LONDON: Electric cars could come to the rescue when storms hit the grid by powering homes with enough electricity for essentials, according to British-based EV consumer advice organisation Electrifying.com.

Power companies recorded record levels of wind-power generation during recent storms in northern Europe but there were still power cuts caused by damaged landline and many people were without electricity for hours on end.

Drivers of electric cars like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are fitted with a bi-directional charging system which means they can take power from the car's battery during a power cut.

This turns the cars into mobile generators to keep vital household items such as the fridge-freezer running or to boil a kettle and make hot drinks.



Ford is also offering the ability for customers in the US to power their homes with the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup when the grid goes dark.

Oddly enough, Tesla cars do not have this feature. Volkswagen has said its new EVs will have bi-directional charging from 2022 onwards.

Even electric cars that don’t have bi-directional capability will allow owners to charge their phone or even keep warm in their car if left without heating.

The bi-directional concept was first used amid the 2010 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami when five million Japanese homes lost power. This prompted a team from Nissan to mobilise early LEAF models to be used as mobile generators in the earthquake zone.

The systems are now being used in a number of pilot schemes but are expected to become commonplace over the next few years.

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