After a Milwaukee band struggled with powering their outdoor show, it came up with a surprisingly practical solution.
The group decided to try to plug their sound system into one of the band members' EVs.
What happened?
When the band was setting up to perform for a 5K race along Milwaukee's lakefront to benefit shelter animals, they realized they needed some extra power.
One of the musicians suggested that they try using their 2025 Kona EV to supply electricity for the band's full stage rig using the car's vehicle-to-load function.
The car successfully helped the band for the full three-hour performance, spurring one of the members to share the story to Reddit's r/electricvehicles community.
The setup was no small load. The musician said the car handled "two tops, two subs, a mixing board, one floor wedge monitor, guitar and bass amp modelers, a digital keyboard, IEMs, wireless mic and guitar systems, plus a few other devices."
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With no electrical outlets nearby in the park, the band's main alternative was a gas generator. But they wanted to avoid the fumes and noise associated with generators, so they went with the EV instead.
The power draw ended up being lower than the poster expected. Over the three-hour performance, the battery level decreased from 60% to 57%, which works out to about 1.94 kWh being consumed in total.
One commenter said the example was inspiring, writing, "This is very helpful as just yesterday I was looking at getting a V2L adapter so that I could power my sound equipment for shows like this."
Why does it matter?
Stories about EVs often focus on range, charging, or sticker price, but some electric cars can also serve as clean, portable power sources.
For people who perform, camp, tailgate, or host outdoor events, that can eliminate the need for a separate generator altogether.
There are potential cost savings here, too. Using just 1.94 kWh means the band only has to replace a relatively small amount of electricity later, rather than buying gasoline for a dedicated generator or renting one for the event.
Even without a direct rental comparison, the post suggests that for some short events, an EV can handle the job with minimal additional energy use.
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