Ford’s new sub-$30K electric truck can power your home for a lot less — SkimNews
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- Fathom is due in 2027 as the first EV from a U.S. automaker priced below $30,000 that can send more than 10 kW of AC power to a home without a separate wall-mounted inverter.
- Ford redesigned the system after acquiring Auto Motive Power in 2023, building the inverter into the truck’s E-box on the Universal EV Platform to reduce component and home-equipment costs.
- Home Power Station will support Home Power Management, letting owners charge at low rates and discharge at home during peak periods; Ford expects the station to cost about half as much as its first-generation bidirectional charger.
- Home Backup Panel will work with the Home Power Station to keep a home powered during outages, with Ford saying the backup hardware should cost at least 60% less than its first-generation equipment.
- Ford formed a July working group with American Electric Power, BC Hydro, Consumers Energy, Exelon and Pacific Gas and Electric to simplify approvals for bidirectional EVs, distinguish outage backup from grid export and support virtual power plants.
- Fathom is designed to meet applicable UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 requirements and uses SAE J3068 communications technology that Ford says helps reduce charger costs.
- Ford has not priced the Home Power Station or Home Backup Panel, so complete installation costs remain unknown despite the truck’s sub-$30,000 target.
Why it matters: For households with time-of-use rates or frequent outages, Ford’s claimed savings—about 50% for the Home Power Station and at least 60% for backup hardware—lower the cost barrier to vehicle-to-home power when paired with a sub-$30,000 truck. Final installation prices and utility approvals remain the practical limits before the Fathom’s 2027 arrival.
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