Powering devices from the MG4 battery

[Photogreycat]

Does anyone have any experience of using a discharge cable to power external devices?

John

 

[webhiker]

You mean V2L?
Works perfect. It's a breeze to us the vacuum cleaner or anything else away from power installations

 

[Photogreycat]

This is interesting. What is V2L?

How do you connect the vacuum cleaner.

John

 

[GaryMG4]

This is interesting. What is V2L?

How do you connect the vacuum cleaner.

John

Vehicle 2 Load. lots of posts on here about using. Adaptors are available from MG (V expensive) and eBay etc. they plug in to the charge port and have 3 pin outlet on other end.

 

[Bam Bam]

Does anyone have any experience of using a discharge cable to power external devices?

John

Got a cheap adapter for emergencies. Doesn't have a cable, but ran an extension socket to power router (and a kettle) when we were having electrical work done.


That electrical work included a backup home power system though so I'm not sure I'll get much use out of the adapter!

 

[AndyL61]

Just been using my cheap eBay V2L to vacuum my car . Much better than using an extension cable.

 

[DaevM]

I had a 24hr power cut at home on Saturday. I wanted to use my ebay v2l adapter to provide lighting and kettle (possibly tv?). My wife insisted on using the camping gas stove, torches and candles - harks back to the romanticism of the '70s power cuts apparently. ?

 

[Ian Key]

I had a 24hr power cut at home on Saturday. I wanted to use my ebay v2l adapter to provide lighting and kettle (possibly tv?). My wife insisted on using the camping gas stove, torches and candles - harks back to the romanticism of the '70s power cuts apparently. ?

I remember those days. Soup heated on a Calor gas stove with bread toasted in the flame (it always tasted of Calor gas) and sitting on the landing as it was the warmest place in the house. All in the light of a paraffin lamp.
Nostalgic yes, romantic no!

 

[mj224]

Will that adaptor work on the older ZS EV?

 

[pjmmk]

I remember those days. Soup heated on a Calor gas stove with bread toasted in the flame (it always tasted of Calor gas) and sitting on the landing as it was the warmest place in the house. All in the light of a paraffin lamp.
Nostalgic yes, romantic no!

We'd all huddle together in a candlelit living room playing games of I-Spy. Not easy when you can hardly 'spy' anything because it's so dark. We'd have endless arguments...
"You can't see that!"
"Yes I can!"
"Well, I can't."
"Not my problem."

Can you imagine three-hour long power cuts happening nowadays with everything interconnected and online all the time. It'd be a disaster.
Though, if the government gets its way and converts most of us to EVs and doesn't upgrade the infrastructure to cope...

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

Will that adaptor work on the older ZS EV?

Think you need the facelift model (blank grille) to get V2L

 

[MaxLogun]

I use the VTL to top my home up in winter when my solar falls a bit short works great as I live off grid.

 

[Aupa]

Some posters here are suggesting modifying the V2L adapter to give higher power. EXTREME CAUTION!
I'd suggest max 2kW.
In a power cut, I can run tv, wifi, lights, freezer etc from extension leads, way less than 1kW total.

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

I use the VTL to top my home up in winter when my solar falls a bit short works great as I live off grid.

Forgive my ignorance Max Logun but how does car DC become 220V AC? Does the MG handle it? (FYI 22place Trophy ZS LR + solar panels at home).

 

[MaxLogun]

The EV has its own inverter built in to supply any house hold appliances upto 2300 watts.

 

[Coulomb]

The EV has its own inverter built in to supply any house hold appliances up to 2300 watts.

I believe that V2L enabled models have an On Board Charger whose front end (Power Factor Correction stage) is a little more complex so that it can be run in reverse to become a DC→AC converter (normally an AC→DC converter (rectifier)). This stage handles 6.6 or 7.2 kW during charging, so at least in theory it could be configured to supply more than the usual ≈2.2 kW.

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

Forgive my ignorance Max Logun but how does car DC become 220V AC? Does the MG handle it? (FYI 22place Trophy ZS LR + solar panels at home).

The EV has its own inverter built in to supply any house hold appliances upto 2300 watts.

What happens (if you know) if it's over 2.3kW? Just wimps out? Big blue flash?

 

[pjmmk]

What happens (if you know) if it's over 2.3kw? Just wimps out? Big blue flash?

Probably says "Nope. Not doing this." and cuts you down. Let's hope you weren't in the middle of compiling your new blockbuster AAA title busting game.

 

[andyMG4]

Had a MY2023 MG4 for just over a week - bought partly for the V2L capabilities.

>What happens (if you know) if it's over 2.3kw? Just wimps out? Big blue flash?
Got a £15 V2L adapter which is fitted with a 2K resistor. Ran some tests with some 2.5kW heaters I had that run on full or half power. Straight off it ran 1 at full power and one at half and gave reading approx 3.3kW. Altering other to full power (so approx 5kW) MG4 gave a clunk and turned off discharging. Turned one heater back to half, pressed start discharging and it started again.

You can see elsewhere online that altering the resistor value might get you more kW before it trips off, which I confirmed yesterday - in fact ran both heaters (5kW) for 10-15mins with 1K (advice elsewhere is a lower value). As above, this requires some caution with the higher power, and a V2L adapter is not correct for this. I bought a Type 2 plug (£20) and will add my own 32A cable, or just use a Type 2 32A charge cable. But unless you understand the theory, risks and equipment, suggest stick to 2.2kW or so...

 

[DaevM]

Had a MY2023 MG4 for just over a week - bought partly for the V2L capabilities.

>What happens (if you know) if it's over 2.3kw? Just wimps out? Big blue flash?
Got a £15 V2L adapter which is fitted with a 2K resistor. Ran some tests with some 2.5kW heaters I had that run on full or half power. Straight off it ran 1 at full power and one at half and gave reading approx 3.3kW. Altering other to full power (so approx 5kW) MG4 gave a clunk and turned off discharging. Turned one heater back to half, pressed start discharging and it started again.

You can see elsewhere online that altering the resistor value might get you more kW before it trips off, which I confirmed yesterday - in fact ran both heaters (5kW) for 10-15mins with 1K (advice elsewhere is a lower value). As above, this requires some caution with the higher power, and a V2L adapter is not correct for this. I bought a Type 2 plug (£20) and will add my own 32A cable, or just use a Type 2 32A charge cable. But unless you understand the theory, risks and equipment, suggest stick to 2.2kW or so...

So, I'm guessing our 3kW kettle ( playing it safe) is a no-no ? Time to invest in 2kW ?