Can you use a 2000W inverter for powering tools?

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Interesting information on the 12 volt battery/charging.

I have a Goal Zero lithium ion battery power supply that has a built in 2000 Watt, 3500 Watt surge, inverter. It has several methods for charging including 12 volt, solar, and 120 volt. The 12 volt charging cable has a selectable 5 or 10 amp limiter. I think that would work pretty good for when the power is out.

So, it sounds like the DC-DC on-board charger is only active when the car is "on". Does the car turn itself off after a certain period of inactivity?
 
Interesting information on the 12 volt battery/charging.

I have a Goal Zero lithium ion battery power supply that has a built in 2000 Watt, 3500 Watt surge, inverter. It has several methods for charging including 12 volt, solar, and 120 volt. The 12 volt charging cable has a selectable 5 or 10 amp limiter. I think that would work pretty good for when the power is out.

So, it sounds like the DC-DC on-board charger is only active when the car is "on". Does the car turn itself off after a certain period of inactivity?
The Leaf can remain "in drive mode" until the traction battery reaches shutdown voltage, so literal days or weeks depending on your battery size and load. I can confirm at least with my own testing, the 2013 Leaf and the 2020 Leaf can remain on basically forever as long as it has power. The 12V system can also provide up to 2000 watts of power on a continual basis without any issues as long as your cooling pumps are working and you have the proper amount of coolant in the system. The safe maximum power draw from the 12V system is +1700 watts (accounting for inverter loses, that limits you to a 1500 watt inverter).

I've used both my 2013 and 2020 Leaf as "generators" for days without any issues. My 2020 Leaf was used a full (2) days straight during one power outage with the inverter running at max the entire time. Luckily, my Leaf was fully charged when it happened as I don't usually have it sitting at 100% SOC that often except for long trips, which is was for that event, just sheer luck.

During the power outage, I used my Leaf to power the Fridge to keep food from spoiling, Microwave to cook meals, Internet, Home Entertainment system (watch TV and movies) and most of the Home lights and my home AC system in a very limited fashion. It wasn't enough to run a clothes dryer or hot water heater, but having the basics (water is gravity powered, so no issues with that) was enough to keep my family comfortable while my neighbors were not so lucky. It's rare to have the power out so long in my area, the natural disaster that caused it required some major work to fix. 😥

I do remember that once power was fully restored, my Leaf still had about 12% SOC. 😄
 
On my older 2012 Leaf i could draw 75 amps at around 750wattts no issues i had a 3000w 12 inverter connected up to the car 12v but remember car has to be in ready mode, also the dc dc is capable of max 1800w the car on ready idle use around 200w ish if you exceed 1800w the car will turn off.
 
Interesting information on the 12 volt battery/charging.

I have a Goal Zero lithium ion battery power supply that has a built in 2000 Watt, 3500 Watt surge, inverter. It has several methods for charging including 12 volt, solar, and 120 volt. The 12 volt charging cable has a selectable 5 or 10 amp limiter. I think that would work pretty good for when the power is out.

So, it sounds like the DC-DC on-board charger is only active when the car is "on". Does the car turn itself off after a certain period of inactivity?
Hi No car will remain on as long as the traction battery has power.
 
I would wire the additional deep-cycle battery. It’s super easy. You can get a 100aH marine battery from walmart for $89.

Here’s how I’d suggest wiring/packaging it:

1 - wire an Anderson SB175 connector with 1/0 wire directly to the small battery terminals using the shortest run that puts the connector where you can reach it.

2 - wire your inverter directly to the marine battery with 2/0 or better, and physically attach the inverter to the battery so you can carry them with the battery handle.

3 - also wire a SB175 directly to the battery with 1/0 wire of a length that lets you sit the battery/inverter combo comfortably somewhere that it’ll reach the Leaf battery’s SB175.

That way, the battery/inverter combo is self-contained, stored at home or in your trunk when not in use, and it’s easy to just plug it in when you get there. It’ll also be useful separate from the Leaf too.

Adjust the lengths of the leads accordingly to where you want the combo to sit.

Additional note, make sure you still have enough charge to drive home 😉

Bonus points: add an extra SB50 or XT60, buy a cheap solar controller (~$4 on AliExpress) and a cheap 20v Voc solar panel on craigslist, and then you’ll have something to help keep it charged!

edit: you could probably get away with SB50 all around if your usage is sporadic (like running a chop saw for a few minutes at a time). The connector will handle it (125A) but the max wire gauge is 6AWG. I use those on my secondary 5kw inverter at home, but it’s at 48v so it’s a similar amount of current to 1.2kw@12v.
Old solar inverter repurposed is what I use to directly invert from high DC traction battery voltage to 100/200vac here in Japan. Why f.,# around with 12 volt inverters and lead acid battery such a large loss of energy and wast of time with that way of thinking. I also have 5,500watts of grunt on tap that can run my whole house.......
 
Old solar inverter repurposed is what I use to directly invert from high DC traction battery voltage to 100/200vac here in Japan. Why f.,# around with 12 volt inverters and lead acid battery such a large loss of energy and wast of time with that way of thinking. I also have 5,500watts of grunt on tap that can run my whole house.......
where did you tap in? I have several 5kw solar hybrid inverters (and 240/120 center tap transformers for split phase) sitting around waiting to do this. in fact, I just bought another 6.2kw for $300 on aliexpress yesterday
(https://a.aliexpress.com/_mO57itq)
I plan to do it with my tesla too.

any issues with startup or the fact that the battery can provide way more current than a solar panel?

and ps. messing with tapping the 400v is considerably more involved than just busting out some alligator clips and popping the hood, even if it is the way more efficient and powerful approach
 
The Leaf can remain "in drive mode" until the traction battery reaches shutdown voltage, so literal days or weeks depending on your battery size and load. I can confirm at least with my own testing, the 2013 Leaf and the 2020 Leaf can remain on basically forever as long as it has power. The 12V system can also provide up to 2000 watts of power on a continual basis without any issues as long as your cooling pumps are working and you have the proper amount of coolant in the system. The safe maximum power draw from the 12V system is +1700 watts (accounting for inverter loses, that limits you to a 1500 watt inverter).

I've used both my 2013 and 2020 Leaf as "generators" for days without any issues. My 2020 Leaf was used a full (2) days straight during one power outage with the inverter running at max the entire time. Luckily, my Leaf was fully charged when it happened as I don't usually have it sitting at 100% SOC that often except for long trips, which is was for that event, just sheer luck.

During the power outage, I used my Leaf to power the Fridge to keep food from spoiling, Microwave to cook meals, Internet, Home Entertainment system (watch TV and movies) and most of the Home lights and my home AC system in a very limited fashion. It wasn't enough to run a clothes dryer or hot water heater, but having the basics (water is gravity powered, so no issues with that) was enough to keep my family comfortable while my neighbors were not so lucky. It's rare to have the power out so long in my area, the natural disaster that caused it required some major work to fix. 😥

I do remember that once power was fully restored, my Leaf still had about 12% SOC. 😄
I have a 24DC Volt 800 AMP Hour AGM storage battery that runs 10,00 watts of Inverter power for my essential things. It is charged by my Solar system or Grid power and if the power is off from the grid for too long (it has happened) during an outage my inverters will shut down and I cannot run my Fridge, water pump, sump pumps and Freezer. So I was considering installing a 12 Volt DC to 24 Volt DC (Plugged into my Leaf or any Other car battery) converter to charge my 800 A/H storage Battery during a Emergency. Is this a good Idea?
 
where did you tap in? I have several 5kw solar hybrid inverters (and 240/120 center tap transformers for split phase) sitting around waiting to do this. in fact, I just bought another 6.2kw for $300 on aliexpress yesterday
(https://a.aliexpress.com/_mO57itq)
I plan to do it with my tesla too.

any issues with startup or the fact that the battery can provide way more current than a solar panel?

and ps. messing with tapping the 400v is considerably more involved than just busting out some alligator clips and popping the hood, even if it is the way more efficient and powerful approach
No not involved or difficult..........Watch this first.......then decide.



Real simple to do if you have the ability and know how. below are 2 pics, the 2 connection points are under the 2, 6 mm nuts on the "delivery side" of the battery contactors, When the car is in ready mode this will allow the contactors to switch on & the fail safe system to observe the wire to your inverter where ever it may be situated. Meaning the system will detect any HV leakage in the wire to inverter or your bad workmanship. The 2nd pic shows an in line fuse the type that should be used on/or both contactors to your external wire. I use 30 amp fuses + double insulated 500 volt 40 amp rating flexible cable it's OD is 12 mm through a tight fitting grommet close to the center of the battery near the HV dis connect. Note the professional crimping on the red cable attached to the fuse, your workmanship should = this too minimum.
The wire is then securely connected to a "DC" 20 amp breaker on the side of the inverter with NO wire hairs flopping round loose. Don't forget to check polarity or your inverter is toast, the car will operate until low system voltage is detected and then switch off. NO stress on the cars other systems
either. The dc to dc converter is worth way more than a cheap ass Alibaba express inverter.
I am fitting out my 62nd leaf today with this system.
Good Luck,
PS: not up to speed on Tesla voltage, I herd it was going up to 800 or something like that, let me know.
No issues with start up, The inverter will only draw what the a/c loads require.
 

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I have a 24DC Volt 800 AMP Hour AGM storage battery that runs 10,00 watts of Inverter power for my essential things. It is charged by my Solar system or Grid power and if the power is off from the grid for too long (it has happened) during an outage my inverters will shut down and I cannot run my Fridge, water pump, sump pumps and Freezer. So I was considering installing a 12 Volt DC to 24 Volt DC (Plugged into my Leaf or any Other car battery) converter to charge my 800 A/H storage Battery during a Emergency. Is this a good Idea?
Hi Tony,
Don't recommend it, if you over task the Dc to Dc converter it maybe very expensive, the only truly correct and safe way is as I have outlined above. I am sure you miss typed the wattage, you are talking about 1,000 watts not 10,000...??? Doing what you are suggesting...... Read Ohms Law first you will soon see what I am talking about. Your amperage draw charging a flat 24 volt battery would be off the charts.
 
I have a 24DC Volt 800 AMP Hour AGM storage battery that runs 10,00 watts of Inverter power for my essential things. It is charged by my Solar system or Grid power and if the power is off from the grid for too long (it has happened) during an outage my inverters will shut down and I cannot run my Fridge, water pump, sump pumps and Freezer. So I was considering installing a 12 Volt DC to 24 Volt DC (Plugged into my Leaf or any Other car battery) converter to charge my 800 A/H storage Battery during a Emergency. Is this a good Idea?
It would depend on the limits of this booster converter. The amount of wattage you plan to draw is the most important part. If you plan on maxing it, you would be limited to a safe "1500" watts of power, so given a "perfect" boost converter, the most you could feed into your battery would be (1500 / 24 = ) 62.5 amps. That would need more than some clamps on the battery terminals, you'll have to hard wire up a system like I did. Probably would want to put in a high powered Anderson quick connect to make it safe and portable. It would require some very beefy cables to do this if the run is longer than a few feet. The 24V cable would be better to run long than trying to run a long 12V cable as the wire size would be so huge and expensive (so would the 24V cable, but at least half the cost).

I get the idea, trying to make it as efficient as possible, but it seems you might be better off just running a powerful 12V to 120V AC inverter at the Leaf and using an automatic transfer switch in your home that can shift between power from your solar battery and from the Leaf. Of course that is a lot of ask, depending on how your system is setup, so I see the wisdom of just feeding the battery, which is already tied into a working system makes more sense. Plus, the battery can "store" the extra power it extracts from the Leaf, which helps the life of the AGM battery and gives you a buffer time should you need to drive the Leaf off to get it charged up for example, to bring more power back to you. I think then, maybe your 12V to 24V connection might be simpler and more practical, but might also be more expensive. :unsure:
 

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Nah.....you are away with the ferries in the clouds mate.
look up the limits of the dc to dc converter 2 start with............before you do the math and post.
May save a lot of viewers a lot of money and heart ache.
 
The limit is 2000 watts. The Leaf needs at least 300 watts to sit around idle in park (with nothing else running). That puts the safe extraction value at around 1500 watts (to account for efficiency loses). I've had it extract that much power for literal days at a time, so there is nothing for anyone to be afraid of as long as proper precautions are put into place.

I agree that you would not just use battery clamps and run that much power for days, that's why I use a hard wired system and why I always make sure to mention that. ;)

I've been doing this since 2015 with the Gen 1 Leaf and Gen 2 Leaf more recently, my math and electrical knowledge is solid. :)

Anyone who claims otherwise is more than free to look over my old post from the last decade where I document this and submit their own counter-evidence if they like. :unsure:
 
It would depend on the limits of this booster converter. The amount of wattage you plan to draw is the most important part. If you plan on maxing it, you would be limited to a safe "1500" watts of power, so given a "perfect" boost converter, the most you could feed into your battery would be (1500 / 24 = ) 62.5 amps. That would need more than some clamps on the battery terminals, you'll have to hard wire up a system like I did. Probably would want to put in a high powered Anderson quick connect to make it safe and portable. It would require some very beefy cables to do this if the run is longer than a few feet. The 24V cable would be better to run long than trying to run a long 12V cable as the wire size would be so huge and expensive (so would the 24V cable, but at least half the cost).

I get the idea, trying to make it as efficient as possible, but it seems you might be better off just running a powerful 12V to 120V AC inverter at the Leaf and using an automatic transfer switch in your home that can shift between power from your solar battery and from the Leaf. Of course that is a lot of ask, depending on how your system is setup, so I see the wisdom of just feeding the battery, which is already tied into a working system makes more sense. Plus, the battery can "store" the extra power it extracts from the Leaf, which helps the life of the AGM battery and gives you a buffer time should you need to drive the Leaf off to get it charged up for example, to bring more power back to you. I think then, maybe your 12V to 24V connection might be simpler and more practical, but might also be more expensive. :unsure:
 
I have considered installing a anderson plug on both my cars 12 volt batteries (one is a I.C.E engine) then wire them in series and hook them to the 24 volt 800 amp hour battery so the car batteries would help charge or be charged depending on the situation.
 
I have considered installing a anderson plug on both my cars 12 volt batteries (one is a I.C.E engine) then wire them in series and hook them to the 24 volt 800 amp hour battery so the car batteries would help charge or be charged depending on the situation.
 
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