Ford has unveiled two new electric vehicle charging devices that enable its upcoming Fathom electric pickup to function as an energy storage battery, supplying power to a home or the grid.
The pricing of these two new devices is expected to be roughly half that of Ford's existing comparable products, potentially making this technology accessible to more households.
Ford has stated that the Fathom electric pickup will start at $28,350.
Ford says the Fathom can deliver "more than 10 kilowatts" of power to a home, allowing it to serve as a substitute for a small backup generator. For most American households, this output is not enough to meet all electricity needs, but it can keep appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners running for about half a day. This power supply capability has long been regarded as an advantage of electric vehicles over gasoline-powered cars, yet few EVs actually offer such functionality today, and the charging equipment required for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services is typically expensive.
The two devices Ford is launching have similar functions but different areas of focus. The Home Power Station helps users reduce electricity costs. Users can charge the Fathom when electricity rates are low and then send power from the vehicle's battery back to the home when rates are high. Ford says the device is priced at approximately $650, about 50% cheaper than the first-generation bidirectional charging equipment. The other product, Home Backup Power, is a home backup power solution that combines the Home Power Station with another device called the Home Backup Panel, enabling the Fathom to power some or all of a home's appliances during an outage. Ford says this setup is priced at approximately $2,100, about 60% cheaper than the first-generation equivalent. However, none of these prices include installation costs. For existing V2X charging equipment, installation costs can reach as high as $10,000, depending on how much electrical system modification a home requires. Ford has not yet announced partnerships with any installation service providers, but a spokesperson told TechCrunch that more details will be released at a later date. Which appliances the Fathom can actually power will depend on each household's electricity needs and specific installation conditions. For example, air conditioners and refrigerators typically require a large surge of power at startup, after which their power demand drops. So-called soft-start devices can help reduce the startup power surge but also add to installation costs. Both charging devices support Fathom owners participating in virtual power plant programs. Virtual power plants use software to coordinate and control distributed energy storage devices, such as electric vehicles, to achieve flexible dispatch of power resources. As the electricity demand from AI data centers continues to grow, the pressure on the grid keeps rising. Electric utility companies are studying whether virtual power plants can help alleviate congestion at the grid's edges. Fathom owners who participate in virtual power plant programs and keep their vehicles connected to the grid can sell power to the grid and typically receive compensation higher than standard electricity rates. Ford has not disclosed how much income Fathom owners can earn through this approach, but depending on grid demand and user participation levels, the related earnings could exceed $1,000 per year. As demand for energy storage services surges, automakers including Ford are increasing their investment in the energy storage sector. The virtual power plant program supported by the Fathom electric pickup is Ford's latest move into this market, but it likely will not be the last.
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