We are still a few months away from the official reveal of the Ford Fathom, the manufacturer’s first new generation electric vehicle. While we wait, Ford has whetted our appetite with news about the sub-$30,000 pickup, including today’s announcement regarding the Fathom’s two-way charging capabilities.
With a growing number of electric vehicles featuring two-way vehicle-to-home (V2H) or vehicle-to-charge (V2L) charging capabilities, Ford is trying to position the Fathom as a key player – and one that simplifies the system by making it an everyday reality rather than a $10,000 luxury perk. Unlike the discontinued F-150 Lightning, which required a massive and expensive external DC-AC wall inverter, the Fathom packs the inverter directly into its integrated “E-box” to pump out over 10 kW of AC power natively.
The Fathom’s built-in inverter converts its battery power into standard household electricity to run appliances, back up a home in the event of an outage, or feed power back into the grid.
Taking advantage of these features will require additional hardware, although Ford aims to make it significantly cheaper than current options. To send electricity back to the grid, homeowners will need the Ford Home Power Station. Ford is targeting a 50% reduction over the existing Ford Charge Station Pro at $1,310. For whole-home backup power in the event of a power outage, homeowners should pair this station with a backup panel. While this combination typically runs around $5,205, Ford is aiming for an estimated $3,123, a reduction of around 40 percent, although finalized pricing for both packages is still pending.
Another barrier to V2H or V2L charging is utility bureaucracy. Ford’s solution was to partner with five of North America’s largest electric companies: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E); American Electric Power (AEP); BC Hydro; Energy Consumers; and Exelon – which collectively cover millions of customers in the United States and Canada. Ford speculated that whatever rules they agree on will likely become the standard that everyone else follows. They agreed to cut red tape for basic storm backup, use common plugins and software, and make grid programs automatic.
Reducing the cost of the Ford home power plant and emergency panel certainly helps, but homeowners will still face additional costs related to permits, electrician labor, and heavy gauge wiring. These could conspire to keep these two-way charging features out of reach for some customers.
Ford nevertheless intends to keep the costs of its new electric truck low. With supply chain constraints and business upheaval, this will remain a central challenge for the automaker as it nears one of the most significant vehicle debuts in Ford history.
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