Extreme weather fuelled by climate change is putting increasing strain on power supplies across Europe. Heatwaves are spiking demand for cooling, high temperatures are causing grid inefficiencies and failures, and storms and wildfires are damaging electrical infrastructure.
As these events grow more frequent and intense, households are increasingly looking at how to prepare for the next crisis – including securing backup power of their own.
For electric vehicle owners, the solution could already be sitting in the driveway.
A growing number of car models can now be plugged directly into a home's electricity meter, powering key appliances during an outage. And the technology doesn't stop at backup: some vehicles can send power the other way too, feeding electricity back into the grid and earning their owners money.
It's part of a growing trend: automakers are expanding their multibillion-euro electrification investments into home and grid energy services, not just cars.
