When disaster struck, these EV owners turned to their cars for power

Electric vehicles have many obvious benefits, chief of which is the reduced reliance on fossil fuels. But that’s not the only thing EVs are good for. EVs are essentially giant batteries on wheels, which makes them perfect for powering devices, appliances, and even your home.

That’s something that many EV owners discovered over the course of one of the worst hurricane seasons on record. To be clear, if you’re facing a hurricane, it’s vital to follow evacuation orders and make other preparations. But even those who don’t need to evacuate might still find themselves without power for a matter of days following a major storm — and it’s becoming increasingly clear that owning an EV can be very helpful for those people.

We spoke to a few EV owners who found themselves in this exact situation — and who were able to reduce the effects of power outages post-hurricane.

The right tech

It’s important to note that not all electric vehicles can be used to power a home. In order to make use of this kind of technology, you’ll need an electric vehicle that supports bidirectional charging. From there, with the right adapters, you’ll be able to plug certain appliances around your electric vehicle straight into the car to keep them powered.

In a best-case scenario, however, you might go a step further. That’s with an EV charger that supports Vehicle to Load, or V2L, charging. These chargers can accept power from your car and use it to deliver electricity to your home. It’s worth double-checking with the manufacturer of your car and charger to make sure they support this kind of tech. For now, vehicles like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Ford F-150 Lightning can supply power for use in your home.

Those are the kinds of vehicles that the EV owners we spoke to have. “I have a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL RWD and I’ve had it for about three months,” said Rob Barnett, a Savannah, Georgia, resident, in an interview with Digital Trends. “I actually got it less than a week before Helene hit.”

Immediate aftermath

Assuming you have the right technology, how you make use of it in the aftermath of a disaster matters — especially if you’re unsure how long you might be without power. If you’re concerned that the power could be out for more than a few days, you’ll likely want to be conservative with how you use energy to help ensure that you can use your EV to power appliances for as long as possible.

That’s on top of the fact that your EV can’t necessarily output unlimited power at once, so there’s a limit to how many things you can actually plug into your car. You may need to be selective with the kinds of appliances you power — and prioritize those that keep your food safe and your home a livable temperature.

“I used the V2L to power the fridge, lights, fans, and the TV. It was very easy to use, I just plugged the V2L adapter into the charging port and ran a 12-gauge extension cord into the house through a window. I then ran more extension cords off of that to different rooms,” said Barnett. “I didn’t have any way to measure the amperage draw aside from the car, so I had to run outside from time to time to check it. I had to unplug the fridge to use the microwave or the electric kettle for hot water, which wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Barnett estimates that he and his wife were able to keep around $400 worth of groceries from spoiling by using his EV to power a fridge,. This simultaneously allowed them to retain a sense of normalcy in a stressful time by still enjoying a hot coffee in the morning. “I work in news, so it was a busy, stressful few days for me and having some of the comforts of home was fantastic,” Barnett said.

Tim Ro is a resident of Houston. He’s another Ioniq 5 owner who also happened to get set up with his vehicle and charger mere days before a hurricane hit — this time Hurricane Beryl, which hit Houston on July 8. Ro found the entire process of powering appliances using his car to be straightforward.

“I am by no means competent with electricity, but I did a quick bit of research before the storm about what kind of load I could put on the car. I was able to effectively run all necessary items in my home no-stop for a projected five or six days,” said Ro in an interview with Digital Trends. “If needed, I could have likely gone longer by powering less items that are more essential.”

More helpful than gas generators

Of course, being able to power appliances in the event of an outage after a major disaster isn’t necessarily a completely new concept. Traditionally, however, it’s done through gas generators, which serve that purpose in the aftermath of an event like a hurricane. While gas generators may not have the same limitations around limited power that EVs have, they do have other issues. Notably, in order to really use them more than you could an EV, you’ll have to seriously stockpile on gas, as gas pumps at a gas station still require power to operate. Typically, gas generators can run for between 10 and 20 hours on a tank of gasoline, which is a far cry from the multiple days that you could get out of an EV battery.

“We don’t have a generator and we honestly weren’t prepared for the damage we sustained. We were without power for four days and we were lucky,” said Barnett. “My wife and I are from Colorado and we moved to Savannah about four years ago, so we didn’t have any experience with this kind of storm.”

There are other issues too, though. After natural disasters, it can be difficult to find gas if you don’t already have it. Even if a pump is properly working, you’ll likely have to contend with everyone else who wants to get gas for their own generator.

“I have been considering a gasoline generator for years; many problems I had with them is the overall maintenance, constant fueling during use, and scarcity of gasoline during natural disasters,” said Ro. “Also noise and carbon monoxide are something I am really glad I don’t have to contend with.”

Again, gas generators have their place in post-disaster recovery, but using an electric vehicle could prove to be a much better option. EV batteries will last longer than even a few tanks of gas on a generator, while being quieter and requiring less maintenance. That’s on top of the fact that a gas generator really only serves one purpose, while you may already have an EV, or plan on buying one, for reasons completely unrelated to dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Preparation is key

If you don’t already have an EV, but plan on buying one, and like the idea of being able to use its battery in the event of an outage, there are some things to keep in mind. For example, Barnett says he was a little limited by the fact that the Ioniq 5 was only able to output power at 120 volts, so it couldn’t supply power to 240-volt appliances like a washer, dryer, and hot water heater.

While you might assume that you’re good to go if you have the right electric vehicle and a charger that supports V2L, it’s still important to be prepared. As mentioned, you’ll likely want to be at least somewhat selective with how you use power in your home after a natural disaster, so that you can maximize how long your EV’s battery lasts.

“Preparedness needs vary widely depending on individual circumstances, preferences, and needs, so we encourage everyone to assess how they can best meet their needs before, during and after disasters. FEMA recommends families and individuals to prepare according to their transportation needs, [and] it’s important to do so ahead of an emergency and disasters,” said FEMA spokesperson Jayce Genco. “EV owners should also aim to maintain their battery between 50% and 80% capacity to account for potential power outages or extended travel needs.”

Of course, in addition to making sure that your car is charged up before a disaster hits (assuming you know it will hit beforehand), there are other things that you can do to prepare. It’s a good idea to make a tiered list of the appliances and accessories that are most important to you. A common example of a tier 1 appliance would be the fridge, as it will help maintain the safety of any food that you might need over the days following a disaster. Appliances further down the list might include things that aren’t necessarily crucial, but could still help you maintain your sanity, like a coffee machine — which obviously won’t need to be powered all the time, so is unlikely to put a major dent in how much power you have.

“Always test your plan, making sure things work the way they should before a natural disaster hits and overall have a plan ahead of time,” said Ro. “Having an EV or not, having a plan in place is always best. I had family members laugh at me when I purchased my EV because they know we get storms and lose power often, but after the power went out and gas stations couldn’t pump gas (because the power was still out), they came to me to store their food in my fridge and freezer and stay cool by my fan, all powered by our EV. So, depending on the infrastructure around you, an EV could be more practical than an ICE vehicle during a natural disaster.”