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Ford says its upcoming Fathom electric pickup will use an onboard inverter for AC bidirectional charging, allowing home backup without the costly DC bidirectional charger used by many current systems. Ford estimates compatible equipment will cost substantially less, but has not set final prices, and utility rules remain a barrier in much of the United States.
Ford says its Fathom electric pickup will be able to send power from its battery to a home using an onboard inverter, a design the company says will make home backup equipment substantially cheaper than current bidirectional systems. Ford has not finalized the equipment’s price, and customers will also need a home backup panel to supply electricity during an outage.
Many electric vehicles store power as direct current, while homes use alternating current. Existing vehicle-to-home setups often rely on an external device to convert the power, adding cost. Ford’s planned system instead puts the inverter in the Fathom, which the source report says is expected to start at under $30,000. The vehicle would use compatible, lower-cost charging and home-management equipment to deliver power.
Ford said its new AC-capable bidirectional charger will cost roughly half the $1,300 price of the company’s Charge Station Pro, the bidirectional system developed for the F-150 Lightning. For outage backup, buyers also need a home backup power panel. Ford estimates the combined equipment will cost 60% less than the $5,200 Charge Station Pro and home integration system combination. Those comparisons exclude installation, and Ford has not announced the Fathom system’s final price.
The system is intended to support home power management while the grid is operating as well as backup during outages, when paired with the required panel. Ford developed the inverter approach with engineers at Auto Motive Power, a startup it acquired in 2023. The company says other vehicles built on its Universal EV Platform will also have AC bidirectional capability.
Lower Equipment Costs Could Broaden Backup
The announcement targets a major obstacle to using an EV as a home battery: the added equipment expense. Current bidirectional equipment cited in the report can cost just under $7,000 to more than $10,000, before installation. Ford’s lower projected prices could make backup power more accessible to Fathom buyers, although the actual savings will depend on final equipment costs, installation and local utility requirements.
For households, an EV that can supply a home during an outage could provide another source of electricity without buying a separate stationary battery. The Fathom setup still requires dedicated home equipment, and the announcement does not establish how long it can power a home or which loads it can support. It also does not mean every owner can connect the vehicle under existing local rules.
The design could also affect how automakers approach vehicle-to-home features. Ford’s system relies on power conversion built into the vehicle rather than a more expensive external DC-to-AC setup. If the approach proves practical and is adopted more widely, it could lower a cost barrier across the market. But the source report presents broader adoption as a possibility, not a confirmed industry shift.
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How Ford’s AC Design Works
In a typical DC-based setup, an external bidirectional charger converts the vehicle battery’s direct-current power into alternating current for household use. Ford’s Fathom approach moves that conversion into the vehicle, then uses compatible equipment to manage the connection to the home. The report says Ford’s system uses communications technology certified under SAE J3068, intended to support safety coordination between the vehicle and home equipment.
Ford’s price comparison is with its own F-150 Lightning equipment. The report also cites a GM DC vehicle-to-home bundle priced at $6,748, illustrating that some competing systems remain costly. These are not identical products or necessarily direct like-for-like comparisons; installation costs are excluded from Ford’s cited figures.
Ford director of grid and energy services Dave McCreadie told Canary Media that lower costs for both the vehicle and charging and discharging equipment are central to wider adoption. Jiaqi Liang, a former Auto Motive Power vice president who now leads electrical hardware for Ford Advanced Programs, said designing the system into a new vehicle platform avoided constraints associated with retrofitting older designs.
“This is not going to be Ford’s last EV that is bidirectional capable.”
— Dave McCreadie, Ford director of grid and energy services
Pricing and Utility Access Still Vary
Ford has not finalized the Fathom equipment price, and the estimates do not include installation. The report does not provide a specific Fathom on-sale date, equipment availability date, or detailed specifications for backup capacity, duration, or supported household loads.
Access also depends on local utility rules. The report says only California and Maryland had set utility regulations for AC bidirectional charging outside pilot projects at the time it was published. Rules and procedures vary among utilities, and Ford’s discussions with utilities do not establish that every customer will be able to connect the system once the truck is available.
Ford has described the expected cost reductions, but the report does not provide independent testing results or final consumer pricing. It also remains unclear how quickly other automakers might adopt similar onboard inverter designs.
Utility Standards and Final Prices
Ford said it has been working with American Electric Power, BC Hydro, Consumers Energy, Exelon and Pacific Gas & Electric since July to develop common standards for integrating its AC vehicle-to-home system into utility interconnection rules. The company has also engaged utilities and regulators in states including Michigan and Colorado. The next practical milestones are clearer local approval processes and Ford’s release of final compatible equipment prices and availability information.
Ford also said other vehicles based on its Universal EV Platform will support AC bidirectional charging, but did not identify those models or give a schedule in the source report. Buyers will need to check the final system requirements and their utility’s rules before counting on the truck as outage backup.
Key Questions
How will the Ford Fathom power a home?
Ford says the pickup will have an onboard inverter to convert battery power into alternating current for use by compatible home equipment. A home backup power panel is also required for supplying electricity during a grid outage.
How much will the Fathom home backup system cost?
Ford has not set the final price. It says the compatible AC bidirectional charger will cost about half the $1,300 price of its Charge Station Pro, and the charger-and-panel equipment combination will cost 60% less than the $5,200 Lightning setup cited in the report. Installation is not included in those comparisons.
Can the Fathom power a home during an outage?
Ford says the system can provide home backup when paired with a home backup power panel. The source report does not specify how long the truck can supply power or which household loads the system can support.
Will the system work everywhere in the United States?
Not necessarily. Utility interconnection rules differ, and the report says only California and Maryland had set utility regulations for AC bidirectional charging outside pilot projects at the time. Ford is working with utilities on common standards, but nationwide access is not confirmed.
Will other Ford electric vehicles get the same capability?
Ford director Dave McCreadie said other vehicles based on the Universal EV Platform will have AC bidirectional charging. Ford did not name those vehicles or provide a timetable in the source report.
Source: canarymedia.com
