Power to the people: Mitsubishi Outlander and Eclipse Cross PHEV are the electrified vehicles in Australia that can power your home
Mitsubishi has announced that it is introducing bi-directional, or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging with its Outlander and Eclipse Cross PHEVs that will allow owners to power electrical appliances, homes and even the grid – but there’s a big catch.
For now, the ability to use your SUV as a mobile power station in an outage has only been granted for residents in South Australia. The next big challenge is that, to enable the Outlander or Eclipse Cross to offer bi-directional charging, you have to first buy a new charger that costs a hefty $10,000.
Mitsubishi said it achieved its bi-directional charging following a collaboration with JET Charge and SA Power Networks (SAPN) that has developed the tech over the last 12 months.
The final fly-in-the-ointment with the tech is that the charger developed to allow V2G is heading out of production, although JET Charge says a new one is in the works but it’s still awaiting approval for use Down Under.
Before launching it, Mitsubishi said V2G trials took place around the country, both with JET Charge and other infrastructure providers.
Mitsubishi installed two V2G chargers at its Adelaide HQ in February last year to showcase both the Outlander and Eclipse Cross PHEV full capabilities.
Commenting on the new tech Mitsubishi Motors Australia eMobility manager Tim Clarke said: “The technology is rapidly emerging, so as SAPN’s operational needs evolved, we worked closely to adapt the installation to ensure grid export requirements were met.
“Under the approval, MMAL is now unconditionally able to export power from its PHEVs into the grid.”
JET Charge CEO Tim Washington claimed bi-directional charging would fundamentally change how consumers view transport and energy and said: “It will make our vehicles an even bigger part of our everyday lives, powering how we move and how we live,” he said.
It’s thought greater V2G capability of vehicles in the future could help the increasingly strained power grid cope better with times of high demand, during summer months, the same tech has also already been found invaluable in the US where owners have relied on their vehicles for days to power their homes following natural disasters.
Back in Australia, the Nissan LEAF was the first vehicle to offer Australians V2G charging but it’s Mitsubishi that is said to be the first car to win state approval for the tech.
