Attaching A BIG Inverter

[adventurejoe]

Hello!  I would like to use the Energi to power a camper or use it as a backup for the house if the power goes out, and the 150watt built-in inverter isn't gonna cut it.

 

I know that the EV battery pack is HUGE and could power my house for a couple days, but it runs at 200 volts.  Where could I attach my inverter to run off of the EV pack but at 12 volts?

 

I'm looking at an inverter that can do about 400 watts.  Thanks!

[murphy]

The HVB is 7.6 kWh = 7600 Wh.  7600 Wh / 400 W = 19 hours.  If you ran the HVB down to zero it would be destroyed.  It's around 400 volts, not 200 volts.

 

Find another way to power your house.  If you hook anything to the HVB your HVB warranty would be canceled.

 

I doubt that 400 watts would power your house.  Have you measured the load with everything turned off that can be turned off?  My house idles at about 900 watts.  The motor in a refrigerator would not start on a 400 watt inverter.  The start current for an induction motor is about 7 times the running current.

 

Gasoline powered generators seem like a good solution but gasoline doesn't store well.  The Energi, with its closed fuel system, forces the gasoline to be burned off after 18 months.  During a power failure your local gasoline station would not have power either so you wouldn't be able to get more gasoline.

 

If you want useful backup it needs to be powered by natural gas or propane.

[Fat Fusion]

FWIW, I buy True Fuel* which has no alcohol and is good for 5 years before opening the can, and 2 years after.  It's marketed for chain saws and other home equipment, but would be fine for a generator as well.

[My14Energi]

I too have a 750 watt inverter that connects to +/- terminals under the hood on normal cars while they idle. My question is where do those underhood terminals on the energi get their power? HVB or smaller 12V? I would hope/think those terminals are powered off the HVB and the engine will just run to charge back up the HVB. I suppose its no different than the power to the cig outlets inside the car. Some inverters plug into those cig outlets, but the better ones connect under the hood.

Edited September 6, 2017 at 05:54 PM by My14Energi

[murphy]

They are not outputs, they are inputs to charge the 12 volt battery.  They go directly to the battery through some sensors that are attached to the battery posts.

[My14Energi]

Well the battery terminals on a normal car arent exactly outputs either, but its all connected. With the car running and the inverter connected it gets power and shows 14.2v. My question is where is that 14.2V coming from? HVB or small 12V. Once the car is running shouldnt it be the HVB

Edited September 6, 2017 at 09:53 PM by My14Energi

[YoloSwaggins]

Well the battery terminals on a normal car arent exactly outputs either, but its all connected. With the car running and the inverter connected it gets power and shows 14.2v. My question is where is that 14.2V coming from? HVB or small 12V. Once the car is running shouldnt it be the HVB

that 14.2v is the voltage used to charge the accessory battery (normal car battery) located in the trunk. That voltage comes from the HVB and is sent through the DC-to-DC converter and stepped down from 200v+ to ~14v. The charging voltage is only present when the car is running, when the car is off you will see ~12 which is the voltage being output by the accessory battery.  

[YoloSwaggins]

if you're looking to get an Inverter you may want to consider getting one that is between 500w and 1000w that connects to your battery terminals. you could use your HVB to power your camper by leaving your car running since the HVB sends a charging voltage to the 12v battery terminals, but its not recommended. I would also recommend getting a much larger 12v battery, because the one in the Energi is very small compared to ones you might see in a truck for example. if you're using that battery to power your camper, you're gonna need some more juice. 

Edited May 3, 2018 at 11:41 AM by YoloSwaggins