{"id":87865,"date":"2025-01-13T12:08:36","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T02:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=87865"},"modified":"2025-01-13T12:08:36","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T02:38:36","slug":"v2l-handy-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/v2l-handy-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"V2L: Next Camping Trip (Or Blackout) Let Your EV Carry the Load"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

Vehicle To Load technology (V2L) might not get the spotlight like Vehicle to Grid (V2G) or Vehicle To Home (V2H), but it\u2019s already making life easier for many EV owners in Australia. From keeping essentials running during a blackout to powering appliances at a remote campsite, V2L turns your car into a practical, portable source of electricity.<\/p>\n

While brands like Hyundai, Kia, MG, and BYD have embraced V2L, Tesla remains noticeably absent from the party. None of Tesla\u2019s models sold in Australia currently support it. Meanwhile, EVs with V2L offer between 2.2 kW and 3.6 kW of power, accessible through either an internal power socket or an external charging port.<\/p>\n

\"external

(original images: Kia)<\/p><\/div>\n

What is V2L?<\/h2>\n

What’s the best way to describe V2L? I like SolarQuotes in-house installer Anthony Bennett’s description:<\/a><\/p>\n

“Imagine V2L as a camping generator. It\u2019s legal to use in the same fashion, but quieter and without the lethal fumes.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you have a V2L-capable electric car, you can plug things such as an induction cooktop, kettle, or laptop into either an internal single power socket that looks the same as a normal home power socket or externally into the car charge port using a special V2L adaptor.<\/p>\n

If your home has a blackout, V2L can power essentials like your fridge and recharge your phones.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Make & Model<\/th>\nV2L Output<\/th>\nInternal\/External V2L<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Hyundai Ioniq 5<\/td>\n3.6 kW<\/td>\nBoth Internal (240V socket) & External<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hyundai Kona EV<\/td>\n3.6 kW<\/td>\nInternal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kia EV6<\/td>\n3.6 kW<\/td>\nBoth Internal & External<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
BYD Atto 3<\/td>\n2.2 kW<\/td>\nExternal only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MG4<\/td>\n2.2 kW<\/td>\nExternal only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Teslas<\/td>\nNot available<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/h2>\n

V2L Adaptors<\/h2>\n

If you want to use external V2L, a good adaptor is essential to keep things weatherproof, safe and practical. The adaptor converts your car’s charging socket into a standard power point.<\/p>\n

An adaptor is sometimes included with a new EV. For example, BYD consistently provides one as standard, while Kia and Hyundai include them with some models. MG, however, does not offer a V2L adaptor as part of their package.<\/p>\n

Curious about what makes a high-quality V2L adaptor, I contacted the experts at the custom EV cable company \u2018EV Chargers.\u2019<\/a> Their insights followed my own experience testing their custom 5m MG4 V2L adaptor at my parents\u2019 garage, where it successfully powered a dryer to dry a load of bath towels.<\/p>\n

\"Both<\/p>\n

\"The

The MG4 in action: This screen shows battery discharge during V2L use.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

EV Chargers’ Product Specialist Jason’s advice:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • use an IP67-rated industrial-grade socket with a screw-down ring that can securely lock a matching plug in place.<\/li>\n
  • longer custom cables with at least 2.5mm wiring are recommended, especially if aiming to run inductive loads like fridges\/freezers, which don’t like voltage drop<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Real-Life Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Using V2L for Emergency Power<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Alex lives in Northern NSW and told me he uses his MG4 64 Essence EV to replace his petrol generator (2.8 kW inverter generator), which no longer sees much action.<\/p>\n

    His setup is:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • 11 kW grid-tied PV system that goes off-line when the grid is down<\/li>\n
    • A small off-grid PV array (2.2 kW) which supplies basic levels of supplemental energy, in addition to V2L supply when needed<\/li>\n
    • 15 kWh of off-grid LiFePO\u2084 solar battery<\/a> for daily cycling<\/li>\n
    • Another 20 kWh of sealed lead acid battery, which acts as backup reserve capacity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Alex uses V2L to charge his off-grid home battery, which has proven invaluable during power outages. On one occasion, he discharged 22 kWh from his MG4 over 15 hours to keep essential appliances running during a prolonged grid failure.<\/p>\n

      Anticipating the outage, Alex had pre-charged his car to 100% using solar PV and free grid energy on his EV plan, instead of the usual 80%. He noted that under normal circumstances, it\u2019s rare not to have 20\u201330 kWh of spare capacity for such situations.<\/p>\n

      The MG4\u2019s V2L output was sufficient to power his home essentials and recharge the home battery throughout the outage.<\/p>\n

      Anthony’s Adage<\/h2>\n

      “If you think you’ll need to back up your house, but don’t fancy rolling out extension cords & desk lamps every time there’s an outage, you’ll want some parts of the switchboard wired to automatically change over when you plug your V2L supply in.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      The HOEM device<\/a> makes it simple to run your lights & saves having to move the fridge to plug it in.<\/p>\n

      In fact if you can charge cheaply at work, it’s easy to save a few dollars on electricity every night.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n