Future-oriented: Despite discontinuing the F-150 Lightning, Ford isn’t giving up on the electric pickup market entirely. The company plans to re-enter the segment in 2027 with the Fathom, a midsize electric truck expected to cost less than $30,000. It has a bi-directional charging function that makes it possible to power households or external devices and systems. This capability could turn the truck into a backup power source for homes and businesses.
Ford says the Fathom’s bi-directional charging feature will rely on a built-in inverter, eliminating the need for the expensive 80A wall unit required on the F-150 Lightning. The inverter converts the electricity from the truck battery into alternating current and supplies a house with up to 10 kW. This would allow the electric vehicle to serve as an emergency power source during power outages.
However, this feature will not be free. Owners will still need to purchase Ford’s second-generation Home Power Station and Home Backup Panel to feed power back to the grid. However, the Power Station will cost around 50% less than the $1,310 Charge Station Pro that the Lightning requires, while the new backup panel will be 60% cheaper than its predecessor’s $5,000 price tag.
Assuming Ford sticks to its pricing estimates, the second-generation backup panel should cost around $2,000. That would put the additional cost of using the Fathom as a residential backup power source at about $2,500 to $3,000. Although this is still a significant cost factor, it is cheaper than comparable solutions currently offered by American car manufacturers.
Ford also announced that it is working with several U.S. and Canadian utilities to implement its vehicle-to-grid pilot program. The company added that the proposed system complies with existing regulatory standards, including UL 1741 for inverters and related energy conversion devices, IEEE 1547 for connecting distributed energy resources to the power grid, and SAE J3068 for electric vehicle power transmission using a three-phase coupler.
The Fathom is based on Ford’s new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform and represents the company’s next major investment in electric vehicles. Ford has described the truck as its “Model T moment” of the 21st century that could help it compete more effectively against the influx of affordable Chinese electric vehicles. The company has announced a starting price of $28,350. Production is expected to begin next year at its Louisville plant.
