Using your Mach-e to Power electric devices for 'Glamping' or Home Emergency Battery Backup

[mkhuffman]

and don't burn any gasoline.... which I do NOT want to store in my garage.

This is why I have a portable propane generator. I have five small propane tanks (the same size used on gas grills) and I can run the 4,000 Watt generator for about 4 days straight with those tanks. Also getting a replacement tank from Lowe's or Home Depot is super easy, even in a power failure. There are local campgrounds with propane tanks that can refill portable tanks also.

And propane can keep forever, unlike gasoline that goes bad after a few months due to moisture and water getting in the fuel. And a generator that has processed gasoline needs to be run frequently because the carburetor will go bad if the gas sits in there for too long. That doesn't happen with propane.

You can store propane tanks anywhere outside, out of the sun.

Propane isn't as energy dense as gasoline, but if you only need emergency power once every year or two, that is the way to go IMO.

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[Rpgonzalez]

After experiencing five days without power after a hurricane, a generator to me is a requirement. If you have a house and a garage, you can find a place to store a generator. There are also whole house generator options, which attach to your NG or propane gas lines and sit in your yard. That takes up no inside space.

While it would be inefficient and costly to charge your car with a portable or home generator, you could do it. And if you needed the charge to go somewhere during a massive power failure, it would probably be worth the extra cost. Not probably.

If I lived in hurricane territory… absolutely! I would have a generator no questions. But, I’m in SoCal. We haven’t had a power outage due to natural disaster since, um, well. Who knows??

IF there was a problem here, I would suspect it would be earthquake related. If it was bad enough to cut power, I suspect we would have all sorts of problems with access to everything not just power. Gas, roads, food, propane, water. And probably for weeks. I don’t know, just guessing lol

 

[21st Century Pony]

The concept of using our BEVs for home backup is going to be crucial to help make the Grid more resilient, help in natural disasters, and ease getting thru possible planned rolling brownouts. Exactly how you do it is up to you, I'm just showing ya'll ONE way to get it done...

This is a wonderful thread!

Back in Hurricane Sandy time, a distant family member got wiped out on the south shore of Long Island... afterward I looked seriously into using my 2012 Plug-in Prius as a house energy source during an emergency, kind of like a "generator on wheels". Got a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter... and then life got in the way. Still have the inverter haha.

There were a ton of really informative threads on this subject back then on the PriusChat forum. Matter of fact, I visited a PriusChat member up the hills of central Maryland who set up exactly such an emergency "Prius generator" for his house, because where he lived the power would cank out in an average Summer thunderstorm.

Let's continue the conversation as IMHO a natural albeit so far underappreciated use of EVs is exactly that - as "generators on wheels" during an emergency.

 

[mkhuffman]

In the middle of a storm, when the wind and rain are blowing sideways, the BEV emergency generator idea is perfect. You cannot run a petroleum powered generator inside a closed garage, but you can connect an inverter to your MME and power a few things while you wait for the wind and rain to stop.

 

[RedStallion]

sd
One gallon of gas is theoretically equivalent to 33kwh of electricity. Under ideal conditions (power plant for example) you can expect around 13kwh (source), and a gas generator such as this one would be significantly less. Cars are pretty inefficient hovering about 20%. I would expect about 10kwh per gallon of gas. What could you expect from a full tank? About the same as a Mach-e battery? Whereas I dont have the space to keep a generator lying around, I DO have a mach-e battery lying around

The truth is that if you live in a place where an emergency like that can happen, having a generator is a must. It's a reliable and inexpensive solution to serious power outages. It's even cheaper than buying an inverter for Mach-E and trying to clobber something that works for a short time. You may even need it to charge your Mach-E, because it has more utility as a car than as a power source. And the fact that it also works on a natural gas is priceless as you can connect it to the gas line and use it for days before it requires time out.

 

[Garbone]

I have a generator and have had it for over a decade. Just 2 summers ago I rebuilt all the fuel system, including the bung in the bottom of the tank.

My 1500watt inverter just came in the mail. I will be installing it in one of our MachEs when I get the free time and will run my fridge for 20 hours as "proof of concept" before making it permanent.

The only plus for a generator is it can run a window shaker and the fridge at the same time. Everything else, not so good. It takes one or two afternoons a year running it up and then refogging and putting back in storage and then you have to cycle the fuel.

 

[mkhuffman]

I have a generator and have had it for over a decade. Just 2 summers ago I rebuilt all the fuel system, including the bung in the bottom of the tank.

My 1500watt inverter just came in the mail. I will be installing it in one of our MachEs when I get the free time and will run my fridge for 20 hours as "proof of concept" before making it permanent.

The only plus for a generator is it can run a window shaker and the fridge at the same time. Everything else, not so good. It takes one or two afternoons a year running it up and then refogging and putting back in storage and then you have to cycle the fuel.

This is why I have a duel fuel portable generator that runs on gas and propane. If you never run gas though it, you never have to do the maintenance you described. Propane burns very cleanly and does not leave any bad stuff in the carburator like gasoline does. The gas lines stay clean and pristine just like the day you purchased it.

I only run my generator when I actually need it, and it always works. The stupid battery that allows you to key start it dies, of course (since I don't bother to maintain it with a charger), but I can pull start it.

 

[21st Century Pony]

The truth is that if you live in a place where an emergency like that can happen, having a generator is a must. It's a reliable and inexpensive solution to serious power outages. It's even cheaper than buying an inverter for Mach-E and trying to clobber something that works for a short time. You may even need it to charge your Mach-E, because it has more utility as a car than as a power source. And the fact that it also works on a natural gas is priceless as you can connect it to the gas line and use it for days before it requires time out.

...unless keeping a generator doesn't fit the household (for example, 1920s inner suburbs where all housing is close together, where I live now, are often not good generator-use neighborhoods, while my brothers' house in the country in northern Massachusetts might be a better generator-use place) and unless buying yet another machine for occasional potential use doesn't fit into the "buy less stuff, use less stuff, waste less" value system. Chacun a son gout...

 

[dtbaker61]

...unless keeping a generator doesn't fit the household (for example, 1920s inner suburbs where all housing is close together, where I live now, are often not good generator-use neighborhoods, while my brothers' house in the country in northern Massachusetts might be a better generator-use place) and unless buying yet another machine for occasional potential use doesn't fit into the "buy less stuff, use less stuff, waste less" value system. Chacun a son gout...

exactly

your MME is 'the new generator' that you don't need to buy

I can run my house for....5-10 days from my SR MME if I'm careful. without A/C, hot tub, etc

 

[mkhuffman]

exactly

your MME is 'the new generator' that you don't need to buy

I can run my house for....5-10 days from my SR MME if I'm careful. without A/C, hot tub, etc

What? No hot tub? Unacceptable!

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

If you have a house and a garage, you can find a place to store a generator.

Clearly you don't live in San Francisco! ?

 

[mkhuffman]

Clearly you don't live in San Francisco! ?

You can put the bike inside the house, and that opens up good ceiling space to winch up a generator. In fact, I bet you could fit two generators in the space the bike occupies. ?

Put the bike in your kitchen. Your wife will love it there. Just explain the benefits of the generator and she will gladly agree to store it next to the fridge.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

You can put the bike inside the house, and that opens up good ceiling space to winch up a generator. In fact, I bet you could fit two generators in the space the bike occupies. ?

Put the bike in your kitchen. Your wife will love it there. Just explain the benefits of the generator and she will gladly agree to store it next to the fridge.

LOL - I already have a(nother) bike in the house!! And our solar system has a 2kW emergency outlet directly off the inverter that can be used during a power outage. We have a 2kWh buffer battery that we can use between the two and a 120v-120v "suicide" cord like what Doug mentions on this thread.

I like to idea of adding an inverter to the MME for prolonged outages in inclement weather. I also would love to have a NG (or propane) generator if I could figure out where to store it, but alas... (But thank you for your comments regarding the benefits of LP/NG vs gasoline for occasional generator usage. This is super helpful.)

 

[Hammered]

If you have a GT, the DC-DC inverter kicks out 220 amps (220×12v=2,600watts continuous). The thread below has the police Modifier Bulletin that explains how it neeeds to be wired up.

The spare battery with the 120v inverter is a great idea because it provides some surge capacity for startup of something like a microwave. I'm definitely going to copy this.

https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...adding-12-volt-accessories-gt-specific.19039/

Sounds like it's got the power boost's liquid cooled DC-DC converter which puts out 220a @ 14v. You can pull 2,400w from that thing all day long (better limited by 176a max). I'll confirm what it's capable of, I have the PB's numbers, but there's other projects for that 35kw generator -- Oh its starter generator (doesn't have alternator) pumps out another 280a for a total "12v" generation capability of 500a. That's only 1/5 of what the hybrid motor generates. Underrated truck that powerboost is...

What's a shame for the mach-e is that they chose not to be able to utilize 2 legs of the rear motor tapped off of the inverter (quite easy to do) and provide 5-7kW worth of split phase 120/240v power. Super simple concept. Wonder if the PB's water cooled 7.2kw inverter, which sync already can talk to, will be able to get retro'd into the mach-e? They could have however included at least the 2.4kW inverter that both the lightning and powerboost have. Sync 4 is already programmed for it. That would have been an easy add, but perhaps, 'muh mustang' stopped it?

Power tapping for energy storage will become much more ubiquitous before long (or at the very least the ability to tap the car's HVB for other purposes). EVERY vehicle that uses CCS has the ability to provide a full DC connection to the HVB capable of substantial power as, well, the DC fast charge uses it. Wires don't care which way electrons flow. No reason to not have a plug in connector to feed a stand alone 'inverter generator'. It could be about the size of a briefcase / backpack, weigh about 30lbs, and be able to provide 7.2kW, aka 30a at 240v split phase.

Both the lightning and powerboost provide that by using their HVB (and generator in the powerboost's case). There's the 2.4kW stock powerboost inverter that's in the 'frunk' providing 4 120v outlets, and with the PPOB lightning, like the upgraded power boost inverter, provides a nema L14-30 locking generator plug in the bed as well as 4 120v outlets. There's in-cab plugs but those just run off of the same inverter/s.

It's cheap to implement and sync already has 'power generation' functionality in it. Literally just takes a small programming tweak. Ford needs to make it option for all models!

I've got a project in the works that will see if the HVB can be used to drive a 6kW (or more) split phase inverter. It will work, just don't know how closely the system is watching current draw and if it will miss a 6kW+ load just vanishing. The approach has been validated in other vehicles already.

 

[mkhuffman]

Sounds like it's got the power boost's liquid cooled DC-DC converter which puts out 220a @ 14v. You can pull 2,400w from that thing all day long (better limited by 176a max). I'll confirm what it's capable of, I have the PB's numbers, but there's other projects for that 35kw generator -- Oh its starter generator (doesn't have alternator) pumps out another 280a for a total "12v" generation capability of 500a. That's only 1/5 of what the hybrid motor generates. Underrated truck that powerboost is...

What's a shame for the mach-e is that they chose not to be able to utilize 2 legs of the rear motor tapped off of the inverter (quite easy to do) and provide 5-7kW worth of split phase 120/240v power. Super simple concept. Wonder if the PB's water cooled 7.2kw inverter, which sync already can talk to, will be able to get retro'd into the mach-e? They could have however included at least the 2.4kW inverter that both the lightning and powerboost have. Sync 4 is already programmed for it. That would have been an easy add, but perhaps, 'muh mustang' stopped it?

Power tapping for energy storage will become much more ubiquitous before long (or at the very least the ability to tap the car's HVB for other purposes). EVERY vehicle that uses CCS has the ability to provide a full DC connection to the HVB capable of substantial power as, well, the DC fast charge uses it. Wires don't care which way electrons flow. No reason to not have a plug in connector to feed a stand alone 'inverter generator'. It could be about the size of a briefcase / backpack, weigh about 30lbs, and be able to provide 7.2kW, aka 30a at 240v split phase.

Both the lightning and powerboost provide that by using their HVB (and generator in the powerboost's case). There's the 2.4kW stock powerboost inverter that's in the 'frunk' providing 4 120v outlets, and with the PPOB lightning, like the upgraded power boost inverter, provides a nema L14-30 locking generator plug in the bed as well as 4 120v outlets. There's in-cab plugs but those just run off of the same inverter/s.

It's cheap to implement and sync already has 'power generation' functionality in it. Literally just takes a small programming tweak. Ford needs to make it option for all models!

I've got a project in the works that will see if the HVB can be used to drive a 6kW (or more) split phase inverter. It will work, just don't know how closely the system is watching current draw and if it will miss a 6kW+ load just vanishing. The approach has been validated in other vehicles already.

I am having a hard time following your post. Did you say you are tap into the HVB 400V circuit? If that is the plan, it sounds extremely dangerous.

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