BYD driver's surprising use of EV set to 'revolutionise' common power problem
This kind of technology can be used to pump power into other cars, our home and even the grid itself – but Aussies must first know how to do it safely.
Australians are using their EVs to pump power back into their homes and workplaces in a move that experts say could eventually "revolutionise" the electricity grid.
Industry specialists say when done so safely, people can absolutely use their electric vehicles to transfer energy from their cars into other electronics — including power banks and even back into the grid. This could, theoretically, provide backup power in the event of a blackout or emergency.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a Tasmanian local this week shared his success story doing just that. IT technician Matthew Taylor, who works at a school in Hobart, said he used his BYD to power the building's server room which was undergoing maintenance during the holidays.
He explained how his "mighty little Dophin" provided electricity "to the server room during a planned switchboard upgrade" running "infrastructure and switching like a champion" — and "nobody" even noticed a thing.
Hobart man's handy solution during 'switchboard upgrade'
"It was a good result here today, using the car definitely saved us some work and [allowed us] some downtime," he told Yahoo on Thursday. "I have used it for camping, running the TV, fridge etc.
"I would 100 per cent recommend it. No safety issues at all, it has its own cut-outs if it draws too much power. We did the maths beforehand and we knew that our draw would be under the max load."
Taylor said he certainly agrees this kind of technology has real potential, with users one day possibly being able to power their homes to save costs. "I can see it heading that way. What's known as V2L and V2H will happen one day, and then you can run your whole house off the car, which is a much bigger battery than any home battery currently," he said.
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Vehicle to Grid (V2G), Vehicle to Home (V2H), and Vehicle to Load (V2L) are all terms which involve the bi-directional flow of energy between electric vehicles, homes, and/or the grid. Speaking to Yahoo, a spokesperson for BYD's Australian branch confirmed the function was possible.
"These cars leverage our vehicle-to-load function essentially turning any BYD vehicle into a mobile powerbank," they said. Paul Maric, Founder of CarExpert, said the way Taylor had his EV configured was safe but warned others from trying out the tech without prior knowledge.
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"One of the big benefits of modern electric vehicles is the ability to supply other devices (such as electric cars) with electricity," he told Yahoo News Australia. "But, if you're going to do it, you need to do it safely. What you're looking at here is one of the best ways to overload an extension cable or powerboard and potentially start a fire.
"The BYD Atto 3 can output up to 3.6kW from its battery at a current of up to 15A. This maze of cables includes a number of connections through cables that appear to only be rated at 10A. It's the reason why all EV manufacturers recommend never using an extension cable due to the rise of overheating and potentially fire."
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He said Taylor's set-up was "pretty good".
"The power board runs from the car at (presumably) 10A and that extension cord looks like it has a 10A rating and is tested and tagged," he said. "It's safe enough as a temporary set-up."
Canberra-based mechanic Saffy Sgroi agreed "safety is the number one concern" when it comes to V2V charging. "We're talking about working with a huge battery here," she earlier told Yahoo. "You've got 400 kilowatts of battery running, they can fry you. If you do the wrong thing — you're gone."
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