After power in southeast Queensland was knocked out due to a storm and flash flood, a woman had to use her electric car to power the dialysis machine of her son to save his life.
Electric Car Powers Dialysis Machine of Woman's Son
Kristy Holmes, a resident of the Gold Coast of Australia, made use of her Atto 3 to power the dialysis machine of her 11-year-old son on Christmas day. Holmes explains that they ran it off the car, adding that they only needed to use it for just one night. She adds that they could have run the vehicle for four nights and then need to have the car charged somewhere.
The report notes that it was a matter of life and death. The son of Holmes was set to be included on the transplant list. He would have otherwise had to be brought to Brisbane because of the blackout.
Holmes expresses that the Atto 3 is the most amazing car that she has ever had, adding that since it was able to save her son in the midst of a storm, she may not go back to using petrol cars again.
On top of using the Atto 3 for life-saving purposes, the family also used it before for less critical functions, such as heating mulled wine up through a slow cooker for a movie night. The car also helped power the fridge of their neighbor in the past.
The report also notes that other locals made use of Tesla Powerwalls, which are rechargeable battery packs of lithium-ion that can power a whole home, to help their neighbors.
EV Potential
The fact that certain electric vehicles (EVs) can serve as wheeled power generators makes them especially handy when major blackouts happen due to natural disasters or extreme weather events.
In 2022, when Hurricane Ian hit Florida coast, the company Ford saw a 127% rise in the number of individuals using the F-150 lightning electric pickups as sources of power. Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford, shared on X, previously Twitter, that drivers who were hit by the hurricane made use of their trucks for powering lights and cooking meals.
With this bidirectional charging, EVs can also charge one another. Both Ford and Tesla have been incorporating vehicle-to-vehicle charging in their electric F-150 and Cybetruck models, respectively.
Meanwhile, GM announced last August that all its electric vehicles would be equipped with bidirectional charging capacities by 2026.
As time passes, bidirectional charging could offer a crucial backup source of power, not just for households but also for the vast energy grid. The power of stationary electric vehicles could help support the system of electricity during high-strain or high-demand periods, such as when heatwaves or hurricanes hit.
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