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Over 1/3 of drivers surveyed say they want a household 110-volt outlet in their next car (34%, to be precise). That’s more folks than the car owners asking for rear cross traffic alerts and automatic emergency braking, or sun shades for rear passengers (which, come to think of it, would be a fantastic feature). What’s intriguing is that this is a relatively complex feature to engineer into an internal combustion car. But it is quickly becoming the norm for new EVs.

AutoPacific just published the 2024 Future Attribute Demand Study, after surveying 14k drivers to find out what automotive features they want in their next car. It found that many vehicle owners want a regular “home outlet” in their next vehicle. These can be handy while camping or on a job site.

Here’s the scoop: most internal combustion cars have 12-volt electrical systems. Converting this power to 110-volts to operate an appliance such as a laptop, requires an electricity “inverter.” You can buy an aftermarket inverter to plug into your car’s 12-volt socket. You can also buy some cars with a built-in inverter and a regular 110-volt wall outlet in the vehicle. But inverters are expensive and they can get hot, so automakers must engineer them to stay cool.

There are some legacy models updated with EV powertrains that still have an old-school inverter as part of their 12-volt system (yes, EVs have a 12-volt system in addition to the high-voltage traction battery that spins the wheels). But an increasing number of EVs offer “bidirectional charging.” This means you can draw power from the large traction battery. A vehicle like this could power serious appliances–or an entire house. In fact, owners have already used some of these vehicles to power their house when natural disasters knock out the electrical grid.

There are multiple levels of bidirectional charging. The simplest is “vehicle to load” with regular power outlets for appliances, while “vehicle to home” remains rare. But to make a long story short, here are the 2024 EV models with some version of this technology:

  • Nissan Leaf
  • Ford F-150 Lightning
  • Kia EVs
  • Hyundai EVs
  • Genesis EVs
  • Jeep Wrangler 4xe
  • GMC Evs
  • Chevrolet EVs
  • Cadillac EVs
  • Lucid Air
  • Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
  • Volkswagen ID.4
  • Tesla Cybertruck
  • Fisker Ocean

Next, see CNET’s deep dive into how bidirectional charging could change the EV market forever:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.