Automotive

Ford F-150 Lightning can seamlessly power a home for three days

Ford F-150 Lightning can seamlessly power a home for three days
The Ford F-150 Lightning with extended-range 131-kWh battery pack can power the average US home for three days in the event of an outage
The Ford F-150 Lightning with extended-range 131-kWh battery pack can power the average US home for three days in the event of an outage
View 5 Images
More than just a pickup truck in the garage, the F-150 Lightning is a backup home power source when connected with the proper hardware
1/5
More than just a pickup truck in the garage, the F-150 Lightning is a backup home power source when connected with the proper hardware
The Ford F-150 Lightning with extended-range 131-kWh battery pack can power the average US home for three days in the event of an outage
2/5
The Ford F-150 Lightning with extended-range 131-kWh battery pack can power the average US home for three days in the event of an outage
Those who want to use the Ford F-150 Lightning for backup power will need the smart charger and home integration hardware
3/5
Those who want to use the Ford F-150 Lightning for backup power will need the smart charger and home integration hardware
Ford has partnered with solar provider Sunrun for installation of its Home Integration System; Sunrun can also install solar charging at the same time to make the entire system more carbon neutral
4/5
Ford has partnered with solar provider Sunrun for installation of its Home Integration System; Sunrun can also install solar charging at the same time to make the entire system more carbon neutral
Ford compares the F-150 Lightning's Intelligent Backup Power vs Pro Power Onboard capabilities
5/5
Ford compares the F-150 Lightning's Intelligent Backup Power vs Pro Power Onboard capabilities
View gallery - 5 images

Electric vehicles are increasingly including the capability to serve as backup power sources that can be tapped into during blackouts and emergencies. But how exactly will that work at home, and how much will any given EV be able to power around the house? Ford has provided a closer look at how the upcoming F-150 Lightning's 131-kWh extended-range battery will keep the lights on in the average American home.

Ford didn't initially announce the size of the F-150 Lightning's two battery pack options when it introduced the electric pickup last May, opting instead to provide estimated range figures. It made battery capacity figures public later in 2021, revealing that the standard-range model has a 98-kWh battery and the extended-range version a 131-kWh pack. Those batteries are said to be good for an estimated 230 and 300 miles (370 and 483 km) of range, respectively.

Ford said from the get-go that the F-150 Lightning would be capable of serving as a backup power source, and now it reveals that the 131-kWh battery will be able to power the average US home for days on end. When connected via the Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, the F-150 will automatically take over powering the home if grid power goes down. Using its bidirectional charging capabilities, Ford's system will send up to 9.6 kilowatts of power into the home. When the grid goes back online, the system automatically switches the home back to electrical grid power.

More than just a pickup truck in the garage, the F-150 Lightning is a backup home power source when connected with the proper hardware
More than just a pickup truck in the garage, the F-150 Lightning is a backup home power source when connected with the proper hardware

Estimating average US household consumption at 30 kWh per day, Ford says that the Lightning can meet an average household's entire energy needs for up to three days. That 30-kWh figure jives with figures from the US Energy Information Administration, which indicates that the average US residential utility customer used 893 kWh per month in 2020, breaking down to 29.3 kWh per day during that particular leap year. Ford further clarifies that the Lightning battery can power a home for up to 10 days when combined with solar charging and/or power rationing strategies.

The US Energy Information Administration reported last year that the average American electricity customer experienced eight hours of cumulative power outage during the course of 2020, a record high. Even if that eight-hour average came during a single event, the F-150 Lightning would be able to comfortably cover it.

Those who want to use the Ford F-150 Lightning for backup power will need the smart charger and home integration hardware
Those who want to use the Ford F-150 Lightning for backup power will need the smart charger and home integration hardware

Ford has selected Silicon Valley solar provider Sunrun as its preferred Intelligent Backup Power installer. F-150 Lightning Extended Range buyers will receive the 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro automatically, and standard-range buyers can purchase it separately. When combined with the Home Integration System, developed in cooperation with Sunrun, the package adds the power inverter, dark start battery and transfer switch needed for the bidirectional power flow.

Sunrun will begin offering the Home Integration System in spring (Northern Hemisphere), around the time when the first Lightning deliveries get underway. The company will also offer solar options that can be integrated into the system at the time of installation.

In the future, Ford plans to expand bidirectional charging capability to allow F-150 Lightning owners to seamlessly charge the truck when power demand and electricity rates are low, feeding power back into the home grid during high demand. This will potentially save customers money while reducing stress on the electrical grid.

More information can be found at Ford's dedicated Intelligent Backup Power website.

Source: Ford

View gallery - 5 images
11 comments
11 comments
guzmanchinky
I'm more interested in how this could power a trailer camper with heat and a/c and fridge for a long time...
Smokey_Bear
guzman - I'd bet you'd get roughly 2 weeks living normal, obviously you could stretch that out if needed.
Robt
Very nice, but turn the situation around….
What if you’ve just plugged your almost drained battery into the charger and then the lights go out?
No power for your home and you can’t use your truck to get anywhere
Daishi
@Robt Your scenario is hypothetical because most the time when near home your battery will not be very empty (that's mostly caused by longer road trips) and in the real world most every household has multiple vehicles that could be used if one happened to be returning with low power just before the outage. Also in times like the grid power loss in the Texas cold this would protect against the kinds of power outages that are the most dangerous but you would have some early warning of incoming bad weather before the outages began. Most completely unexpected outages like single point equipment failures tend to be pretty temporary in nature and not as much risk.
meda
this would be nice if the trucks were actually not unobtainium.. i heard they will be only limited production. very limited production.
rpark
...glad to see FORD 'getting with' the future.
Uncle Anonymous
Three days later, there you are in a dark house, with a dead truck and no plan B because you believed the Ford hype.
321Pete
Right now the F-150 Lightning has more in common with Duke Nukem Forever than with EV companies like tesla.
Gamers remember that Duke Nukem Forever was vaporware for over a decade before it finally came out. I see a lot of talk about what the F-150 lightning can do, but ford can't back that up with actual production numbers of quality electric vehicles.
neutrino23
If you have solar panels on the roof you could possibly charge the truck during the day.

I'm curious if the output of the inverter will include 220VAC? Usually needed for some appliances, heaters, AC.
Mattiede
I find two informations in this article moreinteresting than the rest: 30 kWh per household! That's ten times what we consume in Central Italy. He heat and cook with naural gas, but still...
F150 needs 151 kWh to travel only 480 km, thats more than double the consumption of other electric cars. It's the gas-guzzling concept moved to electrical vehicles. Not very environmentally friendly.
Load More