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InsideEVs
InsideEVs
Technology
Steven Loveday

Ford F-150 Lightning Powers Through Hurricane-Related Outages

While there may be some strange exceptions, in the past, when people bought a car, they were almost certainly buying it for the sole purpose of transportation. However, that's no longer the case today. In fact, new EVs like the Ford F-150 Lightning have the ability to power other items, and, when properly equipped, such a vehicle can power your entire home.

The Ford F-150 Lightning hasn't been on the market very long, and we've already read and shared multiple stories about how it saved the day in one way or another during a power outage, or in an area where there simply isn't access to power. In this particular case, the Lightning electric pickup truck helped its owner provide a "normal" morning for his wife after a hurricane.

Gallery: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat: Review

Hurricane Nicole hit Florida on the east coast and killed the power for thousands of residents. The morning after, many people were struggling for some normalcy, relying on campfires, generators, and whatever else they could to stay dry and cook a meal. While hot coffee and some toasted breakfast may be the least of some people's concerns during these tough times, it's important to stay nourished and keep a clear mind amid catastrophe.

 

As you can see from the tweet above, F-150 Lightning owner Bob Hathaway used his electric truck to provide for his wife and neighbor. The truck has bidirectional charging, meaning it can send energy back to the grid or another source.

According to Electrek, Hathaway – who lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida – simply ran some extension cords from his F-150 Lightning's bed and plugged in the items he needed most at the time. Like a Good Samaritan, he welcomed his neighbors to access some plugs as well.

Via an additional package and some equipment that gets installed at your home, the electric Ford F-150 can actually power an entire home. Ford says trucks with the larger 131 kWh battery could hypothetically power a home for as many as 10 days, but you'd have to be consuming the absolute bare minimum. Homes use an average of about 30 kWh a day, and many use much more.

Even if you don't opt for an upper-level trim and pay extra for Ford's special package and equipment that makes home power possible, you can still use the Lighting for external power. Every copy of the electric truck has Pro Power Onboard as standard. There are 11 plugs throughout the truck that can crank out up to 9.6 kW of power for whatever your needs may be.

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