Toyota’s new battery technology is enough to power an entire household

As the car world moves toward electrification, automakers are increasingly focusing on developing batteries and energy storage systems. Previously, Tesla offered home battery systems, and now Toyota is also entering the fray with its new battery system.

Toyota’s O-Uchi Kyuden system in Japan is designed to support household electricity use both in normal and emergency conditions. The 8.7 kWh battery can provide electricity for the whole house during a power outage, and can store excess electricity generated by solar panels. The battery system can also connect to hybrid, plug-in hybrid, electric or fuel cell vehicles to supplement it. This is similar to what Ford has built with the F-150 Lightning and F-150 PowerBoost electric pickups.

Owners can help power their homes using the electric vehicle itself, which is connected to a battery system. Theoretically, car owners could charge their new Toyota bZ4X with Toyota’s home battery system and then use the vehicle to power the system back on in an emergency.

It should be noted that the Japanese power grid and the rules surrounding its use are different from elsewhere, so existing configurations of the system cannot yet accommodate specific conditions. It should also be said that most of Toyota’s literature on battery systems assumes that most people have solar panels. They are not required to use a battery system, but it is clear that Toyota believes that solar energy helps batteries bring the best economic benefits.

The new battery form of the Japanese automaker has four available usage modes to change the operation of the battery system. Normal mode stores electricity during off-peak times, such as during the day, when electricity is cheapest. If a user has a solar panel, it reduces the load on that system and can help feed power back to the main grid. Power saving mode allows power consumption at night, after the battery has been charged for a low cost period. Smart mode charges the battery with electricity at midnight and again during the day using solar panels. Storage mode focuses on retaining power in the event of an emergency.