Ford has brought the F-150 Lightning’s 131-kWh extended-range battery that will not let the average American home be in dark.
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.
The F-150 Lightning would be capable of serving as a backup power source, and now it discloses that the 131-kWh battery will be able to power the average US home for days consecutively. When connected via the Ford Charge Station Pro and Home Integration System, the F-150 will automatically overpower 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.
Average US household consumption is estimated at 30 kWh per day, and it can be met by the batteries for three days. Ford further states 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 a cumulative power outage during 2020, a record high. Even if that eight-hour average came during a single event, the F-150 Lightning would be able to easily make up for it.
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.
The company will also offer solar options that can be incorporated 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.
