How electric vehicles help keep the lights on with bidirectional charging during extreme weather events
You know how frustrating it can be if you’ve lost power for several days (or weeks). No running water and your internet, refrigerator, and other kitchen appliances are down – it’s complete darkness at night. Electric vehicles featuring large, powerful batteries and bidirectional charging capabilities are helping keep the lights as extreme weather events like hurricanes are on the rise.
Extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires, excessive cold or heat waves, and floods are increasing in frequency and intensity.
In the last 21 years, around 83% of major power outages have been attributed to weather-related occurrences, according to a recent report from the nonprofit group Climate Central.
The rising extreme weather simultaneously increases the demand for electricity while limiting the ability to supply it. Last year, weather-related disasters cost the US nearly $182 billion.
To limit this, the US and nations worldwide are deploying solutions, such as solar and wind energy with added battery storage, to stash energy for when it’s needed most.
However, until this technology is applied on a mass scale, electric vehicles offer another means of providing backup power. Automakers are introducing electric cars like the Nissan Leaf with bidirectional capabilities that send energy to and from the EVs battery.
Ford took it a step further, rolling out vehicle-to-home (V2H) capabilities, or what Ford calls Intelligent Backup Power. The Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup comes with up to 131 kWh of electric energy storage, which Ford claims is enough to power an average-sized home for up to 10 days.
Electric vehicles save the day after Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian made landfall after unexpectedly hooking into Florida’s southwestern coast on September 28, 2022, as a dangerous category 4 (almost 5) with wind speeds of 155 mph.
After swallowing up much of Florida, the death toll rose to over 100 while knocking out power for over 2.6 million residents, making it the deadliest storm in the state since 1935.
Some residents were spared, thanks to solar energy setups like Babcock Ranch, 12 miles outside of Fort Myers, that had running water, electricity, and internet.
However, other homeowners got creative, using their Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T as a source of backup energy supply.
A recent post from Bloomberg highlights the EV’s V2H capabilities as Westley and Sarah Ferguson, from Haines City, Florida, used their Ford electric pickup to power essentials.
The Fergusons ran two extension cords from outlets in their Ford Lightning, plugging one into the refrigerator and the second into a power strip. The setup, according to the article, was:
Good enough for them to cook beef stew on an electric stovetop and, afterward, to host another neighborhood couple for an impromptu movie night.
Although powering home essentials is not the first thing that comes to mind when buying a new car, it’s a significant benefit when needed. As Westley Ferguson explains:
You want to use it when you go camping or you’re having a tailgate. Those are the fun party tricks. You don’t really want it to be a lifeline to cook dinner or power lights. But it was definitely nice to have.
Christine Cannella, a Rivian R1T owner from Fort Myers, also used her electric pickup as a backup energy source after Hurricane Ian. Although Rivian EVs do not have V2H abilities like the Ford Lightning, Canella used the EVs outlets to make coffee and cook hot dogs on an electric grill.
One of the worst parts of losing power in Florida during the summer is the heat and humidity you can’t escape without AC. It not only makes it unbearable to humans but pets as well. Quickly thinking, Canella and her cockapoo would sleep in the back seat, turning on “pet comfort” mode for an escape.
Electrek’s Take
Add another benefit of owning an EV to the list. Electric vehicles are saving the day during natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.
This is not the first time people have used their EVs as powerful backup energy sources during disasters. For example, two Ford F-150 Lightning pickups were used as mobile power stations after heavy flooding in Kentucky to help get 10 to 15 families back in their homes per day.
The best part, the EVs used just hit the market in the past year. Imagine how much more advanced this technology will be in a few years. With hurricanes and other natural disasters on the rise, electric vehicles are proving to have added tools for the fight against climate change.
A common question as more car buyers consider an EV is, “What do you do when the power goes out?” This shows electric vehicles can be more resilient during blackouts than suggested.
Gasoline will only get you so far during disasters with extremely complicated supply chains and distribution networks. For example, gas stations were shut down after Hurricane Sandy because they couldn’t receive any supplies. However, EV owners could navigate to towns with power to charge their EVs.
Electric vehicles like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T prove to be more than just zero-emission rides. These powerful electric machines can keep the lights on, provide a means to cook food, and even host others who were not as fortunate during a blackout.
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Wagons don’t get a lot of love Stateside, with American buyers choosing SUVs over – well, pretty much every other type of vehicle imaginable. That’s our loss, as the latest plug in hybrid versions of the Volkswagen Passat are here to prove.
The latest Passat Variant eHybrid (or, in some markets, Vario, which is what the Europeans like to call wagons) is different from the version we get in the US. Unlike the domestic version which is based on a low-cost platform specific to the US and China, the Euro-market version is built on the MQB platform that underpins VW’s flagship Arteon four-door coupe and both VW‘s and Audi’s entry-luxe SUVs.
That might seem weird, since VW has sold more than 34 million units sold worldwide and the Passat is the second top-selling Volkswagen of all time (behind the Golf and ahead of the Beetle). It’s understandable, then, that the European execs are pretty proud of their Passat.
The latest evolutionary stage of the modular transverse matrix (MQB evo)forms the highly innovative technical basis of the ninth Passat generation. Thanks to the significant economies of scale of the MQB evo, Volkswagen has again democratised numerous high-tech developments and made them available for hundreds of thousands of drivers. The two completely newly developed plug-in hybrid drives (eHybrid) are a perfect example of this. In combination with a new battery, they make all-electric ranges of around 100 km possible. This distance turns the new Passat Variant into an electric vehicle for everyday life – this is additionally ensured by short charging times as the battery can now be charged at AC charge points with 11 kW instead of the previous 3.6 kW. The Passat Variant eHybrid can even be charged with up to 50 kW at DC fast charging stations. In addition, the combination of electric drive motor and new economical turbocharged petrol engine provides overall ranges of around 1,000 km.
KAI GRÜNITZ
Member of the Brand Board of Management, VW
In case the jealous American wago-philes reading this aren’t jealous enough, Volkswagen has announced new Passat eHybrid Match and Black Editions that add nearly £5k of options for the new model year effectively for free.
“Match is better equipped than the outgoing Life, with additional features including metallic paint, VW’s IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, tinted rear windows and an ‘assistance pack’ which adds area view and emergency assist,” reports Alastair Crooks, from the UK car site AutoExpress. “The new Black Edition comes with metallic paint, 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, tinted rear windows (darker than the Match’s), heated front and rear seats, a head-up display, a 15-inch central touchscreen and the same assistance pack as the Match.”
The entry-level Match replaces the previous Life trim, but costs the same £45,555 (about $60,500), while the Black Edition costs the same as the outgoing R-Line, from £48,900 (about $64,950). The order books open 14 August.
You can take a look at some of the VW press photos of the European Passat wagon Variant, below, then let us know if you’d rather have this for $60K or the discount American version in the comments.
VW Passat Variant gallery
SOURCE | IMAGES: VW, via AutoExpress.
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Wirtgen Vögele recently revealed the battery-powered MINI 500e and the MINI 502e electric pavers. With an electrically heated screed, a range of paving widths, and zero-emission operations, they’re paving a greener, cleaner path.
Co-developed by Wirtgen Vögele and Italian road equipment manufacturer C. M. S.r.l., the new electric pavers will enable contractors to bid on construction projects that are subject to even the strictest noise and emission limits – but the company is quick to point out that they’re capable enough to serve on conventional job sites.
“These pavers excel on small-scale construction projects and jobs covering a small area – the type of work for which paving crews would not previously have been able to use machines,” reads the official Wirtgen Vögele copy. “Thanks to their elimination of manual labor, among other benefits, the new MINI pavers improve the efficiency and quality of asphalt paving, particularly in the construction of sidewalks and drains, as well as in tight downtown locations.”
The new Wirtgen MINI 502e (the one with wheels) and the MINI 500e (the one with crawler tracks) offer pave widths from 0.25 to 1.8 m, feature a battery-electric drive outputting 22.8 kW (30 hp), and your choice of either a 15 kWh or 22 kWh 48V li-ion battery – good enough battery capacity for up to 16 hours of continuing paving. Both versions can be fully charged on a conventional 110/120 “L1” power socket in about eight hours.
Electrek’s Take
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what the federal EV incentives are or even what the guys on your crew want to operate. What matters is that construction noise upsets Mrs. Clancik’s terrier, and she will force the town council to keep the noise down all by herself.
If your construction company wants to bid on any municipal work, that means you’re gonna have to stay quiet. Maybe even keep the smells to a minimum, too. Buying electric equipment means you can do both.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Wirtgen, via Construction Equipment International.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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Car brands like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla have built up solid reputations for safety, but their ultra-safe vehicles often come with a premium price tag. The good news for car buyers looking for a deal, but still prize safety, is that there’s an all-electric Hyundai for under $40K that scores top marks on the IIHS’ toughest new safety tests.
SKIP THE STORY: take me to the deals.
Last Februray, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) established new benchmark criteria that included stricter side-impact and moderate overlap crash safety standards, improved safety for back seat passengers, and a stronger emphasis on pedestrian detection in low light.
“We followed the tougher requirements we introduced last year with another major update to the award criteria,” explains IIHS President David Harkey. “(The 2024) winners are true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users.”
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is making it harder to earn its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards from 2024, challenging manufacturers to offer better protection for back seat passengers and improve their pedestrian crash avoidance systems.
We’ve covered a few of the standout performers already over the past year-plus since the new safety standards were awarded, including the Rivian R1T (the only electric pickup to earn the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award), Audi Q6 e-tron, and the Tesla Model Y … but what we haven’t written about was the fact that the Hyundai IONIQ 6 was the only electric sedan to get a Top Safety Pick+, as well.
Why it matters, now
With the average transaction price of a new car at $48,907 and the looming demise of the $7,500 Federal tax credit accelerating demand for EVs (even for those that may not qualify), new EV buyers looking for a dependable commuter with long-range chops, ultra-fast charging capabilities, and the latest infotainment tech for under $40,000 have precious few options. And, if that Top Safety Pick+ rating is a must have? They only have one.
The good news is that it’s an excellent option. The 2024 version was named Car and Driver‘s 2023 EV of the Year, and led our own Scooter Doll to ask, “is any other automaker delivering more value in high-tech EVs right now?” and Nigel Evans over at CarBuzz to write, “Comparing the Ioniq 6 to its rivals is also an interesting exercise. For example, the Tesla Model 3 RWD now costs more than $40,000, with questionable interior design and layout and no Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. You can’t get the Chevrolet Bolt or Bolt EUV anymore in the budget EV sector, but they also lacked fast-charging capability.”
With up to 342 miles of range and a starting MSRP of $37,850 with all trims eligible for $7,500 in Retail Bonus Cash through Labor Day plus dealer discounts (if you can get them) bringing the price down even further, there’s a nonzero chance car buyers will be able to score a 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 6 for a sub-30K transaction price. Other featured deals include 0% interest financing for up to 48 months on any 2025 IONIQ 5 models in dealer inventory for well-qualified buyers, while lease buyers able to get a new SE model for $199/mo. with $3,999 down.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Hyundai, IIHS; via CarBuzz.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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