While the Home Front Command recommends flashlights and bottled water, electric vehicle owners already know they hold a strategic asset. In Israel, there are already tens of thousands of cars equipped with V2L – the ability of a vehicle to export electricity and power home appliances from its main battery.
The pinnacle belongs to the pair of giant American electric pickups, the Chevrolet Silverado EV and its twin, the GMC Sierra EV, of which over 1,500 units were sold in the past year. With batteries of about 200 kWh (three times that of an average electric car) and the ability to charge at up to 10.2 kW, these pickups can not only power a fridge – they can also run the air conditioning, lighting, and even charge other electric vehicles.
Originally designed to allow electric pickups to operate welders and other tools, the feature has proven highly useful in U.S. power grid failure events. During Hurricane Ian (September 2024), there were cases of Kia EV6 owners running window air conditioners and home appliances for over 60 consecutive hours. During Hurricane Brail in Houston (July 2024), thousands of Ford F-150 Lightning owners used their vehicles to supply electricity to their homes and neighbors. Even in the ice storms of January 2026, Hyundai Ioniq 5 owners reported using V2L as a lifeline, keeping their homes functional for days, demonstrating that the car’s large battery is essentially a strategic backup during prolonged blackouts.
Common models with the feature (some require an external adapter and suitable cable, sometimes sold at an additional cost):
Pickups: The more common American models such as Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, the rare Ford F-150 Lightning, Chinese Maxus Etrion 9, and Korean KGM Musso EV.
Korean cars: Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 6, Kia EV6 and EV9. The new Kia Niro, arriving in the coming months, will be one of the first hybrids with this capability.
Chinese hits: BYD (Atto 3, Seal, and Dolphin), Chery FX EV, Zeekr (X, 001, 7X), alongside Xpeng (G6, G9), some MG models (the compact MG4 and the MG5 station wagon), and Geely EX5. Also, some versions of the Maxus Mifa minivan and Skywell ET5 models.
Popular plug-ins: JAC 7, Chery Tiggo 7 and 8, Omoda 7 and 9, and BYD Sealion 5.
This is only a partial list for 2026 models, with most available in 2025 and 2024 as well. The JAC 7 alone, sold in Israel in 2025 and this year, has put over 16,000 plug-in units with external charging capability on the roads. Models like BYD Dolphin or MG4 and MG5 can already be found used for less than NIS 100,000.
How long can you really survive without the electric company thanks to your electric or plug-in car?
The larger the battery, the more electricity you’ll have. A 70 kWh battery should power a home fridge for more than two weeks and charge an average cell phone thousands of times. Plug-in models with much smaller batteries (18 kWh is common) will be able to support a home for less time.
It’s advisable to set the battery discharge limit in the car’s computer in advance. It’s recommended to stop at 20% to avoid finding yourself with a running fridge but a stuck car. Do not try to operate more devices than the car’s power supply allows, as it will cut off electricity to all. At least in the current situation, the Israeli habit of daily charging and keeping the battery as close to 100% as possible makes sense.