EV terms, in plain English
Vehicle-to-load (V2L)
Powers appliances from the car — camping fridge, tools, lights — usually with a built-in socket or charge-port adaptor.
V2L turns your EV into a large portable power bank — for appliances, not for towing, and not for powering your whole house.
Vehicle-to-load lets electricity stored in the car’s battery power external devices. Depending on the vehicle, you may plug into a household-style socket inside the car or use an adaptor on the charging port.
That’s not towing. It’s also not vehicle-to-home (V2H) or vehicle-to-grid (V2G). V2L ≠ V2H ≠ V2G.
In Australia, V2L is fairly common on many non-Tesla battery EVs — but not universal, and AU Teslas generally don’t offer it (as of mid-2026 guides). Check this car, not the brand brochure in your head. V2L is usually a factory feature — not something you bolt on later.
Why the power rating matters
Useful output is often about 2.2–3.6 kW; an adaptor can be the bottleneck. Some cars sit lower (around 1.5 kW) and a few go higher (roughly 6–6.6 kW combined) — treat those as “some cars,” and always check the exact Australian model and whether the published figure is a combined limit or per socket.
A ~1.5 kW output suits low-power items such as a camping fridge, lights, laptops or phone chargers if their combined demand stays under the limit. Around 3.3–3.6 kW gives more flexibility for a higher-draw appliance or several smaller devices. Add the wattage of everything you plan to run at once, leave headroom for motor/compressor start-up surges, and don’t plan right up to the published maximum.
Power and running time are different
The kW rating tells you how much equipment the car can power at once. Available battery energy (kWh) determines how long it can run. Using V2L draws the same battery that drives the car — set or monitor the discharge limit and leave enough charge for the trip home.
V2L is designed to power appliances directly. It is not a substitute for an approved vehicle-to-home installation, and the car should never be connected to household wiring through an ordinary powerpoint. Follow the vehicle and adaptor instructions.
Good to know
- V2L is usually a factory feature — not something you bolt on later.
- Useful output is often about 2.2–3.6 kW; an adaptor can be the bottleneck.
- Fairly common on many non-Tesla BEVs — not universal. AU Teslas generally don’t offer V2L (as of mid-2026 guides).
- Using V2L draws the drive battery — leave enough for the trip home.
- Our shortlist can show V2L when the catalogue lists it (including kW when we have it).
ShortlistEV can show V2L when the catalogue lists it (including kW when we have it).
Why it matters: Compare the output rating, outlet arrangement and discharge settings — not simply whether a brochure says the car has V2L.
Towing is a different topic — see Towing with an EV.
Ready to narrow it down? Tell us what matters and we’ll shortlist up to three EVs that fit.