Ford F-150 Lightning can power your home for three days
Ford's first electric F-150 pick-up can transform into a home power generatorFord F-150 Lightning buyers will have the added option of being able to use their full-size pick-up to power their homes during a power blackout for up to three days when North American sales start in the coming months.
When deliveries of the battery-powered Ford F-150 Lightning commence in the second quarter of 2022, Ford says that if buyers upgrade to the larger battery pack it will throw in its new Ford Intelligent Backup Power feature.
Developed in partnership with solar panel provider Sunrun, the new tech effectively turns the battery-powered F-150, annual production of which will be soon be doubled to 150,000, into a power bank that harnesses the energy of its huge 131kWh battery pack to supply up to 9.6kW of power.
The same tech can deliver up to 30kWh per day – enough, Ford claims, to provide the average American home with power for up to three full days.
The catch with the brand-new tech, which could supply electricity to a home in the event of a power outage following a storm, cyclone, earthquake or heavy snow fall, is that it requires the dwelling in question to be installed with Sunrun's Home Integration System before the truck can be plugged in.
The Sunrun pre-install adds the necessary power inverter and 'dark start battery' transfer switch to enable two-way power flow.
Sunrun will happily also add solar panels to a home if required, for an extra cost.
When it's not battling with the aftermath of a natural disaster or climate calamity, Ford says the system can also take the pressure off the power grid during peak usage times to prevent 'brown-outs' when the electrical infrastructure runs out of capacity.
Ford hopes that, in return, electricity suppliers will reward owners of the F-150 Lightning, the trades-oriented Pro version of which can also supply power tools, with lower energy bills.
Commenting on the innovation, Ford's charging and energy services boss Matt Stover said:
"F-150 Lightning brings new innovations to customers, including the ability to power their homes when they need it most.
"Teaming up with Sunrun leverages their expertise to bring solar power to even more customers, giving them the chance to turn their truck into an incredible energy storage source – and future truck features can help accelerate the development of a less carbon-intensive grid."
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