After announcing a similar pilot program with GM earlier this week, California utility PG&E said it will also test Ford’s new F-150 Lightning electric vehicles as on-demand power sources for homes. The utility says that one in five EVs in the country are on the road in PG&E’s service area of Northern and Central California.
PG&E and Ford will test the F-150 Lightning and its Intelligent Backup Power bidirectional charging capabilities in providing backup power for customers’ homes in PG&E’s service area. Intelligent Backup Power, making its debut on F-150 Lightning, gives customers the ability to use bidirectional power technology from their all-electric truck to provide up to 10 days of power to their homes during an outage, depending on home energy usage. The first installations of Ford’s Intelligent Backup Power are beginning in spring 2022, supported by Sunrun as Ford’s preferred installation partner.
Through this early adopter opportunity, PG&E will explore how Ford’s Intelligent Backup Power technology interconnects to the electric grid, which is necessary for the truck’s battery to power the home, and how it can support customer resiliency during grid outages. Additionally, PG&E expects to learn more about the overall customer experience to help inform future collaborations as this emerging technology becomes more readily available.
“Today, we are seeing breakthrough opportunities at the intersection of the energy and transportation industries. As more electric vehicles and new charging technology become available, it is critical that we better understand how EVs can interact with the electric grid and how we can best support our customers. Through collaborations with automakers like Ford, we are innovating together for a cleaner, safer and brighter future for all,” said PG&E Corporation CEO Patti Poppe.
