The Nissan RE-LEAF Concept Is A Working Emergency Response Vehicle

The Concept is designed to be a mobile power supply.
The 62-kWh LEAF has enough energy to power an average European house for up to 6 days.
In Japan, the LEAF has served as an emergency response vehicle since 2011.

The ability of an electric vehicle to be used as an actual power source is not quite well known in North America. In Japan, for example, the possibility of depending on an EV to power accessories in times of need is a well-established practice. In fact, the Nissan LEAF has served as an emergency power source following natural disasters since 2011. The RE-LEAF, a working prototype, was created to show the car’s potential.

The RE-LEAF was modified in order to navigate roads covered in debris, however, and unfortunately, Nissan does not fully elaborate on the upgrades other than mentioning its raised ride height, underfloor protection, and off-road tire. The car is equipped like a mobile command center with a pull-out desk and monitor, and extra storage in the second row.

What they do say is that the car has weatherproof plug sockets mounted on the exterior of the vehicle to power 110- to 230-volt devices. A fully-charged RE-LEAF holds enough energy to power the following:

Electric jackhammer – 24 hours – 36 kWh
Pressure ventilation fan – 24 hours – 21.6 kWh
10-liter soup kettle – 24 hours – 9.6 kWh
Intensive care medical ventilator – 24 hours – 3 kWh
100-watt LED floodlight – 24 hours – 2.4 kWh

“We’re constantly exploring ways that electric vehicles can enrich our lives, beyond just zero-emission transportation,” said Helen Perry, head of electric passenger cars and infrastructure for Nissan in Europe. “Concepts like the RE-LEAF show the possible application of EVs in disaster management and demonstrate that smarter, cleaner technology can help save lives and provide greater resilience.”

Although the Nissan RE-LEAF is just a concept, the reality is that an EV equipped with bidirectional charging ability, a standard feature of the model since its introduction in 2010, it can “push” electricity back to the grid through V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) technology, or directly to electric devices through V2X (Vehicle-to-everything).