Hooking Up Your House To An EV Is Getting Loads Easier

Ford has a new way to turn certain electric trucks into home backup power during an outage, and it's simpler than before. The system pairs Ford's electric or hybrid F-150 with a device called GenerLink, made by Global Power Products, which fits over your home's electric meter. Instead of running extension cords through windows or doors to power appliances one by one, you connect a single cable from the truck's outlet to the GenerLink switch, which then feeds your home's main electrical panel directly, so lights, Wi-Fi, the furnace, outlets, and security system can run as usual.

The equipment costs about $1,100, including the connector cable. Installation runs $250 to $450 if your utility has pre-approved the direct meter setup, which hundreds already have, according to Ford. In areas without that approval, GenerLink can still be installed next to the meter instead, though that costs more to install, in the $1,000 to $1,500 range. Ford says its hybrid F-150 PowerBoost trucks (2021-2026) can run an average home for up to five days this way, while the all-electric F-150 Lightning (2022-2025) can manage two to three days, depending on how much power a household uses.

This applies to Ford truck owners with the right Pro Power Onboard outlet, not EVs generally. If you already own one of these trucks, or are weighing one partly for storm backup, this is the kind of setup and cost to ask your utility and an installer about.