The specialized media Electrek has discovered that the Tesla Model 3 (and probably also the Model Y) is ready for bi-directional charging. This fact has been revealed by Marco Gaxiola, an electrical engineer who participated in the cutting of a Model 3 for a competing manufacturer.
“What I learned on reverse-engineering the Model 3 charger, was that the design is fully bidirectional. This means power can be converted from AC to DC the same way as the previous example, but also power can flow in a reverse direction, coming from the battery and ending up on the AC side. This is known as DC to AC inverter, and when this technology is present in a vehicle, it is known as V2G (Vehicle to Grid).
To complement this, the bidirectional design is replicated three times across the same PCB on the Model 3 charger. Another example of a redundant design that assures a working process even if one of the circuits fails. Additionally, it is 3 phase design so that it can be used worldwide.”
According to Gaxiola, bi-directional charging could be enabled in the future using a software update via OTA.
At the time, Elon Musk expressed concern about the potential premature degradation of batteries from bi-directional charging. However, it is possible that with the arrival of new chemicals in the sector (Tesla itself is preparing cells with an estimated useful life of 1.6 million kilometers), the executive has finally decided to give this technology a boost.
V2G technology on paper will strengthen the electricity grid since electric cars will pour energy into the grid at times of peak demand, in low demand they will be charged. The main advantage of Tesla compared to other proposals will be that it will not require any external inverter since it is already integrated into the vehicle’s own charger.