Model S as a power source for home outages like we're seeing during Hurricane Sandy??

[teslasguy]

For all of us that have been living through Hurrican Sandy for the past few days, it sure would be nice to hook up an inverter to our Model S to at least power the fridge, freezer and a few lights during times like this. Since the S is all electric we could actually use it as a good power source while in the garage without worring about carbon monoxide. Any thoughts as to how to do this? I know that the 12V outlets aren't powerful enough but I'd love to hear any thoughts from others on this, including feedback from Tesla. This would be a huge benefit for those of us that go through times like this.

 

[widodh]

It has been confirmed already by Tesla, Model S will not be able to do Vehicle2Grid.

So no, this won't work. You should buy a Leaf or Prius Plugin for that.

 

[Babylonfive]

For all of us that have been living through Hurrican Sandy for the past few days, it sure would be nice to hook up an inverter to our Model S to at least power the fridge, freezer and a few lights during times like this. Since the S is all electric we could actually use it as a good power source while in the garage without worring about carbon monoxide. Any thoughts as to how to do this? I know that the 12V outlets aren't powerful enough but I'd love to hear any thoughts from others on this, including feedback from Tesla. This would be a huge benefit for those of us that go through times like this.

You'd need access to the batteries themselves and you'd have to provide an external inverter (back up to 240 split-phase, actually two coupled inverters in some solutions). These already exist for off-grid solar/wind systems, so the tech is there.

What really doesn't exist is a way to tap the batteries, and Tesla would have to somehow approve and manage that connection. Otherwise, the software would misinterpret the drain as a failure of sorts. Big picture: it exceeds the scope of the current Tesla design.

I love the idea, and it's similar to existing ideas espoused by power companies for on-grid storage supplying peak power for the grid. This would use exactly the same equipment an off-grid solution would use, but would drive right through to the grid. The right mixed-mode inverter/batterycharger/solar system would provide very interesting on- and off-grid modes, but alas, Tesla didn't integrate anything that I know of into their design to accomplish this; further, the way they are insulating and battery subsystem with their own chargers, I'd guess they would be very careful on the external access for discharge.

Just my $.02.

 

[efusco]

Any idea what capacity inverter the 12v would be able to handle?

 

[Babylonfive]

Any idea what capacity inverter the 12v would be able to handle?

Depends on how you hook it up. The 12V accessory battery could supply a lot of current for a short time for an inverter, but I'm not clear on what the recharging rules are from the main pack to the acc battery... it's been discussed in another thread. There was even a recent sowtware update i think that modified how it worked and how it reported a bad external battery.

The Tesla 12V internal outlet is supposed to be much more limited: 300 watts? I've forgotten where I saw that and a cursory search didn't hit.

 

[RDoc]

Personally, having an emergency generator, I'm more interested in if the car charger will accept the somewhat dirty power it creates.

 

[Babylonfive]

Search the forum, as there already is a a thread and/or discussion about this.

 

[daxz]

...
The Tesla 12V internal outlet is supposed to be much more limited: 300 watts? I've forgotten where I saw that and a cursory search didn't hit.

Here's applicable reference from Roadster's power systems: (12V*25A = 300w)?

...
The DC-DC 400V to 12V converter is in the ESS battery pack. This dual DC-DC converter supplies the 12V@100A to run the 12V systems in the car and a secondary 12V@25A supply for more critical and always on devices (e.g. radio +Battery line).

 

[ToddRLockwood]

There is specific language in the Model S warranty that forbids using the car as a power source. In other words, you'll void the warranty.

 

[efusco]

There is specific language in the Model S warranty that forbids using the car as a power source. In other words, you'll void the warranty.

That's pretty standard, nobody's gonna say it's OK....too easy to do it wrong. That doesn't mean it can't be done and safely, and without it being detectable.

 

[strider]

Any idea what capacity inverter the 12v would be able to handle?

At least w/ the Roadster, Tesla forbids the use of a 12V inverter. One person used one and caused some damage to the car's systems.

Personally, having an emergency generator, I'm more interested in if the car charger will accept the somewhat dirty power it creates.

The prevailing thought is that a generator w/ an inverter will work just fine. I was able to charge my Roadster from my Inverter-equipped Honda generator.