Ford F-150 Lightning Trucks to Include
Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) Power May 24, 2021
On May 19th
Ford announced that their 2022 totally battery powered F-150 “Lightning” Truck will
have 2.4 kilowatts (kW) of ProPower Outlets similar to those on the 2021 F-150
Hybrid truck that powered homes during the early 2021 rolling blackouts in
Texas.
In addition,
Ford states the “Lightning’s” unique “Intelligent Backup Power” can provide Vehicle-to-Home
(V2H) capability with up to 9.6 kW of 120vac power to a home for 3 days or more
(depending on battery charge st ggvate, battery size and home utilization of
power). The “Lightning” uses its standard charging cable to connect its battery
to the home charging station and a dc-ac inverter. The “Lightning” Lithium-Ion
batteries estimated capacity is 110 Kilo-Watt-Hour (kWh) to 150 kWh of power. A
typical home requires 10 to 30 kWh per day in normal times. Ford states the
F-150 Lightning will be available in Spring 2022. Prices range from $40,000 to $90,000 depending
on configuration and battery options e.g., 230- or 300-mile range.
In addition
to providing V2H, the Ford “Intelligent Backup Power” provides significant
inroads to two other extremely useful opportunities.
a) An individual homeowner living in a
community with electric power daily rate variations, can charge the “Lightning”
battery when electric rates are low and run the home off the battery when rates
are high.
b) If an individual lives in an area
where the electric company is offering Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) options to
homeowners, the “Lightning’s” “Intelligent Backup Power” configuration could be
adapted to an inverter synchronized and compatible with the electric companies
V2G system.
Other Electric Truck V2H Backup
Power offerings proposed:
a) The
Tesla Cyber Truck will have 120-volt and 240-volt power outlets but
details about power levels are not available.
b) The
2021 Rivian R1T Truck will have 110 vac power outlets
with 400 watts available at each.
c) GM’s
2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV will offer an onboard “Power Station” with 120vac
and 240vac outlets to provide 3 kW of power from the vehicle’s battery. GM states users will also be able to charge
another electric vehicle through the 240vac outlet at 19.2 kW.
Backup Power Retrofit Kits for Chevy
Volts, Chevy Bolts and Nissan Leaf Gen 2 Are Available at this time.
EVEXTEND, an online company sells Back-up Power Wiring
retrofit Kits for the Chevy Volt, Chevy Bolt and the Nissan Leaf. View their
product line or contact them by going to HTTP://evextend.com.
Each kit includes a fuse
holder with fuse, heavy duty wires cut to length with pre-installed wire
terminals, and a heavy-duty connector set to allow quick connections to the
inverter of your choice whenever needed. Kits can be purchased without
inverters for less than $200 or with inverters for less than $500.
One thing you should consider
prior to purchasing a kit is to review their disclaimer on their website. Part of the disclaimer is provided here.
“Will this void all or
part of my vehicle's warranty?
There have been various discussions and posts on forums about
whether or not a wiring modification such as this would void all or part of
your vehicle's warranty.
The wiring kit only makes a connection to the
Volt's 12 volt battery terminals. As a result, it would seem reasonable to
conclude that any warranty issues as a result of this installation, if any,
would be limited to the 12 volt system.
There is also the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of
1975 that states a dealer must prove that after-market equipment caused the
need for repairs before it can deny warranty coverage. (See Edmunds.com
article: What Voids your Vehicle's Warranty?)
This would suggest that only a small portion of
your warranty could be voided, and only if the dealer can show it was this
wiring kit that caused the need for repairs.
However, EV Extend cannot make any definitive
claims as to whether or not installing this kit will void your warranty.”
The following is a brief
description EVEXTEND provides for the 2013 Chevy Volt kit.
Features
- Detailed Instructions (with
photos) Included
- Utilizes 12V accessory power
system of the Volt
- Provides backup power without
needing to run the Volt’s gasoline engine*
- Includes all hardware and
accessories designed specifically for the Volt
- No drilling or other
modifications to the Volt are needed
- Quick disconnect system allows
for easy connection of inverter
- Maximum Inverter Size
supported: 1500W with 3000W surge
- Installation Time: 30-45
minutes
Description
The EVEX-1500W and EVEX-1501W are do-it-yourself** wiring
kits to provide emergency backup power from your Chevrolet Volt. The kits are
custom-designed for the Volt (model years 2011-2015), to allow for a hidden
installation with power connector access through the fuse box compartment on
the left-side of the hatch storage area.
The kit includes a fuse holder with fuse, heavy
duty wires cut to length with pre-installed wire terminals, and a heavy duty
connector set to allow quick connections to the inverter of your choice as
needed.
The EVEX-1500W, is designed for a maximum
inverter size of 1500W with 3000W surge. The EVEX-1501W is the same wiring kit
bundled with a 1500W pure sinewave inverter. These power ratings are designed
to work within the limits of the Volt’s 12V power electronics design.
