Just for a moment, picture yourself utilizing your car as a backup generator for your house or even offering assistance to a driver stuck on the side of the road. Would Tesla bidirectional charging exceed our expectations like it usually does?
Even though electric vehicles make up only 5% of the new automobile market in the US, record high petrol prices have sparked a resurgence in interest in the EV way of life.
Bidirectional charging is one of the most desirable characteristics of electric cars, since it allows for charging in either direction.
The cars of the future, which also go by the name vehicle-to-load or V2L, will have the ability to do much more than take us from place to place. Here is everything you need to know!
What is Tesla Bidirectional Charging?
Bidirectional charging refers to the capability of an electric current to travel in both directions: from the grid to the vehicle (to recharge the battery pack), and from the automobile to the grid, another car, or domestic appliances.
When you recharge your vehicle, the alternating current (AC) from the grid is changed into direct current (DC) by the converter incorporated inside the car.
Before the electricity can be sent out of the battery pack and into the grids or other electronic equipment, it must be converted back to AC. A smart inverter is utilized to accomplish this.
Types of Bidirectional Charging
Depending on the application’s requirements and capabilities, bidirectional may be employed in various contexts.
- Vehicle To Grid (V2G)
In this scenario, cars will communicate with the utility grid to supply energy when required.
Many people believe that the bidirectional charger option will be an essential feature of the future power grid and the growing utilization of renewable energy.
Renewable sources of power like solar and wind can be used to charge the batteries of vehicles with V2G characteristics.
The car, therefore, contributes energy to the grid from its batteries while not being used, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Vehicle To Home (V2H)
Using this method, a car can give energy to a residence or workplace through its electric system. This is particularly useful when there is an electricity supply disruption.
Also, homeowners that pay time-of-use rates might save cash by using electricity from their electric vehicle’s battery during peak energy demand and charging the battery when electricity rates are lower. This would allow for more efficient use of the batteries.
A power controller connected to a home’s electrical distribution center is required for a home to accept power from an EV equipped with vehicle-to-home (V2H) abilities. After that, for the car to take electricity, it needs to be connected to the charger.
- Vehicle To Load (V2L)
Vehicles capable of V2L communication have both a DC to AC inverter and a conventional power outlet built right in. People can use the power from the battery to run their loads if they plug them into the outlets.
The EVs that possess these qualities are the Tesla Cybertruck, the Hyundai Ioniq, the Kia EV6, and the Ford F150 Lightning.
- Vehicle To Vehicle (V2V)
Sadly, EVs are restricted in how far they can go between charges due to their limited range.
An electric car’s range is affected by several factors, including the temperatures outside, the vehicle’s efficiency, and the battery’s capacity.
Because this function enables one EV to offer some power to another, V2V charging is one technique to assist in alleviating the stress associated with range anxiety.
Only the Ford F150 Lightning and the Lucid Air now have this functionality; however, several different manufacturers are working on developing this capability.
Is Bidirectional Charging Available on Tesla Models?
At this time, none of Tesla’s car models are equipped to support both ways of charging. It is plausible and possibly likely, that all 2022 models will contain the requisite hardware for either vehicle-to-ground, vehicle-to-vehicle, or vehicle-to-home.
Nevertheless, the company has further reasons for postponing the rollout of bidirectional charging for as long as possible. If cars were to acquire the capability of V2H, the Tesla Powerwall home battery, which costs $10,500, would become outdated.
A few Tesla owners have expressed a desire to find out more about the possibility of upgrading their cars to support bidirectional charging.
The response that was given by Tesla was a warning that doing so would invalidate the warranty on the vehicle’s batteries. Do not anticipate that these EVs will soon be able to power your home or its appliances.
Does Tesla Intend to Enable It In The Future?
In contrast to other automobile manufacturers, such as Honda and Nissan, who have been publicly investigating the technology, Tesla, widely considered the industry leader in EVs, has been hesitant to implement bidirectional charging.
Considerations about it in Tesla vehicles have been voiced by CEO Elon Musk and co-founder and former CTO JB Straubel.
These concerns have been raised due to the possibility of rapid battery drain and the fair value with a relatively small fleet.
In a recent filing with the Texas electric utility board, in which the manufacturer Tesla was replying to queries about how electricity companies should treat electric cars, the company summed up its perspective on the technology that connects cars to power grids as follows:
When EV adoption is at volume rather than in the early adopter period, there is a far greater potential for realizing the benefits of vehicle-to-grid integration.
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At the same time, any conversation regarding the possibilities of electric vehicle-related technologies must acknowledge, as a first principle, that the customer experience and willingness for involvement are essential.
There is a possibility that there will be opportunities for projects and programs that emphasize the integration of new technologies in the future.
One example of this would be the eventual aggregation of electric vehicles in the future to supply grid services in wholesale markets.
It is essential to keep in mind, regardless of the context, that electric vehicles (EVs) are, first, means of transportation for consumers.
From the point of view of the wholesale energy market, there is also the possibility of evaluating stationary storage assets first to give comparable capacities for grid services.
Even though these statements are not particularly positive, it is essential to note that they acknowledge that there will be value in the vehicle to the grid if the EV fleet is large enough, which is beginning to happen.