Ford, Global Power Products debut vehicle-to-home backup solution

Ford and Global Power Products have launched a cheaper way for owners of certain Ford pickups to use their truck as home backup power during an outage. The Ford Vehicle Connector links the 240-volt outlet on an F-150 Lightning (electric) or PowerBoost Hybrid truck to a GenerLink meter collar, a device installed at your electric meter. Together they can run home outlets and hardwired equipment like well pumps, sump pumps, security systems, furnaces and lights, and Ford says the setup can provide up to five days of backup power.

The full package — the meter collar, a 20-foot extension cord, and the vehicle connector — costs about $1,100, plus $250 to $450 for professional installation of the collar, for a total around $1,350 to $1,550. That's far less than older vehicle-to-home setups, which Ford says could run $10,000, and cheaper than many standby generators, which typically cost $7,000 to $15,000 installed. More than 800 electric utilities, including Commonwealth Edison, Central Maine Power, Austin Energy and many rural electric co-ops, have approved the GenerLink collar for use on their meters. If your utility hasn't approved it yet, you can still connect through a secondary meter box, though that option costs roughly $1,000 more.

This system only works with compatible Ford trucks — the F-150 Lightning and PowerBoost Hybrid. Ford has not said whether its smaller electric pickup, due in 2027, will offer the same home-backup feature.