V2L Adapter

  • Thread starter Thread starter R P
  • Start date Start date
  • Replies Replies 21
  • Views Views 8K
R P

R P

Well-Known Member
I am thinking of getting this one for my I6. Cheap, and from Canada. Pretty simple device, what can go wrong? Way cheaper than from Hyundai, and even the Lectron one. Late fall and winter storm season coming soon, and our area is prone to power outages.
https://a2zevshop.com/products/v2l-...0-70-80-free-hard-case?variant=42629789614280
Can also get it through Amazon for same price.

This one is also interesting as it comes with a cord and two outlets.
https://www.amazon.ca/Adapter-Compa...mzn1.fos.d0e27fc4-6417-4b26-97cb-f959a9930752
 
Sometimes cheap can cause other problems like burning down a vehicle.

Tom from the old InsideEV's now Battery Included podcast hammers the fact that buying an expensive vehicle then cheaping out on EVSE or V2L is not a good idea. You don't know how the electrical connections are made in the component.
 
aamyotte said:
Sometimes cheap can cause other problems like burning down a vehicle.

Tom from the old InsideEV's now Battery Included podcast hammers the fact that buying an expensive vehicle then cheaping out on EVSE or V2L is not a good idea. You don't know how the electrical connections are made in the component.
Click to expand...
I have seen Tom rant against the use of some EV fast charging adapters, and for good reason considering the high current. But have also seen him recommend a lot of non OEM EVSEs. Though have not seen him say anything about V2L adapters.

These particular V2Ls have had good reviews from others. V2L are pretty simple devices and carry a max 15A load current, just like your regular power cords and multi outlet adapters common in every house. Of course I would be careful with anything I buy, and do my research. So far I have not found anything bad about these. This forum has had good info in the past about such devices and adapters, so hoping for some constructive and knowledgeable feedback again, and hopefully from some actual users.

As an aside, my son's Tesla EVSE went bad and started overheating at the car port. He replaced it with a 32A Morec EVSE which I have used for 5 years on my other EVs, and he has been good every since. I have also heard that some of the other OEM supplied EVSEs are not so great either. I also have a 40A Grizzl-E EVSE for my Ioniq 6, which as it happens is also recommended by Tom.
 
R P said:
I am thinking of getting this one for my I6. Cheap, and from Canada. Pretty simple device, what can go wrong? Way cheaper than from Hyundai, and even the Lectron one. Late fall and winter storm season coming soon, and our area is prone to power outages.
https://a2zevshop.com/products/v2l-...0-70-80-free-hard-case?variant=42629789614280
Can also get it through Amazon for same price.

This one is also interesting as it comes with a cord and two outlets.
https://www.amazon.ca/Adapter-Compatible-Hyundai-Electric-Discharger/dp/B0C5D4YRYS/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2IVT3X2F44LFB&keywords=hyundai+ioniq+5+v2l+adapter+by+lectron&qid=1694353008&sprefix=v2l+adapter+hyundai+ioniq+5,aps,143&sr=8-4&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.d0e27fc4-6417-4b26-97cb-f959a9930752
Click to expand...

The first one at least has some certifications (although European), I would steer clear of the 2nd one.

That being said, I can endorse Lectron equipment as being well constructed, (owning and have used their NACS to J1772 adaptor). Price is usually cheaper with first time buys and periodic sales if you keep checking.
Being curious about the V2L actual waveform output, I did some checking and found this info which indicates a fairly clean sine wave, also a tear down of the HMG version. I would want to make sure the unit I use has the thermal cut-out included, which would relieve any fire concerns.
IMG_7146.jpg

RMS 118V @ 60 Hz, small transients at polarity crossover:
img_7153-jpg.4684

Some high fr, harmonics (make sure any connected equipment can handle):
img_7155-jpg.4685
 
Last edited:
R P said:
I have seen Tom rant against the use of some EV fast charging adapters, and for good reason considering the high current. But have also seen him recommend a lot of non OEM EVSEs. Though have not seen him say anything about V2L adapters.

These particular V2Ls have had good reviews from others. V2L are pretty simple devices and carry a max 15A load current, just like your regular power cords and multi outlet adapters common in every house. Of course I would be careful with anything I buy, and do my research. So far I have not found anything bad about these. This forum has had good info in the past about such devices and adapters, so hoping for some constructive and knowledgeable feedback again, and hopefully from some actual users.

As an aside, my son's Tesla EVSE went bad and started overheating at the car port. He replaced it with a 32A Morec EVSE which I have used for 5 years on my other EVs, and he has been good every since. I have also heard that some of the other OEM supplied EVSEs are not so great either. I also have a 40A Grizzl-E EVSE for my Ioniq 6, which as it happens is also recommended by Tom.
Click to expand...

One important point is that the product should ULC certified. Low amperage draw can still overheat if the product is not properly built and tested. Good luck with your search.
 
aamyotte said:
One important point is that the product should ULC certified. Low amperage draw can still overheat if the product is not properly built and tested. Good luck with your search.
Click to expand...
A lot of products are not ULC (like my Morec EVSE), but have the tough EU certifications and have proven to be very reliable. And some with with the UL certification have proven unreliable. Certification is no guarantee of quality. We have been through this before on this forum several years ago. Having said that, I agree UL and ULC are good to have, just not deal breakers, esp for some devices. But for higher amp applications I want the best, which is why I went with Grizzl-E for my 40A EVSE. I have had my eye on that one (research) for a couple years now.

I am not rushing this, that's for sure. My I6 already has a built in 110V 15A V2L outlet, but it is in a stupid location, under the back seat. And you have to keep the car in On or Utility mode when using it. The outside port adapter would be a lot more convenient. But if a power outage happened, I could get by with an extension chord out an open rear door window.

Meanwhile will keep an eye on the V2L adapter market. Seems to be more and more coming out at lower prices. Lectron was one of the first, and I am sure they have a lot of margin built in. It will become cheaper, and they may provide more devices, like with an included long extension chord and multiple outlets, like that 2nd link.
 
I have been following a discussion on this subject on another I6 forum (and where I got the original link from). This guy just built his own, says it is a pretty simple device. He uses his I6 to charge other EVs and his garage grid-tie battery. I am guessing he must get free charging for his I6 somewhere. And he doesn't like UL certification.

**********************************************
Haha, I can at least vouch for this, as JuiceBox was, well, my baby... my career in the EV industry grew up along side JuiceBox as it grew up as well. The worst thing that ever happened to JB was the UL approval - it forced a change to a much less reliable relay, which met UL's fault timing requirements, whose failures (5-beep, welded relay, "stuck closed") plague the UL JuiceBoxes. Your older box has the better relay that rarely if ever had any issues.

20160114_155322-jpg.52001


(developing the side serial sticker on the box upload_2023-9-11_17-51-43.gif we really did make-it-up-as-we-go sometimes)

Anyway, as to the subject of V2L: yes, the adapter is dead simple, and the one I use every day on my I6 is one I built myself based on reverse-engineering the OEM adapter. It simply has a different value for the prox (handle latch), and the pilot signal is shorted with an on/off switch (though I don't recall the exact details). Nothing special, nothing active. It's just an old EVSE cable with the resistor tweaks applied, a push-button switch for on/off, and with an NEMA 5-15p on the end of the cable.

The port under the rear seat is, indeed, just a "tee" off the main V2L output. It has full 16a output -- it's actually 16 amps that's the limit overall (as seen in CAN data), just a hair over 15a. I use all 16 amps every day, charging my Smart EV off the I6, and charging my garage grid-tie battery after that, each night. But that's 16 amps total - if you use both ports, they share the output limit. It would be nice to have 30-or-so amps output capability! But I'm happy with the 16 amps.

Yeah, aftermarket adapters are perfectly fine for this, IMO. Don't let Hyundai overcharge you for the OEM one. Everyone should have access to this awesome feature!
 
R P said:
A lot of products are not ULC (like my Morec EVSE), but have the tough EU certifications and have proven to be very reliable. And some with with the UL certification have proven unreliable. Certification is no guarantee of quality. We have been through this before on this forum several years ago. Having said that, I agree UL and ULC are good to have, just not deal breakers, esp for some devices. But for higher amp applications I want the best, which is why I went with Grizzl-E for my 40A EVSE. I have had my eye on that one (research) for a couple years now.

I am not rushing this, that's for sure. My I6 already has a built in 110V 15A V2L outlet, but it is in a stupid location, under the back seat. And you have to keep the car in On or Utility mode when using it. The outside port adapter would be a lot more convenient. But if a power outage happened, I could get by with an extension chord out an open rear door window.

Meanwhile will keep an eye on the V2L adapter market. Seems to be more and more coming out at lower prices. Lectron was one of the first, and I am sure they have a lot of margin built in. It will become cheaper, and they may provide more devices, like with an included long extension chord and multiple outlets, like that 2nd link.
Click to expand...
Just found this one (Lectron) for a super good price, I think sale ends Oct 3;)
https://tools.woot.com/offers/lectron-v2l-vehicle-to-load-adapter?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_13
 
  • Like
Reactions: R P
electriceddy said:
Just found this one (Lectron) for a super good price, I think sale ends Oct 3;)
https://tools.woot.com/offers/lectron-v2l-vehicle-to-load-adapter?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_13
Click to expand...
Yeah, have looked at that Lectron one, and agree good price. But I am going to hold off for now. I do have the interior V2L which I can use with an extension cord through an open window, and just keep the car in utility mode. It has the same 16A capacity as the external one. So in a pinch with a power outage, I could use that.

But thanks for the tip. Will get one eventually.
 
A good feature on that one is the ability to replace the 5-15 sockets easily should they wear out or become damaged.
Of course I would probably install a weather proof plug on the end of the cord but that's just me;)
 
electriceddy said:
A good feature on that one is the ability to replace the 5-15 sockets easily should they wear out or become damaged.
Of course I would probably install a weather proof plug on the end of the cord but that's just me;)
Click to expand...
Well, it is IP67/IP66, but I will just be using it indoors from my garage. If I ever used it outside in the rain, I would get some kind of cover for the car port. The 16' cord to the outlets is pretty beefy, too, much larger than any extension cord I have which I would have needed if I just got the connector type. The outlet box has a breaker, too, to prevent current or short overload. And of course the car has that, too.

I just didn't want to mess with that little single V2L outlet inside the car, which would have required turning on Utility mode when using, although it would have worked in a pinch. With the outside one, you just plug it to use, and press the release button to remove, and it is held in place very securely with the lock. Reading the manual, I see you can actually use both V2L ports at the same time if you wish.

There is a traction battery SOC % parameter that you can set so you don't run it down too low.

I believe the 2024 Kona has this V2L capability, too. I say this because in the specs listing which cars are compatible they also include the 2023 Nero.
 
So, some questions about this. Is the output inverter onboard -- it would kind of have to be, right? Is
it separate from the OBC, or some trickiness using the OBC itself to invert to AC? Where is the AC
presented, at the J-plug AC pins? Is any check done [proximity?] that the adapter is plugged in?

References to a good online dump on how these work is a perfectly acceptable answer. I just haven't
run across such in my travels. I'm semi looking to homebrew something a bit beefier, but don't even
know if a non-v2x-enabled car would simply freak out from battery current going the "wrong way".

_H*
 
hobbit said:
So, some questions about this. Is the output inverter onboard -- it would kind of have to be, right? Is
it separate from the OBC, or some trickiness using the OBC itself to invert to AC? Where is the AC
presented, at the J-plug AC pins? Is any check done [proximity?] that the adapter is plugged in?

References to a good online dump on how these work is a perfectly acceptable answer. I just haven't
run across such in my travels. I'm semi looking to homebrew something a bit beefier, but don't even
know if a non-v2x-enabled car would simply freak out from battery current going the "wrong way".

_H*
Click to expand...
From my understanding, the inverter is onboard. When I plug it in, there is some kind of handshaking happening and a message on the dash appears indicating the V2L connector is active. I am not sure where you could find more detailed technical documents on how all that works. I think you would have to contact Hyundai for that, and if they even are willing to share it. You can look at the online manual, but all it tells you is how to use it, and some do's and don'ts.
 
I'm not above looking up patents, but I was hoping someone's done a more straightforward
analysis. Did someone hint that there was an adapter teardown someplace?

_H*
 
Okay, been soaking in info about this for a couple hours. Simple resistor hack, the smarts and muscle
are in the car. It's still not clear if the 120V NA version presents the output between J1772 L1 and L2
or L1 and PE. I'd still rather think more about the DC domain, as that could probably carry higher output
power even if it would need more complex external gear.

_H*
 
electriceddy said:
The first one at least has some certifications (although European), I would steer clear of the 2nd one.

That being said, I can endorse Lectron equipment as being well constructed, (owning and have used their NACS to J1772 adaptor). Price is usually cheaper with first time buys and periodic sales if you keep checking.
Being curious about the V2L actual waveform output, I did some checking and found this info which indicates a fairly clean sine wave, also a tear down of the HMG version. I would want to make sure the unit I use has the thermal cut-out included, which would relieve any fire concerns.
IMG_7146.jpg

RMS 118V @ 60 Hz, small transients at polarity crossover:
img_7153-jpg.4684

Some high fr, harmonics (make sure any connected equipment can handle):
img_7155-jpg.4685
Click to expand...
Like you said, we should buy those products with safety certifications, I purchased the AskDog V2L adapter with FCC ，RoHS and UL certifications, and I haven't encountered any problems in using it so far, no matter whether it's for outdoor gatherings or using computers in the car to use it to transfer electricity, it's been a great convenience for me, and it's much more reassuring to have the safety certifications to use it.
 
R P said:
I decided to go ahead and get this one. Has the extra cord and outlet box which I liked. We are approaching storm season here, and we are vulnerable to power outages where I live.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C5D4YRYS?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I tested it with 3 prong and 2 prong tools and works well.
Click to expand...
Well, finally put my I6 VL2 and adapter to the test yesterday. We had our first major power outage (wind storms) yesterday in a few years, 7 hours from 2 PM to 9 PM. I have a couple large salt water aquariums and they are the greatest risk during a power outage. The corals in particular are very sensitive to a lack of circulation and temp changes. So I hooked up the entire system, pumps, heaters, etc to my V2L, and worked like a charm. Fish and corals were all happy.

The total usage on my car during that time was about 3 kWh using the V2L. I had a watt meter connected in the circuit and the car also gave usage on the dash, and they jived. The real time kW varied to a max of about 500kW, as the heaters kicked on and off. I didn't have anything else hooked up, as the fridge and freezer were still holding their temps pretty good. I would have added the fridge next if the outage would have gone longer.

In hindsight, there are a few things I learned and would do differently for next time. The biggest issue we had was being bored during that time, with no internet or TV, even our phone was out. There is only so much you can talk about with your spouse. I could have hooked up the TV to the V2L, but there was no point, since I had nothing loaded or ready to view with it. Next time, will have some movies loaded down to USB sticks which the TV can play, and maybe even hook up the old DVD player to play some old stuff. Also could load movies (even current Netflix) on my phone and project those on the TV.

Another thing I should have done was charge my car in advance of the forecast storm. It was only 48% when the power went off. This is the storm season here, but we survived a couple of earlier ones this past month, so wasn't really expecting it to happen. But this one was a little stronger, so lots of trees down on power lines, and outages everywhere. Couldn't even go out anywhere, as many restaurants and businesses were out, too.

Anyway, the V2L and adapter did its job, so happy with that. And will be even better prepared next time.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top