Members of the r/preppers Reddit forum recently had a lively discussion about the merits of using an electric vehicle as a source of electricity after an extreme weather event knocks out the power.
"I've heard a few recent stories from the hurricanes where fully charged electric cars provided 1-2 weeks of backup power for basics like refrigerators, phone chargers, stoves, etc," the original poster wrote, asking if readers considered adding an electric car as part of their "prepping arsenal."
As noted in the subreddit, the main purpose of a prepper lifestyle is to be prepared in case of a natural or human-made disaster.
Keeping appliances and gadgets going during power outages can provide a measure of safety for those who are vulnerable to the elements or conditions, including when the temperatures are drastically low or high. And by not having to leave their homes, it can save people money from having to find other accommodations until power is restored.
While growing your own food is another positive step in a strong prepper plan, using an EV to keep the fridge running can also save money by saving food from spoiling.
Several members of the forum were quick to jump in with their opinions and experiences.
"Yup, I've got a mix of gas and diesel vehicles as well as a Ford Lightning EV," one commenter responded. "Not all EVs have what's called V2L or Vehicle2Load capability, but the ones that do have varying levels of output so you have to understand what you're getting as far as output and run time. … I can run my home about a week."
"I have a 2022 Kia EV6, during Helene we used it as our bedtime power source, we didnt want to run a generator all night as it was very wasteful plus it could be stolen," another chimed in. "Perfect solution for times when you dont want to run the generator."
"I have a [Ford] Lightning and live just above Asheville. Powered four neighbors' fridges and much of our house for three days," another wrote.
🗣️ Do you have a backup power source in your home?
🔘 Yes — a portable generator 👍
🔘 Yes — a full-on generator 🔋
🔘 I use solar panels ☀️
🔘 No — I don't 😬
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
To those last two commenters' points, these types of conversations are getting much less theoretical and much more rooted in people's lived experiences all the time, as extreme weather events like hurricanes are becoming more frequent and more intense due to the overheating of our planet caused by air pollution from dirty energy sources like gas and oil.
Recently, Hurricanes Milton and Helene caused widespread devastation across the southern U.S. leaving many without power for multiple days. Unfortunately, these types of events are highly likely to continue as long as we are relying on dirty energy to power our society, which means that having some contingency plans could be a good idea.
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