The main caveat with this, as with the other reverse charging is that the vehicle has to have bidirectional charging capability. There are a few vehicles that have this ability at the moment, such as the Ford F150 Lightning, the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
On the Kia EV6 you have two ways to achieve this. Firstly you could use the 3-pin plug located under the rear seats. Or you can use the special adapter that plugs into the charge port and reverses the charge. The second option gives the same amount of power as a Honda generator. This will give the driver enough juice to get to a charge point nearby.
EVision offers an emergency charging service using our Ford F150 Lightning pickup truck. This vehicle has the most powerful charging capability of any vehicle on the market at the time of writing.
Vehicle to Grid (V2G) Putting the Charge Back
Bidirectional charging opens up an exciting new prospect. That of Vehicle to Grid charging. By putting surplus energy back into the grid you can actually earn money from it. You may be wanting to know why you would want to do this. Well, by providing more energy to the grid you are helping to keep the grid stable and allow energy to be distributed to where it is needed.
This will be particularly important in countries where the power supply isn’t as dependable as the UK. In the USA, for example, there are brownouts (planned power cuts) in various states. Putting more energy into the grid will help alleviate the pressure on those state grids and make the supply a little more stable. In the UK we are already fully prepared for everyone in the country to go electric overnight. This is something that the National Grid has confirmed numerous times.
Vehicle to Load (V2L)
Imagine you are camping or in the middle of nowhere and you need to use an electric device with a 3-pin plug. Well, with Vehicle to Load this is not a problem. On the Kia EV6, for example, you can plug your adapter into the charge port and use the 3-pin socket for any device. Whether that is for hair straighteners, a kettle or even a lawn mower, you can power them from the car.
Of course, more and more electric vehicles are also coming equipped with 3-pin sockets which makes things even easier. Although, I must admit, I have never taken a lawn mower camping with me. But I will not judge those who do.
Vehicle to Home (V2H)
A super useful aspect of bidirectional vehicle charging is the ability to power your home from your car, truck or van. This obviously won’t produce enough power to replace the supply from the grid. However, in the event of a power outage, this allows you to keep vital electrics operating when needed.
In order for this to be possible, you will need to have a compatible wall charger or device at home that will be able to accept the charge coming into the house. You will also need a current converter to change the DC current into an AC current which the home uses.
One of our sister companies, Diggerland in Kent, has actually used this technology to power the park. This was all done from a fabulous Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric car from EVision.
Summing it Up
An electric vehicle turns into a mobile generator when it has bidirectional capabilities. Although there are only a few vehicles that have this technology, you can expect it to be a common inclusion on future electric cars. Whether you are powering another vehicle, powering your home or powering your lawnmower, the bidirectional capability opens up a lot of opportunity.
