EVs And Plug-In Hybrids Provided Power To Typhoon-Affected Areas

Here at Go Flat Out PH, there’s always one feature in an electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that we tout as game-changing when it comes to vehicle utilization. That is called vehicle-to-load (V2L), and it’s exactly what kept the lights on in areas affected by the recent onslaught of Typhoon Emong and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon (also known as Hanging Habagat).

Typhoon Emong made landfall in Northern Luzon, with wind speeds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 165 kph, according to PAGASA’s July 25, 5:00 am bulletin. Signal number 4 was raised in the southern portion of Ilocos Sur, as well as the northern and central portions of La Union. These winds were strong enough to cause economic and infrastructure damage, resulting in power outages in some areas.

For EV and PHEV owners, this presented an opportunity to utilize their vehicles’ V2L capabilities to power their homes, or, in this case, provide electricity to those who are unable to charge their phones due to the power outage. Over the past few days, BYD La Union deployed its PHEV and EV test drive units to provide free mobile phone charging to residents whose power supply has been affected by the recent typhoon.

In particular, the BYD Shark 6 DMO plug-in hybrid pickup and the Sealion 6 DM-i were utilized by BYD La Union for the job. The Shark 6 DMO’s V2L output tops out at 6 kW, which is good enough to power an average Filipino house for a few days until power is restored. The Sealion 6 DM-i’s V2L, on the other hand, tops out at 2.4 kW, which is enough to power appliances such as air conditioning.

Every BYD vehicle currently sold in the Philippines comes with V2L, from the P890,000 Seagull electric hatchback, the P948,000 Seal 5 DM-i Dynamic, and all the way to even more premium offerings like the Tang EV and Han EV. By taking advantage of the brand’s proprietary lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) Blade battery, every BYD can turn into an external power source during times of calamities or even leisure, such as camping.

Other EVs and hybrids on sale in the Philippines that come with V2L include the recently-launched Hyundai Palisade Hybrid (3.6 kW output), Hyundai Ioniq 9 (3.6 kW output), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (3.6 kW output), the Kia EV6 (albeit still in pre-facelift form, 3.6 kW output), the Kia EV9 (3.6 kW output), and a few other hybrid and EV models.

BYD photos by BYD Cars Philippines (through BYD La Union)