Can Your EV Power Your House? V2H Backup Power in Florida, Explained

Every hurricane season someone asks the reasonable question: the car in the driveway holds far more energy than a portable generator's fuel tank, so why can't it run the house when FPL goes down? Some EVs can. It is called vehicle-to-home, or V2H, and it works only with specific vehicles, a bidirectional charger and a device that separates the house from the grid. This guide explains what each automaker's program requires, what the electrical side involves, and where a South Florida homeowner should be careful.

One thing up front: KRW Electric does not sell V2H kits or backup equipment. That hardware comes through the automaker's program. What we can do is look at your panel, service and wiring and tell you what an installation would involve on that side.

Three terms that get mixed up

• Vehicle-to-load (V2L): the car has its own outlets, in the cabin, the bed or the frunk, or through an adapter on the charge port. You plug a fridge or a fan straight into the car. No house wiring is involved.
• Vehicle-to-home (V2H): the car feeds the house wiring through a bidirectional charger and an isolation device, so selected circuits or the whole house run on the car during an outage.
• Vehicle-to-grid (V2G): the car exports power to the utility grid. That is an interconnection with the utility and is a different conversation; ask your utility before assuming it is possible.

V2L is useful and simple. The danger comes when someone tries to turn V2L into V2H with an extension cord and a "suicide cord" plugged into a wall receptacle or dryer outlet. That pushes power back through the house wiring and out onto the utility lines, where line crews may be working, and it bypasses the house's overcurrent protection. Never do it, with a car or with a generator.

What every V2H system has in common

Whatever the brand, a working V2H setup has three parts:

1. A vehicle that supports bidirectional power to a home, on the automaker's list for its program.
2. A bidirectional charger that can take power out of the car as well as put it in.
3. An isolation or transfer device so that when the grid is down, the house is disconnected from it and cannot backfeed the lines. Every program has one, under different names.

On the code side, the National Electrical Code treats power-export equipment in its own terms. Under NEC 2020 section 625.48, EV equipment that exports power as part of an interactive system has to be listed and marked for that use, and the rules for optional standby systems (Article 702) and interconnected power sources (Article 705) apply (summary of NEC 625.48). Florida's current electrical code is NEC 2020 through the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (floridabuilding.org), and your building department has the final word on what it wants to see.

What the automaker programs require

Ford

Ford's Home Backup Power needed a 2022-2025 F-150 Lightning, the Ford Charge Station Pro and the Sunrun Home Integration System, and Ford lists output of up to 7.2 kW (Ford Home Backup Power eligibility). Ford has ended the Lightning and the Charge Station Pro is no longer sold, so this route is mostly relevant to owners who already have the equipment or are buying a used truck with it.

GM

GM Energy's V2H Enablement Kit pairs with the GM Energy PowerShift Charger. The kit includes a Home Hub that isolates the house from the grid during an outage, an inverter, and a dark-start battery to get the system running when the grid is down (GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit). Check GM Energy's current list for which vehicles qualify.

Tesla

For home backup, Tesla's Cybertruck Powershare setup uses a Universal Wall Connector, a Gateway with islanding capability, and a Backup Switch installed at the meter (Tesla Powershare home backup install manual). Other Tesla models are not covered by this program; if you drive one, Tesla's own support pages are the place to check what, if anything, applies.

Kia

Kia's V2H for eligible EV9 owners uses the Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional charger and a Power Recovery Unit, and Florida was among the first seven states where it launched in March 2025 (Kia EV9 V2H announcement).

These programs change often. Before planning anything, confirm on the automaker's site that your exact vehicle, model year and region are eligible.

The electrical side: what we look at

Even when the automaker supplies the kit, it has to connect to a real house, and many South Florida homes have older or crowded panels. Before an installation, an electrician needs to answer:

• Does the panel and service have room? A bidirectional charger is a large dedicated circuit, and the isolation device may sit at or near the meter. Older panels in 1950s to 1980s homes may need work first; see does my panel have room for an EV charger and our EV charger panel upgrade page.
• Where does the equipment physically go? Meter location, wall space, wire runs, flood height and clearance all matter. Florida homes on slab with an exterior meter and a garage on the far side can mean long runs.
• Which circuits should it carry? Output is limited. A system rated for a few kilowatts will not run every air conditioner, the pool pump and the range at once, so many setups back up selected loads.
• Permit and inspection. This is permitted work, and the building department will want to see listed equipment installed per the manufacturer's instructions.

Florida reality checks

Your car is also your evacuation plan. Draining the battery to run the house can leave you without range if conditions change or you need to leave after the storm. If your system lets you keep a minimum charge in reserve, set one you could evacuate on.

A flooded car is not a power source. If the vehicle was in storm surge or standing water, do not connect it to anything. NHTSA advises keeping a flood-damaged lithium-ion vehicle out of garages and at least 50 feet from structures (NHTSA). See flooded EV and charger after a storm.

Heat changes the load. In a South Florida outage, air conditioning is what people most want back, and it is also the largest load in most homes. Size expectations to what the system can actually deliver.

There are alternatives. A permanently installed standby generator with an automatic transfer switch does not depend on the car being home and charged. Our generator installation page and the post on generators and EV charging cover that route.

Questions homeowners ask

Can I plug my house into the outlet in my EV?

You can run individual appliances from the car's outlets with appropriately rated cords. You cannot safely feed the house wiring that way. Connecting to a wall receptacle can backfeed the grid and endanger line workers. Whole-house use needs a V2H system with an isolation device.

Does every EV support V2H?

No. Only vehicles listed in an automaker's program, with that program's charger and isolation equipment, can power a home. Check the automaker's current eligibility page for your model and year.

Does V2H need a permit in South Florida?

It is electrical work tied into the house wiring and service, so expect a permit and inspection. Your city's building department sets the details; see our guide to EV charger permits in South Florida.

Can KRW install the V2H kit?

The kit and its approved installation path come from the automaker's program, so start there. We can assess the panel, service and wiring side and tell you what that part of the job would involve.

For more on home charging, see the Florida Home EV Charging Guide and our EV charger installation page. KRW Electric (EC13012832) works across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Send us a photo of your panel and meter or call (305) 359-7312.

Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.