Ford's Lightning will help keep the lights on

Modern electric vehicles offer a host of lifestyle benefits, including a zero-emission tailpipe. But an emerging technology will take them beyond transportation.

Over the next three to five years, shoppers will begin to hear about bidirectional charging capability. When an EV is equipped for this, it has a two-way power flow that can send DC power back into its AC source. This will allow EV owners to use their vehicle's battery to power their homes.

The Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup will lead the market push with usable bidirectional charging when deliveries of the truck begin this spring, according to Ryan O'Gorman, energy services lead for Ford Motor Co. The feature will require an intermediary home integration kit that connects charger and house.

When Lightning owners opt to have the bidirectional capability turned on at the dealership, the truck will supply 9.6 kilowatts of energy. That is enough power to run a house for approximately three days, Gorman said, noting that energy use varies by household.

The two-way charger Ford owners can install in their homes is called the Charge Station Pro. It comes with the extended-range battery Lightning with 131 kilowatt-hours, Gorman said. Buyers who opt for the standard-range truck will have to pay $1,310 for the charger.

The home integration kit — what Ford calls Intelligent Backup Power — is supplied and installed via a partnership with Sunrun, a home solar panel and battery provider. Installation pricing has not yet been announced.

The system will be wired directly into the same home electrical system that runs appliances and outlets. For now, it's meant only to provide backup in the event of an outage.

There are three parts to the integration kit: a transfer switch that disconnects the house from the grid; an inverter that converts the DC power to AC; and a battery that keeps the system running when the power goes out.

If a power outage occurs, assuming the truck is plugged in, the system sends an alert to the truck through the Charge Station Pro. The truck then communicates back that it will start sending power.

The power flows from the truck to the charger through the fast charging pins on the combined charging system connector. The charger then feeds the power into the integration kit, which distributes it throughout the house.

Lightning owners also can use their FordPass app to interact with the process. The system can be set to automatically turn on or be controlled manually in the event of an unscheduled power outage.

Owners will be able to set range limits to prevent the truck's battery from full depletion. If a driver wants to leave a 100-mile reserve on the truck, the system will turn off at that threshold.

Meanwhile, Ford is developing the next level of bidirectional charging, Gorman said, called Intelligent Power. That feature will go beyond backup power to allow the same system to optimize charging costs. The truck will be able to target and capture energy from a lower-cost power source, such as solar panels, and then return it to the house during peak use times when utility costs are highest.

"Rather than just using my truck [to power the house] when the lights are out, I could use it as a resource to reduce my costs in total," Gorman said. "Owners could drive off solar or use it to power the house in the evening.

"I think it's going to change the way people think about their trucks in their garage."

Other automakers are also interested in the technology.

EV startups Lucid and Rivian say their models — the Lucid Air ultraluxury sedan and the Rivian R1T pickup and R1S SUV — have bidirectional charging capability. But neither company has announced how it will connect the vehicle to the home.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 electric crossovers have vehicle-to-load capability, but their technology only allows for essentials to be plugged directly into the vehicle.

The Ioniq 5 "is ideal for powering necessities during a power outage, tailgate parties, camping or outdoor projects," Hyundai Motor spokesman Michael Stewart said.

"This function can even be used to charge a stranded EV."