Testing EV power for homes
Next-gen GM and PG&E
BY RON FREUND, Member, Electric Auto Association of silicon valley
There’s been a lot of talk about electric vehicles (EVs) acting as backup power for homes during blackouts—so much so that Ford is now using the concept as a central component of its marketing campaign for the F-150 Lightning.
Not wanting to be one-upped, GM is promising a more complete solution in the upcoming Silverado. With a major utility like PG&E testing a solution as well, it could be soon that homeowners may have at the ready external sources for power shutdowns. In fact, there have been predictions of late that vehicle-to-grid bi-directional charging capability will one day be a requirement for all vehicle sales.
The descriptive article GM and PG&E to test how EVs can power homes during blackouts provides several jumping-off points for your independent investigation. The following are some highlights:
In the future, utilities will set up programs to compensate those who choose to harness their power storage capacity to serve as grid-level storage for the greater good.
The average 250-mile range battery packs for EVs today have the capacity to power a household when the power grid fails.
Given that most EVs are stationary for up to 20 hours per day, and that the cycle life of batteries is increasing well beyond what one owner would drive, contributing to the grid could be a lucrative proposition for many homeowners.
Utilities must purchase power from sources on the spot market during times of grid stress, and those prices can be very high. An alternative would be using tens to hundreds of connected cars as a resource while their owners are elsewhere.
And no, your EV participation in such a grid storage program does not mean its battery will be drained to zero. Connection times are short (average 20-30 minutes), with battery drainage fully replenished by the end of the session. What’s not to like?