After a 6.4 magnitude earthquake shook Northern California and left about 70% of the homes and businesses without electricity, one dealership managed to keep the lights on with help from a couple of EVs.
Harper Motors in North Eureka, CA, which has operated in Humboldt County since 1912 and sells both new and used cars, including EVs, posted two photos on its Facebook page showing how it managed to stay open for business during the blackout.
Using the vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature of a Ford F-150 Lightning and Kia Niro EV, the dealership had plenty of power for its showroom and parts department.
“Powered by a Niro EV and F150 Lightning, we are open for sales, and parts if you need us,” wrote the business on its Facebook page.
The Ford F-150 Lightning’s V2L function, Pro Power Onboard, can provide up to 9.6 kW of power from a total of 11 outlets, including four 120V outlets in the front trunk and a 240V outlet in the bed of the truck.
The Kia Niro offers up to 1.8 kW of power from its front charging port or rear trunk, but only if the car is specced in its top “wave” trim level.
This isn’t the first time owners have used their EVs to power homes or businesses during power outages. In November, after Hurricane Nicole hit Florida, an F-150 Lightning owner used his truck to cook some food and help out his neighbor. And in August, a pair of Lightnings helped with the clean-up efforts after the terrible floods in Kentucky.
Ford’s electric truck can power an entire house for several days if configured properly. The option pack is called Ford Intelligent Backup Power and it involves some modifications to the home’s electrical system, but it's basically an automatic central home generator that turns on when the grid goes offline.
