Electric vehicles have been using electrons across highways for over a decade now. For most, it’s an alternative fuel source to do the same job: transport people from point A to point B. But as EV’s begin taking more market share, many EV’s are starting to take shape into being more than just an electric form of transportation. Many EV’s, especially pick up trucks, are becoming entire workstations and power plants for homes and businesses. This ability to become a mobile power station greatly helped our family when our home suddenly experienced a power outage.
Recently we purchased a 2023 Ford F150 Lightning, the XLT trim. We were able to take advantage of the Federal and Colorado tax credits, as well as the brand new Vehicle Exchange Program from the Colorado Energy Office. This greatly reduced the cost of the truck, which has one of the most underrated features of newer electric vehicles: an onboard generator.
The Ford Lightning comes standard with the ability to generator 2.4kw of power through outlets found in the frunk and in the bed of the truck. However, an optional Pro Power has the ability to produce 9.6kw of continuous power. And this power can be incredibly helpful during a power outage.
Our home is located up in the Flattops deep within the White River National Forest. We live off solar power, which charges a home battery storage system. But unfortunately we had a component fail in our solar inverter. However, with our generator transfer switch, we were able to power our home using the F150 Lightning’s Pro Power generator. While normally we use the truck to run a space heater or two in a bedroom, we were able to run all our appliances during this multi-day outage. While the F150 has some of the highest output of power from it’s battery pack, many other EV models are also being produced with the ability to send power from the battery pack into a home or equipment that rely on electricity.
We use an electric snowblower to clear our driveway and our EV truck is able to recharge the batteries for the equipment. We can use table saws, recharge our cordless drills, run our well pump at 240v and power our Starlink satellite internet.
A pick up truck has always been established as a work vehicle that can get the job done, no matter the size of the job. Modern EV pick up trucks take that legacy and push the expectations higher with being able to have more practicality for a family (think super cab with an additional trunk the in the front), dual electric motors that provide a constant four wheel drive that is efficient, and power an entire home for days without needing a charge.
With incredibly low maintenance, really just washer fluid and tires, programs like the Vehicle Exchange from the state Energy Office and tax credits make EV truck ownership a fraction of the cost of a traditional gas truck with an incredible amount of benefits that a traditional gas truck cannot provide. If you are looking for your next vehicle, take the time to test drive an EV pick up and find out the benefits you could take advantage of with an EV platform!
