Monday, May 24, 2021

V2H Ford F-150 Lightning Truck and Others, Chevy Volt Backup Power Kit

Ford F-150 Lightning Trucks to Include Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) Power May 24, 2021

 

On May 19th Ford announced that their 2022 totally battery powered F-150 “Lightning” Truck will have 2.4 kilowatts (kW) of ProPower Outlets similar to those on the 2021 F-150 Hybrid truck that powered homes during the early 2021 rolling blackouts in Texas. 

In addition, Ford states the “Lightning’s” unique “Intelligent Backup Power” can provide Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) capability with up to 9.6 kW of 120vac power to a home for 3 days or more (depending on battery charge st ggvate, battery size and home utilization of power). The “Lightning” uses its standard charging cable to connect its battery to the home charging station and a dc-ac inverter. The “Lightning” Lithium-Ion batteries estimated capacity is 110 Kilo-Watt-Hour (kWh) to 150 kWh of power. A typical home requires 10 to 30 kWh per day in normal times. Ford states the F-150 Lightning will be available in Spring 2022.  Prices range from $40,000 to $90,000 depending on configuration and battery options e.g., 230- or 300-mile range. 

In addition to providing V2H, the Ford “Intelligent Backup Power” provides significant inroads to two other extremely useful opportunities.

a)    An individual homeowner living in a community with electric power daily rate variations, can charge the “Lightning” battery when electric rates are low and run the home off the battery when rates are high.

b)    If an individual lives in an area where the electric company is offering Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) options to homeowners, the “Lightning’s” “Intelligent Backup Power” configuration could be adapted to an inverter synchronized and compatible with the electric companies V2G system.

Other Electric Truck V2H Backup Power offerings proposed:

a)    The Tesla Cyber Truck will have 120-volt and 240-volt power outlets but details about power levels are not available.

b)    The 2021 Rivian R1T Truck will have 110 vac power outlets with 400 watts available at each.

c)     GM’s 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV will offer an onboard “Power Station” with 120vac and 240vac outlets to provide 3 kW of power from the vehicle’s battery.  GM states users will also be able to charge another electric vehicle through the 240vac outlet at 19.2 kW.

 

Backup Power Retrofit Kits for Chevy Volts, Chevy Bolts and Nissan Leaf Gen 2 Are Available at this time.

 

EVEXTEND,  an online company sells Back-up Power Wiring retrofit Kits for the Chevy Volt, Chevy Bolt and the Nissan Leaf. View their product line or contact them by going to HTTP://evextend.com.

Each kit includes a fuse holder with fuse, heavy duty wires cut to length with pre-installed wire terminals, and a heavy-duty connector set to allow quick connections to the inverter of your choice whenever needed. Kits can be purchased without inverters for less than $200 or with inverters for less than $500.

One thing you should consider prior to purchasing a kit is to review their disclaimer on their website.  Part of the disclaimer is provided here.

“Will this void all or part of my vehicle's warranty?

There have been various discussions and posts on forums about whether or not a wiring modification such as this would void all or part of your vehicle's warranty.

The wiring kit only makes a connection to the Volt's 12 volt battery terminals. As a result, it would seem reasonable to conclude that any warranty issues as a result of this installation, if any, would be limited to the 12 volt system.

There is also the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 that states a dealer must prove that after-market equipment caused the need for repairs before it can deny warranty coverage. (See Edmunds.com article: 
What Voids your Vehicle's Warranty?)

This would suggest that only a small portion of your warranty could be voided, and only if the dealer can show it was this wiring kit that caused the need for repairs.

However, EV Extend cannot make any definitive claims as to whether or not installing this kit will void your warranty.”

 

 

The following is a brief description EVEXTEND provides for the 2013 Chevy Volt kit.

Features

  • Detailed Instructions (with photos) Included
  • Utilizes 12V accessory power system of the Volt
  • Provides backup power without needing to run the Volt’s gasoline engine*
  • Includes all hardware and accessories designed specifically for the Volt
  • No drilling or other modifications to the Volt are needed
  • Quick disconnect system allows for easy connection of inverter
  • Maximum Inverter Size supported: 1500W with 3000W surge
  • Installation Time: 30-45 minutes

Description

The EVEX-1500W and EVEX-1501W are do-it-yourself** wiring kits to provide emergency backup power from your Chevrolet Volt. The kits are custom-designed for the Volt (model years 2011-2015), to allow for a hidden installation with power connector access through the fuse box compartment on the left-side of the hatch storage area.

The kit includes a fuse holder with fuse, heavy duty wires cut to length with pre-installed wire terminals, and a heavy duty connector set to allow quick connections to the inverter of your choice as needed.

The EVEX-1500W, is designed for a maximum inverter size of 1500W with 3000W surge. The EVEX-1501W is the same wiring kit bundled with a 1500W pure sinewave inverter. These power ratings are designed to work within the limits of the Volt’s 12V power electronics design.


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