Owners of the Ford Fathom, starting at under $30,000, can power their homes without buying a costly bidirectional charger. Will other automakers follow?
An artist’s rendering of the charging station and home backup panel that will be compatible with the Ford Fathom electric pickup truck’s alternating current–capable bidirectional charging system. (Ford)
Electric vehicles can serve as home backup batteries. But so far, most EVs have needed expensive bidirectional chargers to do that — a tough sell for customers.
Ford aims to remove this cost obstacle with its forthcoming Ford Fathom electric pickup truck. On Tuesday, the U.S. automaker revealed that the Fathom, which is set to retail at a starting price of $28,350 sometime next year, will be able to send power back to homes it’s plugged into without the same costly power-conversion tech that Ford’s now-discontinued F-150 Lightning, and almost every other bidirectional-capable EV on the market, now requires.
Instead, the Fathom will come equipped with an onboard inverter that can convert its direct-current battery power to home-ready alternating current and deliver it via much cheaper equipment.
Today, most EVs sold in the U.S. lack that capability, instead requiring a DC-to-AC inverter device connected to the home. That gear now costs from just under $7,000 to more than $10,000 — a significant price barrier.
Ford hasn’t yet finalized the exact sum for the home power management tech that will work with the Fathom, but confirmed that it will be a lot cheaper than what’s available today.
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