Ford Motor and California utility Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) unveiled a plan to test the use of the new F-150 Lightning electric truck as backup power for homes during blackouts.
The companies will test the vehicle’s ability to send power flowing back to a house and connect with the grid.
PG&E already has other plans to work with General Motors (GM) on a similar pilot that involves testing bidirectional charging capabilities.
“Today, we are seeing breakthrough opportunities at the intersection of the energy and transportation industries,” PG&E CEO Patti Poppe said in a statement. “As more electric vehicles and new charging technology become available, it is critical that we better understand how EVs can interact with the electric grid and how we can best support our customers.”
The plan with Ford seems to differ from that with GM because, as they say, is the first-to-market enablement of a Ford electric vehicle and bidirectional charging system.
PG&E shares rose as much as 1.8% before the start of regular trading in New York Friday. Ford 2%.
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