Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Newquay Couple Use Renault 5’s V2L to Power Home During Storm Blackout

The improvised setup consumed roughly 30% of the EV’s battery to keep essentials running.

Overview

  • A severe storm cut electricity to the couple’s Cornwall home around 7pm on January 8, prompting an overnight outage.
  • The next morning they connected an adaptor to their Renault 5 E‑Tech and fed an extension lead through the garage to supply household sockets.
  • The car powered phones, Wi‑Fi, lamps, a hairdryer, an iron and the freezer, preserving food and restoring communications.
  • The couple say the effort used about a third of the battery; the car had been fully charged the day before and bought only weeks earlier.
  • While a neighbour left due to lacking power, the pair stayed home until service returned on Saturday as the storm continued into Sunday.