Electric Out the Charge Port?

Ok as this is something I share an interest.

No L1/L2 system will ever be able to tap the traction battery directly. The reason is AC voltage in is converted to DC to charge the battery. To tap the battery, the car would need some sort of synchronous inverter to covert the DC-to-AC in the same phase as the grid. The closest we can achieve today is:

• 12V-to-110 VAC inverter - with very rare exception, none have an external sync phase capability (*)

Now the DC-to-DC EVSE interface spec allows accessing the battery directly. However, it requires a very precise protocol over the pilot signal to implement. We still do not know if connected and the battery is discharging if the car will 'protect itself' by disabling the connection.

The utility company has the right idea but it may be more advanced than our current plug-in hybrids.

Bob Wilson

* - Years ago, Honda portable generators claimed they could be configured to operate in synchronous, parallel operation. This makes a lot more sense as individual generators are more efficient running at a significant load but very inefficient at low power. So instead of buying one huge generator, buy "n" smaller ones and only start up the extra units as needed to match the load.

 

It does, but only sort-of.

Combined Charging System - Wikipedia

 

FYI, J1772 Level 1 DC the include an 80A, DC, capability. However I have gone over both the BMW i3-REx and Prius Prime electrical schematics and the connections needed for Level 1 DC are not there.

Screen shot from: SAE J1772(tm) OCT2012, Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice.

Bob Wilson

 

There was talk about vehicle 2 grid programs years ago, and a few kits by small outfits.
Power to the People: Run Your House on a Prius - The New York Times
That extra spot next to the car's charging receptacle would sure be handy as a house power outlet....

Some of the Honda portable generators with their inverter system do parallel just by plugging in a connection cord to both generators. They synchronized the inverter electronics resulting in double the 120v power. I think the 3000 watt units are the largest that can be paralleled. These are 3 phase AC generators that rectify the power to DC then invert that to stable 60 Hz, 120 volt AC power. This allows a variable speed engine for quieter operation and lower fuel consumption. Interestingly, these generators do not have a neutral leg. They have two 60 volt hot legs. (I think one leg can be grounded and make neutral & 120 legs, but they don't come that way from the factory.)

 

In the Prime unveiling threads there are photos of a orange dohickty that plugs into the charge port that provides some power. Nifty and easy to use, but if you plan to regularly run stuff off your Prime, a quality inverter hardwired to the car like @bwilson4web and others have done is a better solution.

There have been reports from Japan of PiPs and Primes being able to supply home power during emergencies. What the reports leave out is that this is possible not because of any additional equipment on the cars. In Japan, instead of installing a standard EVSE in your home, you can install a power station that charges the car, and can draw electric from it like an emergency generator. Nearly any plug in can work with it, including the Leaf, and FCEVs can supply electricity if they have the right outlet.

There are two reasons we do get it in the US. The first is that it uses the CHAdeMO outlet on the car, and no PHV has that here. The other is cost. This figure is a few years old, so it could be lower, but the power stations cost around $10k in Japan. Toyota had promoted the emergency power capabilities of the Mirai, but I don't know if it ever actually became available here; the first year models didn't have the option.