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• Ford F-150 Lightning's 'Intelligent Backup Power' feature can power a home in the event of a power outage
• PG&E partnered with General Motors earlier this week to integrate a bidirectional charging feature to its EVs
Ford Motor Co (F) and Pacific Gas and Electric Co ( PCG) partnered to evaluate the bidirectional charging capabilities of the carmaker's new electric pickup truck, F-150 Lightning.
"We're announcing today our partnership with Ford Motor Co to bring bidirectional charging vehicles, specifically the Ford F-150 Lightning, to the PG&E customers," Patti Poppe, the chief executive of the California-based utility company, said at the CERAWeek conference in Houston.
"Imagine if your home generator was your car."
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Ford CEO Jim Farley was also present at the energy conference on Thursday night.
The pilot program will test how F-150 Lightning can perform bidirectional charging by powering the homes and returning energy to the power grid in California.
The process is reverse of the home and grid charging the vehicle.
'Bidirectional' charging
The announcement comes two days after Poppe announced another partnership with General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) to make its EVs capable of bidirectional charging in the event of a power outage or grid failure.
A spokesperson at Ford said the announcement differs from GM's because it is "the first-to-market enablement of a Ford F-150 Lightning EV and bidirectional charging system."
The F-150 Lightning, which is expected to release this spring, already has the technology to power a home in the event of a power outage.
Ford calls it the "Intelligent Backup Power" and showed the feature during the launch event.
The EVs can charge at night when energy rates are low and can provide electricity back to the grid during peak hours, allowing customers to save money on their electricity bills.
The process can also put less strain on the grid.
Picture Credit: Electrek