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Ford's Fathom pickup sends power to your house during an outage, with no wall-mounted inverter
The sub-$30,000 truck builds the inverter into the vehicle, and Ford says that cuts the cost of home backup equipment.
A cheap truck that can power a house
Ford's upcoming Fathom electric pickup will come with bidirectional charging, letting it send power to the owner's house during an outage. [1] It is due in 2027 and will be the first EV from a US automaker priced below $30,000 that can deliver more than 10 kW of AC power to a home without a separate wall-mounted inverter. [2]
If you want backup power from a truck without paying for extra hardware on the wall, that matters to you. The Fathom is priced to start under $30,000. [1]
Why the inverter matters
EV batteries store power as direct current, while homes use alternating current. [2] Traditionally, sending battery power to a house required an expensive external inverter. [2]
Ford built the inverter directly into the truck's E-box, one of the vehicle's five main modules. [2] The Fathom will not need a separate, expensive wall-mounted inverter to supply power to the home. [1]
Ford says fewer parts lower costs and that the savings will extend to the home charging equipment. [2] It also says the rest of the home power equipment will cost considerably less than current options. [2]
Where the design came from
Ford acquired startup Auto Motive Power in 2023 and redesigned its bidirectional charging system from the ground up. [2] Ford worked with the startup while engineering the Universal EV Platform that underpins the Fathom. [1]
The system is designed to meet UL 1741 requirements and IEEE 1547 interconnection standards. [2] It uses SAE J3068 communications technology, which Ford says helps reduce charger costs. [2]
Two features, two pieces of hardware
Home Power Management lets owners charge the truck when electricity rates are low and use the stored power at home when rates are higher. [2] That could save money on time-of-use electricity plans. [2]
It requires Ford's Home Power Station, which Ford expects to cost about half as much as its first-generation Charge bidirectional charger. [1]
Home Backup Power lets the truck keep the lights on during an outage. [2] It requires both the Home Power Station and Ford's Home Backup Panel. [2]
What the old system cost
The original first-generation Ford Lightning home package was a $1,310 Charge Station Pro plus a $3,895 Home Integration System. [1] That came to $5,205, excluding installation. [1] Ford's first-generation Lightning has been discontinued. [1]
Ford has not released prices for the Home Power Station or Home Backup Panel, so the full cost of a home installation is unknown. [2]
The utility hurdle
Connecting to the grid is complicated because there are more than 3,000 utility companies across the U.S. and Canada. [1] Their regulations and processes mostly apply to solar and stationary batteries rather than vehicles. [1]
Ford formed a working group in July with American Electric Power, BC Hydro, Consumers Energy, Exelon, and Pacific Gas and Electric to make it easier to connect bidirectional EVs before the Fathom arrives. [2] It aims to set clear processes for owners who use their EVs only for charging and occasional backup power, as distinct from rules for those connecting to the grid. [1]
Someone using their truck solely for home backup during an outage should not have to go through the same approval process as someone sending electricity to the grid. [2] The group is also examining how to update utility procedures for newer bidirectional charging standards and make it easier for EV owners to join virtual power plants. [2]
The truck and the competition
The Fathom will be built at Ford's Louisville plant, which is undergoing a $2 billion retooling for the new platform. [1] The base truck is expected to use a rear electric motor and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack. [1]
Elsewhere, the Chevy Bolt supports vehicle-to-home power through GM Energy equipment. [2] The Nissan Leaf offers vehicle-to-load through an external device plugged into its charging port. [2]
What this means for you
If you want to use the Fathom for backup power, you will need the Home Power Station and the Home Backup Panel. [2] Ford has not released prices for either, so the full cost of a home installation is unknown. [2]
If you are on a time-of-use electricity plan, Home Power Management could save you money. [2] It requires the Home Power Station. [1]
If you only want backup during an outage, the utility working group aims to spare you the approval process that applies to sending electricity to the grid. [1][2]
Timeline and risk
The Fathom is due to go into production in early 2027. [1] Ford CEO Jim Farley recently said launching it at scale, at cost, and on time will be a challenge. [1]
Sources
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