FranklinWH aPower V2L and Pro Power Success!

[tearitupsports]

Thanks for that reply. I actually work for an electrical contractor, and we specialize in backup power systems - Several ESS battery manufacturers as well as Generac install and service. I have had several customers approach me about how to use the Lightning to extend their batteries in certain situations. This is a very helpful thread.

I definitely think you are on the right track. I think the best system for people right now is a smaller home battery (15-20 kWh), a small solar system (5+ kW), a bi-directional charger for the EV, and a small generator to have for emergency. Right now almost everyone is pushed to have a large version of one of these, but the new systems make it super easy to have a much lower cost mix.
Currently the Franklin, Sigenergy (Pointguard), and Sol Ark are all capable of this I believe. EG4 and Ecoflow have systems that are pretty close, but don't have quite all the features yet.

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[doggod]

I plug the 240 volt plug from Lightning and Cybertruck into my EG4 inverter to charge house batteries when we have bad weather in winter and get no sun. works awesome. had to get an adapter for cybertruck as I got lightning first so I bought extension cord for it.

 

[MapleMan650]

Hey everyone, I've attached the White Paper from FranklinWH to my original post. Here are some highlights from the document.

They acknowledge the grounding issue and state that ground wire does need to be disconnected.

For the Ford F150, the NEMA 14 plug connecting to the F150 will need to have its ground wire disconnected. If it remains connected, the truck’s electrical system will show a ground fault error.​

​

Please note that the above-mentioned set-up does not require any additional hardware from the EV manufacturer and should only be used during an extended outage when other system generation sources (PV, Stationary/Mobile Generator) are not available or adequate to serve consumer demand. Also note that grounding at the truck needs to be removed to prevent any ground fault errors.​

The EV with V2L functionality behaves as a portable generator on wheels with the primary goal of feeding the home loads and using any excess capacity to charge the aPowers. For faster aPower charging, keep home loads under 1 kW.

Does FranklinWH support V2H as well? No, it’s important to note that the FranklinWH system supports V2L only and does not currently support V2H bi-directional charging. However, it is on the product roadmap of FranklinWH to support V2H. The aGate’s robust 280 A busbar and Energy Management System has the capability to manage many power sources including bidirectional charger.

 

[MapleMan650]

Also, I just received this from their engineering team when I asked them about the configuration.

Regarding your question about grounding: your approach of removing the ground connection between the truck and your generator inlet is consistent with the guidance in our Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) white paper, and it’s the right step to avoid GFCI tripping.
From an electrical theory standpoint, a system does not always require a separate grounding connection. For example, older 3-wire dryer hookups used the neutral as both the grounded conductor and the equipment bond without requiring a separate equipment ground. Similarly, when a generator is not considered a separately derived system (as defined in NEC Article 100), and the neutral is not switched between the generator and the main service, it does not require its own grounding electrode. In those cases, bonding and grounding are maintained through the service equipment in accordance with NEC 250.30 and 250.24(A)(5).
In your FranklinWH + Lightning setup, the truck is not operating as a separately derived system. By removing the extra ground connection, you’re preventing parallel grounding paths that can confuse protective devices such as GFCIs. The FranklinWH V2L white paper addresses this directly: when the vehicle connects, the grounding and bonding reference remains at your home’s service equipment, not in the truck. This keeps the system in alignment with NEC 702.11 and 250.6, ensuring safe operation without objectionable current paths.
So, to address your concern, removing the ground wire in this context is not unsafe. In fact, it prevents ground loop issues, avoids nuisance GFCI tripping, and ensures the system behaves as intended. The FranklinWH system is designed with CTs, relays, and intelligent controls to manage power flow safely, and the proper grounding path remains established through your service equipment.
We truly appreciate your attention to detail and your focus on safety. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out, we’re happy to clarify.

 

[doggod]

I do not have this problem as my inverter has a setting for this.

 

[v2h8484]

Also, I just received this from their engineering team when I asked them about the configuration.

Regarding your question about grounding: your approach of removing the ground connection between the truck and your generator inlet is consistent with the guidance in our Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) white paper, and it’s the right step to avoid GFCI tripping.
From an electrical theory standpoint, a system does not always require a separate grounding connection. For example, older 3-wire dryer hookups used the neutral as both the grounded conductor and the equipment bond without requiring a separate equipment ground. Similarly, when a generator is not considered a separately derived system (as defined in NEC Article 100), and the neutral is not switched between the generator and the main service, it does not require its own grounding electrode. In those cases, bonding and grounding are maintained through the service equipment in accordance with NEC 250.30 and 250.24(A)(5).
In your FranklinWH + Lightning setup, the truck is not operating as a separately derived system. By removing the extra ground connection, you’re preventing parallel grounding paths that can confuse protective devices such as GFCIs. The FranklinWH V2L white paper addresses this directly: when the vehicle connects, the grounding and bonding reference remains at your home’s service equipment, not in the truck. This keeps the system in alignment with NEC 702.11 and 250.6, ensuring safe operation without objectionable current paths.
So, to address your concern, removing the ground wire in this context is not unsafe. In fact, it prevents ground loop issues, avoids nuisance GFCI tripping, and ensures the system behaves as intended. The FranklinWH system is designed with CTs, relays, and intelligent controls to manage power flow safely, and the proper grounding path remains established through your service equipment.
We truly appreciate your attention to detail and your focus on safety. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out, we’re happy to clarify.

What they told you is misleading and wrong. There is no exception in code for generators that connect to house wiring to be ungrounded. It doesn't matter if the generator is a SDS or not. It also doesn't matter if the generator has GFCI or not. Given the number of code sections they referenced it seems they have some code knowledge. So, it's rather suspicious that they conveniently left out NEC 250.20 and 250.21 that clearly state grounding requirements and exceptions.

I am glad you like your system but I would not trust the company for code compliance.

 

[Maquis]

What they told you is misleading and wrong. There is no exception in code for generators that connect to house wiring to be ungrounded. It doesn't matter if the generator is a SDS or not. It also doesn't matter if the generator has GFCI or not. Given the number of code sections they referenced it seems they have some code knowledge. So, it's rather suspicious that they conveniently left out NEC 250.20 and 250.21 that clearly state grounding requirements and exceptions.

I am glad you like your system but I would trust the company for code compliance.

I agree with you - not having an EGC to the truck is technically a code violation.

But the way it’s implemented, it’s not unsafe.

 

[v2h8484]

I agree and my position has always been that code compliance does not necessarily mean safe and vice versa. However, I do want to call out misleading/wrong info especially from companies that can make people think something is code compliant when it's not.

 

[MapleMan650]

Thank you @v2h8484 and @Maquis. I am not an electrician or electrical engineer and only know enough to be dangerous. I am happy to hear that you both believe the setup is safe even though it may be against code. This setup will be rarely used so I'm comfortable with a safe, non-code compliant solution. @v2h8484, I sent your reply to the engineering team to see what they say. I also gave them a link to this thread to see if they can jump on directly.

 

[RLXXI]

I plug the 240 volt plug from Lightning and Cybertruck into my EG4 inverter to charge house batteries when we have bad weather in winter and get no sun. works awesome. had to get an adapter for cybertruck as I got lightning first so I bought extension cord for it.

Using the generator connection inside the eg4?

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