In an exciting new power development, Ford Motor Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) have collaborated to test whether the new F-150 Lightning electric truck can prove to be a back-up power source for customer’s homes in California.
Earlier, Pacific Gas and Electric Co had announced that it will collaborate with General Motors to test bidirectional charging to send electricity from the grid to an electric vehicle’s battery, and vice versa. Last year, PG&E was forced to cut off electricity to thousands of businesses and homes to prevent power lines from starting wildfires in high-risk conditions. This move prompted PG&E to explore alternate ways of providing power to customers, thereby reducing stress on the grid.
PG&E CEO, Patti Poppe stated that the industry was now seeing opportunities at the intersection of the energy and transportation industries. The CEO also said that as new charging technology for EV’s become available, it would be critical to understand how EV’s can interact with the power grid and provide a benefit to customers.
In mid-2021, Ford Motor Company had announced that it would build the 150 Lightning with bidirectional charging capabilities. The on-board generator of the Lightning can generate up to 9.6 Kilowatts, enough to provide up to ten days of back-up power for an average home, depending on power usage. Earlier, Ford had said that the Lightning could provide up to three days of full-home power on a single, full charge.
Drive home the power!
Intelligent Backup Power, exclusive to Ford, automatically begins to provide electricity to the home, if the Lightning is plugged in during the time of the outage, and switches back to charging mode when the power returns. Ford Lightning will be supported by solar, battery and energy services provider Sunrun, which in collaboration with Ford, will install the 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro, which includes a home integration system.
As a pilot, the companies intend to deploy the technology in a small number of customer’s homes. Pacific Gas and Electric Co, along with Ford, will study the interaction of the system with the grid, and how best customer’s needs can be served during an outage. The two companies also intend to study more use cases for bidirectional charging technologies.
About Ford
Ford is a family company, that spans the globe and has shared ideals. Ford values service to each other and the world as much as to their customers. Generations have made their memories with Ford and included them in their hopes and dreams. After 117 years of operation, Ford is used to adapting to and leading change.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) was launched in California in 1905, and is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the US. PG&E is based in San Francisco, and the company is a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. In 2022, PG&E will relocate its headquarters to Oakland, California.