Ford is equipping its forthcoming Fathom electric pickup with an onboard inverter that converts battery power into standard household electricity, the automaker announced. The capability is aimed at running appliances, backing up a home during an outage, or feeding energy back into the grid. Ford is positioning the sub-$30,000 truck as an everyday entry into bidirectional charging rather than a costly luxury feature.
The Fathom packs the inverter directly into its onboard “E-box” and can pump out over 10 kW of AC power natively. That differs from the discontinued F-150 Lightning, which required a massive, expensive external DC-to-AC wall inverter. The Fathom will be the first vehicle on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, a system designed to maximize aerodynamic range while reducing production costs so Ford can make a profitable EV. Ford has hyped the platform for over a year as its “Model T moment.”
Using the bidirectional features will still require additional hardware, though Ford aims to make it significantly cheaper than current options. To send power back to the grid, owners will need the Ford Home Power Station. Ford is targeting a 50 percent discount compared to the existing $1,310 Ford Charge Station Pro.
For whole-home backup power during a blackout, owners must pair that station with a backup panel. That combination typically runs around $5,205, and Ford is aiming for an estimated $3,123, a roughly 40 percent reduction. Finalized pricing for both packages is still pending.
Ford also addressed utility red tape by teaming up with five of North America’s biggest power companies: Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), American Electric Power (AEP), BC Hydro, Consumers Energy, and Exelon. The utilities collectively cover millions of customers in the US and Canada. Ford theorized that whatever rules they agree on will likely become the standard others follow, and they agreed to cut the paperwork for basic storm backup, use common plugs and software, and make grid programs automatic.
Lower hardware costs aside, homeowners will still face additional costs related to permitting, electrician labor, and heavy-gauge wiring. Those expenses could keep bidirectional charging features out of reach for some customers. Ford is intent on keeping costs low for the truck, though supply chain constraints and trade upheaval will remain a central challenge as the automaker approaches one of the most important vehicle debuts in its history.
The Fathom, a $28,000 electric pickup truck, is still a few months away from its official reveal.
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