The pickup truck sitting in your driveway may soon do more than haul lumber, tow a trailer and consume an impressive portion of your paycheck.

Certain Ford F-150 models can now be connected directly to a home’s electrical system, allowing the truck to supply emergency power during a blackout.

The technology is available for Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning and F-150 PowerBoost hybrid pickups equipped with the company’s Pro Power Onboard system. Instead of purchasing a separate generator, compatible truck owners can use the power source they already own—and possibly keep their refrigerator, furnace, lights and other essential equipment operating for several days.

Ford recently demonstrated the system in Southgate, Michigan.

The setup begins with a roughly one-foot-long adapter that plugs into the truck’s onboard 240-volt outlet. That adapter connects to a longer power cable running to a professionally installed transfer switch attached near the home’s electrical meter.

Once connected, the homeowner can select which circuits in the breaker box should receive electricity from the truck. That means owners can prioritize necessities such as refrigeration, heat, a sump pump, medical equipment or a few lights instead of attempting to operate every television, hair dryer and inflatable hot tub in the house simultaneously.

The transfer switch is especially important because it separates the house from the utility grid while the truck is providing electricity. Without that protection, power could flow backward onto utility lines and endanger workers attempting to restore service.

This is not a case of attaching an extension cord to the truck, running it through a window and hoping for the best. The connection to the home requires professional installation.

Ford estimates that a fully charged F-150 Lightning could supply selected household equipment for approximately two to three days, depending on the amount of electricity being consumed.

The PowerBoost hybrid could reportedly provide backup power for as long as five days on one tank of gasoline. Because it carries its own gasoline engine, the hybrid can continue generating electricity as long as the owner can find fuel.

Ford says the basic system begins at approximately $1,100, although installation costs can vary depending on the home, utility company and local electrical requirements. That could make it less expensive than purchasing and installing a conventional whole-house standby generator, which can cost several thousand dollars.

Approximately 200,000 Ford trucks are currently compatible with the new arrangement.

The simpler system is designed specifically for emergency outages. Ford also offers a more elaborate Home Integration System capable of moving electricity in both directions—charging the vehicle from the house and sending stored battery power from the vehicle back into the home. Eventually, similar technology may allow participating vehicles to supply electricity to the utility grid during periods of unusually high demand.

Ford is not alone in treating vehicles as giant mobile batteries.

General Motors, Kia and Tesla are developing or selling their own vehicle-to-home systems. Tesla’s Cybertruck offers whole-home backup capability with additional equipment, while some other Tesla models can directly operate individual appliances and devices. GM has also introduced systems that can automatically detect a blackout, disconnect a properly equipped home from the grid and begin drawing power from a compatible electric vehicle.

The idea has gained momentum as electrical demand increases and storms, extreme temperatures and aging equipment continue placing pressure on the country’s power grid.

It also gives automakers another selling point for electric and hybrid vehicles. Even people who remain unconvinced about abandoning gasoline may see an advantage in owning a truck capable of keeping the freezer cold and the furnace running when the neighborhood goes dark.

There are still limitations. The necessary equipment must meet electrical safety standards, installation may require approval from the local utility company, and homeowners must understand how much power their truck can safely deliver.

Running a refrigerator and several lights is very different from simultaneously operating central air conditioning, an electric water heater, an oven and every appliance in the house.

But for owners of compatible F-150s, the enormous machine parked in the driveway may now be more than transportation.

The next time the lights go out, the family generator could already be sitting outside—possibly with a bag of mulch still in the bed.

Source: Associated Press

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