Power outage? No problem. Ford claims its F-150 EV can light up home for days

US-based carmaker Ford Motor claims its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck can play the role of power backup for homes if need be. Ford Motor says that it is the first company in US to offer the ability for customers to power their homes with an electric truck in case of power outage.

Ford has announced that it has tied up with Sunrun, one of the leading solar company in US, to offer this feature to F-150 Lightning customers. The electric pickup truck's onboard battery capability will be utilised for this purpose.

The F-150 Lightning home charging solutions include an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, which enables the F-150 Lightning to store and supply power to homes in a variety of ways. Ford says that the F-150 Lightning extended-range battery system can store 131 kilowatt-hours of energy. It can deliver up to 9.6 kilowatts of power and is a cleaner option than generators ran on fossil fuel.

Based on an average consumption of power at US homes, Ford claims the F-150 Lightning with extended-range battery can offer power backup for up to three days, or as long as 10 days when used in conjunction with solar power or rationing.

“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," said Matt Stover, Ford charging and energy services director.

“America’s energy future starts at home, and partnering with Ford illustrates a momentous shift in the way we power our lives. No longer tethered to a carbon-intensive energy system, we’ll be able to offer more paths to greater energy independence by powering homes and vehicles with the sun, while helping rapidly accelerate the transition to a clean, resilient energy future for all," said Mary Powell, CEO at Sunrun.

The F-150 Lightning automatically starts to power homes when power goes out with the Ford Intelligent Backup Power and the Home Integration System. It also reverts back once utility power is back up.

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