using plug in hybrid vehicles for pv storage

They’re putting out 400W, running through a power control box to charge your accessory 12V battery bank. You’ll see why this is a problem in a second.īest case scenario is we have a quad-cab truck with topper and four 100W Renogy solar panels on board. Even with the lowly 120V output, the Mobile Charger wants to pump out 3.84kW. Problem #3 – Solar would be way, way slower. So, optimistically, let’s say the Lightning would get 2 miles per hour of charge on a standard home outlet. Probably a lot more, because Ford says its Mobile Charger will add about 20 miles per hour of charge to the smaller, lighter, and more aerodynamic Mach-E on a 240V outlet, but only about 3 miles of range per hour on a 110V outlet. Those 19 hours become about 40 hours or more. 110-120V outlet, kW output drops to 3.84, but charge times will likely more than double. If your friend doesn’t have a 240V outlet, or you haven’t installed one at your home, that charger is pulling from a standard U.S. Problem #2 – They’re even slower off standard outlets. One hour of charging at this level would net you about 13 miles of range. Buuuut, on an upgraded 220-240V home outlet, that Mobile Charger is only putting out 7.68kW, and Ford estimates it would take 19 hours to go from 15% charge to 100% charge. Problem #1 – Basic chargers are slow.įord’s EVs all come with a standard 32-amp Mobile Charger that plugs into any 120V or 240V outlet, so you could charge it up at your friend’s house.

That’s almost 100kWh more than the extended pack for the Mach-E, which isn’t designed to carry large payloads. Ford doesn’t disclose the size of their extended range battery pack, but our back of the napkin math suggests about 180kWh. Here, we need a few numbers to put everything else into perspective. One hour of charging would give you about 30 miles of additional range. It will charge the vehicle 85% (from 15% to 100%) in 8 hours.

This model includes Ford’s 80-amp charging station that gets hardwired into your home’s power grid and delivers 19.2kW to the vehicle’s onboard dual charging system. Let’s use the new F150 Lightning with the extended range battery as an example, and see what it takes to charge it up. Can solar panels charge an electric vehicle? Rivian sells an offroad package, but nothing for solar charging. Disclaimer: I am an amateur mathematician and electrician at best, but I had smarter people fact check this story, and for all practical purposes, it accurately explains the concept.

Using plug in hybrid vehicles for pv storage