Ford and PG&E partner to test electric truck as power source for houses

Ford Motor Company and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) collaborate to explore how Ford’s new F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck can provide backup power for customers’ houses in the California utility’s service area.

Earlier this week, PG&E announced it would work with General Motors on a similar pilot that involves testing bidirectional charging capabilities to transfer electricity from the grid to the EV’s battery and back in case of an electrical outage. Last year, the utility company had to cut off electricity from thousands of homes and businesses to prevent power lines from kindling wildfires during high-risk weather conditions. Therefore, the energy firm is partnering with automakers to find ways to reduce stress on its grid.

Ford Motor Co. announced plans to build the F-150 Lightning with bidirectional charging functionality in May 2021. The EV pickup’s 9.6 kW of Intelligent Backup Power, an onboard generator that’s making its debut in the F-150 Lightning, can provide nearly ten days of power backup to houses during an outage, depending on home usage, says PG&E. However, Ford Motor Co. has previously said it could provide full-home power backup for nearly three days on a full charge.

Through the initial deployment with a limited number of customers’ homes, PG&E aims to study Ford’s technology and learn how it connects to the electric grid and supports customer resiliency during electric grid outages.