Lightning owners also can use their FordPass app to interact with the process. The system can be set to automatically turn on or be controlled manually in the event of an unscheduled power outage.
Owners will be able to set range limits to prevent the truck’s battery from full depletion. If a driver wants to leave a 100-mile reserve on the truck, the system will turn off at that threshold.
Meanwhile, Ford is developing the next level of bidirectional charging, Gorman said, called Intelligent Power. That feature will go beyond backup power to allow the same system to optimize charging costs. The truck will be able to target and capture energy from a lower-cost power source, such as solar panels, and then return it to the house during peak use times when utility costs are highest.
“Rather than just using my truck [to power the house] when the lights are out, I could use it as a resource to reduce my costs in total,” Gorman said. “Owners could drive off solar or use it to power the house in the evening.
“I think it’s going to change the way people think about their trucks in their garage.”