Mitsubishi unveils technology to power home electric car

Car manufacturer Mitsubishi has developed an energy system with which an electric car supplies a home with power or vice versa. The so-called Dendo Drive House, presented on Wednesday at the Geneva Motor Show, will be launched later this year.

The Dendo Drive House or DDH is a package consisting of solar panels, a battery that is installed in the house and a bidirectional charger. That charger allows the power to flow from the house to the electric car or from the car to the house, depending on where the energy is needed most or what is the cheapest solution at the time. According to The Verge, several electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models will support DDH technology, including the existing Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the new Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer, also presented at the Geneva show.

Various scenarios are conceivable in which it is useful for an electric car to supply the home with power. In the event of a power failure in the network, for example, the car ensures that all equipment in the home continues to work. There is also an economic advantage, according to Mitsubishi. For example, it may be more financially beneficial to charge the vehicle at night during the off-peak rate and to use the car during the day to provide the home with energy. The condition is, however, that you do not need the vehicle during the day.

Mitsubishi’s solution is not unique. The original Tesla Roadster contained a similar energy system, which was removed in later models. In a tweet from last summer CEO Elon Musk let slip that the company may someday return to that decision.