Ford is targeting one of the persistent barriers to vehicle-to-home energy: the cost of the extra hardware needed to convert a battery’s stored power for household use. The company’s upcoming Fathom electric pickup integrates bidirectional charging capability directly into the vehicle, eliminating the need for a separate wall-mounted inverter.<\/p>\n
According to CleanTechnica, the Fathom is expected to start at $28,350. Ford says the on-board system is engineered to deliver more than 10 kilowatts of alternating current directly into a home’s electrical grid \u2014 though the company has not confirmed whether that function is included in the base price or will be available as a paid add-on. Ford is collecting requests for invitations to pre-order.<\/p>\n
Kay Hart, general manager of Ford Model e, said the team’s ambition went beyond simply adding bidirectional capability \u2014 the goal was to redesign the system from the ground up to bring its price down substantially. Ford argues that keeping the Fathom below $30,000 will extend the benefits of home backup power and potential energy-bill savings to a far broader pool of buyers.<\/p>\n
Supporting hardware is also set to become cheaper. Ford expects the next-generation Ford Home Power Station to cost roughly half as much as the current model. A new Ford Home Backup Power Panel is in development as well; the company has not announced its final price but expects it to come in at least 60 percent below the first-generation version.<\/p>\n