Ford Motor Co is Partnering with Solar Company Sunrun so the Electric F-150 Lightning Can Power Homes During Outages

author: FutureCar Staff    

Having an electric vehicle parked in your garage with a fully-charged battery won't do much good in the event of a power outage, unless the vehicle's battery pack can be harnessed to provide emergency power when needed. 

Now a new partnership with solar company Sunrun and Ford Motor Co will allow Ford F-150 Lightning owners to use their truck's substantial battery reserves as a home's emergency power source, keeping vital necessities up and running, such as lights, heating and air conditioning systems and refrigerators.

Homeowners will be able to use their F-150 Lightning truck to maintain their routines during brief or extended outages.  

San Francisco-based Sunrun was founded in 2007 and  is a provider of residential solar panels and home batteries. The company is the preferred installer of the F-150 Lightning home charging solutions, including Ford's optional 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, which enables the electric F-150 Lightning to store and supply power to homes in a variety of ways. 

Sunrun will also offer home solar options to customers in select areas who are interested in leveraging more renewable energy.

The F-150 Lightning extended-range battery system can store 131 kWh of energy and deliver up to 9.6 kilowatts of power without using a noisy and polluting gas-powered generator like many homeowners use when the power goes out. Ford says that the battery offers even greater capacity than many wall battery storage units.

With Ford's Intelligent Backup Power Home Integration System installed, the F-150 Lightning automatically switches on to power a home during an outage, Once power is restored, the system automatically reverts back to utility power from the grid. 

An average home in the U.S. uses around 30 kilowatt-hours of power each day, so the F-150 Lightning equipped with the 131 kWh optional extended-range battery can power an entire home for up to three days, or as long as ten days when used in conjunction with solar power or rationing, according to Ford.

To use Ford's Intelligent Backup Power will need to install the Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, which is composed of a power inverter plus a dark start battery and transfer switch, enabling two-way power flow. 

Customers that purchase an extended-range F-150 Lightning automatically receive the Ford Charge Station Pro. Standard-range 150-Lightning customers can purchase the 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and pay for activation separately. 

Ford will introduce additional F-150 Lightning features in the future to help customers save money and take pressure off the electric grid during peak usage. For example, Ford Intelligent Power will allow customers to power their homes with their truck's battery when electricity rates are higher, while charging the truck when rates are lower.

As part of the partnership, Sunrun experts will install the charging hardware. In addition, customers interested in combining Ford Charge Station Pro installation with solar power may be eligible for incentives, such as zero dollars down and reduced installation pricing. However, the actual price will depend on the home's existing electrical infrastructure and unique electrical needs.   

Ford's Home Integration System will be available for purchase this spring.

FutureCar Staff