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▲ syncsynchalt 6 hours ago

I don't understand the argument, wouldn't you _want_ an EV if you have frequent power outages?

You could run your house for weeks off a 100kWh traction battery with V2G.

▲apparent 5 hours ago | parent [-]

I looked into this and discovered that most EVs don't support it, and the ones that do require even more electrical retrofitting to make it possible.

The people I know who are afraid of outages/EV usage are ones in CA, where an earthquake could knock out power, and they'd need to go a very long distance to get somewhere safe/stable.

▲mook 31 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

FWIW, it always requires retrofitting because otherwise you'll kill the guy trying to get your power back. That, or power your whole block…

▲stetrain 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

If there's a charging station with power within 200 miles then you're fine. That's a pretty big radius.

If power is out in that large of a radius you would also likely have trouble getting gas.

And you don't need the expensive equipment to just run an extension cord from the EV to power critical appliances.

▲apparent 4 hours ago | parent [-]

If there's a charging station with power within 200 miles it will be overloaded by everyone freeing. There are way more gas stations than charging stations, and they only take a few mins per person, so they would not be nearly as overloaded. Also, there would not be a "run on the bank" mentality since everyone knows gas is pretty available, even in emergencies.

As for powering critical appliances, I'd need a super long heavy duty extension cord to power my fridge, and I don't even know if my vehicle is capable. I'd also have to have my garage door open while it's plugged in, which is not ideal to say the least.

▲rootusrootus 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

In real world examples (places that get hurricanes, for example), the charging stations generally come back online before the gas stations. And an EV is way better in stop-and-go evacuation traffic, too.

> need a super long heavy duty extension cord to power my fridge

Why on earth would you need a heavy duty extension cord for something which pulls so little power?

I otherwise agree with the sentiment, however, it is way more convenient to set up your panel so you can backfeed it to power the whole house (or a nice chunk of it, at least). My Lightning will power all the important bits of my house for the better part of a week, all from the plug in the bed of the truck.

▲apparent an hour ago | parent [-]

I would need a heavy-duty extension cord because I would have to run it 60 feet from my garage all the way into my kitchen. I also have no idea how I would actually plug the fridge in because the power cord is hidden way in the back.

That it would be more convenient in the long run if I could backfeed to my panel, but almost no EVs in the U.S. are actually capable of this. The F-150 Lightning that you have is quite unique in this regard.

▲stetrain 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I have absolutely experienced the “run on the bank” effect on gas in areas under hurricane warning, as well as weeks afterwards.

▲ 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]
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