Vehicle-to-load tech is going to be a game changer in emergencies. The ability to power things simply using your car can literally save lives depending on the situation. One Australian company is incentivizing EV owners to share that technology with their fellow countrymen when natural disasters strike.
CarExpert reports that Mycar Tyre & Auto, one of Australia’s largest automotive service companies, is offering EV owners the chance to have their cars in a trial that would see them used as generators after natural disasters hit.
Dubbed ‘The mycar Chargers’, those who sign up to the trial will be called on to drive their EVs to areas which are experiencing power outages and offer their car’s Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability to power household items.
Given that Australia is entering summer right now and often encounters storms that affect infrastructure, these EVs could be badly needed. Interested owners can sign up through the program and then, when disaster strikes, their EVs will be brought to the affected area. Once there, Mycar would give the owner a charger “assignment” in the affected community. After it’s all done, the owner simply checks out and leaves.
The trial isn’t available to all Australians yet. It’s running from November through January 2025 and is only available to EV owners in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
As V2L technology emerges and evolves, automakers have been showcasing the tech to get people to warm up to it. Back in 2022, Hyundai built a mini resort whose only power source was a fleet of Ioniq 5s. Chevy has shown off the tech by powering on mansions with its Silverado EV, and power companies in the U.S. are paying Ford F-150 Lighting owners to send power back to the grid.
