This Nissan Leaf charger powers homes

Electric vehicles typically slurp power from home electrical systems and the grid.

However, if you’ve ever wished your electric vehicle could actually share surplus power when necessary, well, you aren’t alone, especially for those living in areas prone to blackouts or brownouts.

Fortunately, Nissan recently announced that a new charger – Leaf to Home – will be available for EV owners next month.

Starting in July, Nissan customers in Japan will begin receiving home power backups. Meaning,  in addition to the Nissan Leaf EV slurping power from your home’s electrical system to recharge its batteries, the car can also supply power – up to 6 kWh – to a residence in the case of a power outage.

The home power backup system includes an advanced charger, allowing the Leaf to achieve 80% charge capacity in only four hours – rather than the current 8.

The new home power backup charger is slated to be sold exclusively by Nissan dealers at a price point of ¥480,000, or $6,000 here in the US.