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The Rundown
The F-150 Lightning is quite possibly one of the most revolutionary vehicles since Tesla became popular. This is because it brings the power of electricity to the forefront of American vehicles, in the form of the most American vehicle there is, the F series pick-up truck. The F-150 Lightning has been marketed quite well and everyone now knows the Lightning can power a home. Thus our topic of discussion today is how does this function compare to a normal solar battery?
Solar Batteries, How They Work
Solar batteries work in the same way most batteries work. The excess energy produced by your solar panels is put into a battery. The energy in the battery is then used when the solar panels’ energy production is insufficient, namely on cloudy days, nighttime, or power outages. They use the same materials phone and car batteries use just on a much larger scale. The average singular solar battery is expected to power a home for an average of 12 hours, pricier units will last much longer but most generally aim at powering a house overnight.
F-150 Lightning, How It Works
The F-150 functions just as any other electric vehicle, it has a battery that powers an electric motor to move the vehicle. This battery contains 98 kwh of charge on the standard or 131 kwh on the upgraded extended range option, the battery can then export 9.6 kwh of energy at a given time. Which is how it has the functionality to power a house. Your car must be plugged in charging with the Ford Charge Station Pro, and there has to be a power outage. Once the Charge Station Pro realizes that there is no electricity being moved into the car, the direction of energy flows back out toward the house. If we do some math assuming the average American home uses 30 kwh per day, it means that the average Lightning can mathematically power a home for about 3 days.
Is the Ford Lightning A Viable Replacement for a Solar Battery?
The answer is… not quite. While it has similar function as a Solar Battery, and a longer life than most batteries, the functionality is different. As far as we can tell the Ford Lightning will only begin to charge your home once there is no longer any power being received by its battery. So this is the only time it will start to power your home. It will not power your home overnight like a solar battery would or on a cloudy day, because your home would still be pulling power from the grid. The next question a lot of people have is, would it work as a generator in the event of a natural disaster? We can say yes to this question, but with an asterisk. It could technically power your house for three days in the event of a hurricane or storm. But we have some issues with those numbers. Generally, when you plug your car into your house, that means the battery has been depleted and needs charging, so naturally the battery is not full. If the power outage happens close to when you plug your Lightning back in, then you will not have the full battery life available. If you plan ahead and have a full battery, then yes it would power your home flat out for three days. Also consider in the event of a natural disaster, that is the moment we need trucks the most, and if it is your generator, you will not be able to use it much if at all.
Summary
While the Lightning may not have all the functionality of a solar battery it is still impressive. Powering a home for three days was not something we expected when Ford announced they would release an electric F-150. We don’t mean to knock down the Lightning and say you should not get it, we just want you to understand what you are purchasing when you get a Ford Lightning. It can truthfully power your home for three days, but there would be some drawbacks if you decided to use it as your only generator or solar battery. The Ford Lightning is a very impressive machine and the option to power your home in the event of a natural disaster may very well be a life saver as long as you address the issues raised here.