Among the benefits of owning a fully electric vehicle, the ability to power a home is perhaps the most intriguing aspect enabled by an EV packing a huge battery as an energy source. As Ford Authority has documented, the Intelligent Backup Power technology offered by the Ford F-150 Lightning has already led to partnerships with other companies in an effort to explore how the truck can more closely integrated with homes and with electrical grids. Now, Ford has announced a partnership to explore how electric vehicles can interface with Resideo thermostats for better energy management.
The EV-Home Power Partnership project primarily seeks to explore how vehicle-to-home energy manage can support home energy management via bi-directional charging from electric vehicles. More specifically, both companies are creating a simulation where a Ford F-150 Lightning would use Intelligent Backup Power to integrate with a Resideo smart thermostat and therefore power a home’s heating and cooling system. One of the main goals of the project is to assess how smart thermostat use and bi-directional charging can help reduce energy during times when the electric grid is stressed. In other situations, it could be used to minimize energy use during peak energy hours.
“Driving electric is unlocking an entirely new world of personal energy management that could not only save our customers time and money, but also help support a more sustainable energy grid,” said Bill Crider, head of global charging and energy services, Ford Motor Company. “Successful vehicle-to-home energy management solutions would give Ford EV drivers as well as utilities and power companies the confidence to accelerate future vehicle-to-grid services never-before thought possible with traditional vehicles.”
The ability to use a vehicle as a power source is gaining traction in the industry, although Ford continues to be a top innovator with the technology. It is aiming for the 2024 Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid with Pro Power Onboard to become more common and reduced its price in an effort to make the hybrid model the most popular vehicle of its kind in the United States.
We’ll have more on Ford’s bi-directional charging partnerships soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford news updates.
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