These Electric Vehicles Can Power Your House During A Blackout
Picture this: the power goes out at your house and the electric company says it won't be back on for a few days. That's a huge problem. But you're in luck because you just bought a Ford F-150 Lightning and it's sitting in the garage. So you plug the Lightning into your house near the breaker box, and boom, you have power again to keep the food from spoiling and to keep the lights on.
With EVs becoming more commonplace, that solution to power outages is becoming closer to an everyday reality. According to a report by Car and Driver, most modern EVs are equipped with bi-directional charging, which allows power to move in both directions from the batteries. With a little bit of work, it might even be possible to power some house functions with a smaller EV like a VW ID.4.
However, Ford has equipped the Lightning in such a way that it can act as a huge backup battery for your house. Ford's YouTube channel posted a video outlining all the Lightning needs to allow it to feed power back into the house.
Power when you need it
According to Ford, you'll need a Charge Station Pro which is standard on Lightning models with an extended range battery. If your Lightning doesn't have that, you'll have to shell out $1,310. In addition, you'll need Ford's Home Integration System. That retails for $3,895, according to Car and Driver. Ford says that equipment will automatically switch back to charging the Lightning when power is restored.
For the Home Integration System, you'll need a licensed electrician to install it correctly. Whenever there's a lot of electricity going around, it's good to have someone who knows what they're doing. It requires a fair amount of homework and extra cash to make a Lightning into a backup battery with over five grand in extra equipment required, plus paid electrician services.
But, this seems to be a step in the right direction. If other EV makers join in, the technology could become commonplace. Power outages aren't going away and they're likely going to get worse as climate change continues to evolve. Hopefully, EVs combined with renewable energy can lessen the burden on the power grid and help the average homeowner become more energy independent.
The Lightning's ability to feed power into your house is a cool convenience now, and in the future, the evolution of this field could lead to more sustainable energy options.