I Powered My House with the F-150 PowerBoost Pro Power Onboard Generator [Car and Driver]

[Peter P]

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a35152752/powered-house-ford-f-150-hybrid/

I Powered My House with the Ford F-150 Hybrid
The F-150 Hybrid's onboard generator produces 7.2 kW of power. So if the power goes out, can you use your truck to power your house? We decided to find out.

Where I live, power outages are a frequent fact of life. Lots of trees coexist with rickety above-ground power lines, until the moment they don't. A few years ago, during Hurricane Florence, we lost power for four days. Fortunately, I bought a little Honda EU2200i generator ahead of the storm. It was enough to power up the essentials. But even with that, I had to choose what to run, and when. If I'd had a 2021 F-150 Hybrid in the driveway, it would have been a different story. Because, given the right extension cords and power strips, the F-150 Hybrid can power your house.

The PowerBoost drivetrain is cool on its own—with 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, it's the quickest non-Raptor-engine F-150 we've ever tested, while improving fuel economy by 20 percent—but the onboard generator is the intriguing option. Dubbed Pro Power Onboard, it's available in several different outputs, from 2.0 kilowatts (with the 2.7-liter V-6 and 5.0 V-8) up to a maximum of 7.2 kilowatts with the twin-turbo3.5-liter V-6. And that latter number is enough to run your whole damn house. I know because I have a 7.4-kilowatt solar array and a net electric meter that tells me whether I'm using grid power or pushing electricity back out. On a sunny day, I'm running my house and sending electrons to my neighbors. It stands to reason, then, that this truck in the driveway could also power my house. So I decided to try it. (There is a third way, but backfilling via a 240-volt plug without a transfer switch, while safe when done properly, adds considerable risk.)

You can use the F-150's generator as your personal electric utility in two ways. In the most elegant scenario, you'd run a cable from the 30-amp, 240-volt outlet in the bed to a 30-amp transfer switch and directly power selected circuits in your house. No extension cords, no breaking out your World's Greatest Dad table lamp to light your kitchen counter. I do not have a transfer switch. So, extension cords it is.

Below the 30-amp plug are four regular 120-volt outlets, and each pair of these is a 20-amp circuit rated for 2400 watts. (There are 120-volt outlets in the interior, too.) That's a lot of power. To safely make the most of it, you need thick extension cords. Which, fortunately, I have. The main one I use in outages is rated for 1875 watts. I have others in various lengths and gauges to construct my own messy indoor power grid. I powered up the truck, plugged in my cords and got to work.

With my Honda generator, I can run the essentials—fridge, some lights, fans, TV—but I might have to unplug something if I want to run a power-hungry appliance like a coffee maker (600 watts) or microwave (1500 watts). To test the F-150, I plugged in as many things as I could think of, all at once: coffee maker, Shark vac, TV, internet modem and router, tankless gas hot water heater, fridge, garage fridge, and a couple lamps. Oh, and while we're at it, let's get the wrinkles out of some clothes with my 1400-watt iron. I don't normally vacuum, make coffee, and iron clothes all at once, but these are the things we do for science.

The F-150 ran everything simultaneously, and could have handled more. I know this because the generator display on the 12-inch dash screen shows exactly how much power you're demanding at any given moment. My various gadgets devoured 3200 watts, which is way beyond the draw that would have caused my Honda to blow its circuit breaker. This is more than half of the power available to 120-volts, but less than half of the system capacity if I were running my house off the 240-volt feed. In fact, the truck seemed bored with this assignment. Occasionally, the V-6 would shut down and leave the truck's 1.5-kWh lithium battery to run the show, resulting in the quietest 7.2-kW generator you'll ever hear. There's a muted whirr from beneath the truck, and that's it.

But, you ask, why wouldn't you just buy a 7200-watt generator? Because if you're buying an F-150 Hybrid, the 7200-watt Pro Power Onboard is a $750 option. (The 2400 watt output, with two outlets, is standard.) You will not get a sophisticated 7000-watt generator for $750. You might find one that sounds like Randy Quaid's lawnmower from the underrated Richard Pryor film Moving, but a modern, quiet inverter generator is going to cost probably twice that. And a 7000-watt Honda—the aspirational luxury brand of generator—goes for about $4500. The F-150 generator is a deal, and you don't have to lug it around, find a place for it in your garage, or worry about the fuel going stale. It's just there, in the truck, whenever you need it.

Ford seems to envision Pro Power Onboard as a tool for contractors or outdoorsy types, running saws on a job site or charging up electric dirt bikes at a remote riding spot. And it can do those things. But when a tree goes down and the lights go out, it could also be the MVP right there in your driveway.

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[ZWARRIOR]

Very well written Peter! That is awesome to know! Fortunately, I haven't seen an outage longer than 10 minutes but I can see how that can be a life saver. I am pretty amazed.

Can you run your fridge off it?

 

[daemonic3]

Very well written Peter! That is awesome to know! Fortunately, I haven't seen an outage longer than 10 minutes but I can see how that can be a life saver. I am pretty amazed.

Can you run your fridge off it?

For sure! Fridges are single digit amps, and compressor startups are designed to fit within a 15A outlet capability.

 

[Madman]

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a35152752/powered-house-ford-f-150-hybrid/

I Powered My House with the Ford F-150 Hybrid
The F-150 Hybrid's onboard generator produces 7.2 kW of power. So if the power goes out, can you use your truck to power your house? We decided to find out.

Where I live, power outages are a frequent fact of life. Lots of trees coexist with rickety above-ground power lines, until the moment they don't. A few years ago, during Hurricane Florence, we lost power for four days. Fortunately, I bought a little Honda EU2200i generator ahead of the storm. It was enough to power up the essentials. But even with that, I had to choose what to run, and when. If I'd had a 2021 F-150 Hybrid in the driveway, it would have been a different story. Because, given the right extension cords and power strips, the F-150 Hybrid can power your house.

The PowerBoost drivetrain is cool on its own—with 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, it's the quickest non-Raptor-engine F-150 we've ever tested, while improving fuel economy by 20 percent—but the onboard generator is the intriguing option. Dubbed Pro Power Onboard, it's available in several different outputs, from 2.0 kilowatts (with the 2.7-liter V-6 and 5.0 V-8) up to a maximum of 7.2 kilowatts with the twin-turbo3.5-liter V-6. And that latter number is enough to run your whole damn house. I know because I have a 7.4-kilowatt solar array and a net electric meter that tells me whether I'm using grid power or pushing electricity back out. On a sunny day, I'm running my house and sending electrons to my neighbors. It stands to reason, then, that this truck in the driveway could also power my house. So I decided to try it. (There is a third way, but backfilling via a 240-volt plug without a transfer switch, while safe when done properly, adds considerable risk.)

You can use the F-150's generator as your personal electric utility in two ways. In the most elegant scenario, you'd run a cable from the 30-amp, 240-volt outlet in the bed to a 30-amp transfer switch and directly power selected circuits in your house. No extension cords, no breaking out your World's Greatest Dad table lamp to light your kitchen counter. I do not have a transfer switch. So, extension cords it is.

Below the 30-amp plug are four regular 120-volt outlets, and each pair of these is a 20-amp circuit rated for 2400 watts. (There are 120-volt outlets in the interior, too.) That's a lot of power. To safely make the most of it, you need thick extension cords. Which, fortunately, I have. The main one I use in outages is rated for 1875 watts. I have others in various lengths and gauges to construct my own messy indoor power grid. I powered up the truck, plugged in my cords and got to work.

With my Honda generator, I can run the essentials—fridge, some lights, fans, TV—but I might have to unplug something if I want to run a power-hungry appliance like a coffee maker (600 watts) or microwave (1500 watts). To test the F-150, I plugged in as many things as I could think of, all at once: coffee maker, Shark vac, TV, internet modem and router, tankless gas hot water heater, fridge, garage fridge, and a couple lamps. Oh, and while we're at it, let's get the wrinkles out of some clothes with my 1400-watt iron. I don't normally vacuum, make coffee, and iron clothes all at once, but these are the things we do for science.

The F-150 ran everything simultaneously, and could have handled more. I know this because the generator display on the 12-inch dash screen shows exactly how much power you're demanding at any given moment. My various gadgets devoured 3200 watts, which is way beyond the draw that would have caused my Honda to blow its circuit breaker. This is more than half of the power available to 120-volts, but less than half of the system capacity if I were running my house off the 240-volt feed. In fact, the truck seemed bored with this assignment. Occasionally, the V-6 would shut down and leave the truck's 1.5-kWh lithium battery to run the show, resulting in the quietest 7.2-kW generator you'll ever hear. There's a muted whirr from beneath the truck, and that's it.

But, you ask, why wouldn't you just buy a 7200-watt generator? Because if you're buying an F-150 Hybrid, the 7200-watt Pro Power Onboard is a $750 option. (The 2400 watt output, with two outlets, is standard.) You will not get a sophisticated 7000-watt generator for $750. You might find one that sounds like Randy Quaid's lawnmower from the underrated Richard Pryor film Moving, but a modern, quiet inverter generator is going to cost probably twice that. And a 7000-watt Honda—the aspirational luxury brand of generator—goes for about $4500. The F-150 generator is a deal, and you don't have to lug it around, find a place for it in your garage, or worry about the fuel going stale. It's just there, in the truck, whenever you need it.

Ford seems to envision Pro Power Onboard as a tool for contractors or outdoorsy types, running saws on a job site or charging up electric dirt bikes at a remote riding spot. And it can do those things. But when a tree goes down and the lights go out, it could also be the MVP right there in your driveway.

Love this real world account! Thank you, Peter!

Coincidentally, I recently spoke with my electrician about installing a transfer switch for just this reason! He said it was easy but recommended waiting until I get the truck so he would know what connector to order (more waiting ...)

He also alluded to a less expensive and equally safe approach. I’ll share that experience here in the Forum as I learn more.

 

[daemonic3]

Love this real world account! Thank you, Peter!

Coincidentally, I recently spoke with my electrician about installing a transfer switch for just this reason! He said it was easy but recommended waiting until I get the truck so he would know what connector to order (more waiting ...)

He also alluded to a less expensive and equally safe approach. I’ll share that experience here in the Forum as I learn more.

The connector on the truck is called a Nema L14-30 and is called a 240V/120V 30A connector. Extremely common for generators.

 

[Madman]

The connector on the truck is called a Nema L14-30 and is called a 240V/120V 30A connector. Extremely common for generators.

Thank you, Daemonic3. Very helpful.

 

[Sergeant Gearhead]

That was unexpected. I know that Ford said you can charge a bunch of stuff with the PowerBoost, but I didn't know it could do that much. Nor did I know you could charge a Mach-E as well. Gives a whole new meaning to jump-starting your battery lol

 

[daemonic3]

It's pretty awesome, you can watch this video where he talks about charging an EV.


It won't *quite* be as fast as a true 240V 50A wall or EV charge station as the truck is "only" 240V 30A, but it WILL do it! He maxed out the truck with that charger, pretty cool.

 

[2017 Silver Lobo]

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a35152752/powered-house-ford-f-150-hybrid/

I Powered My House with the Ford F-150 Hybrid
The F-150 Hybrid's onboard generator produces 7.2 kW of power. So if the power goes out, can you use your truck to power your house? We decided to find out.

Where I live, power outages are a frequent fact of life. Lots of trees coexist with rickety above-ground power lines, until the moment they don't. A few years ago, during Hurricane Florence, we lost power for four days. Fortunately, I bought a little Honda EU2200i generator ahead of the storm. It was enough to power up the essentials. But even with that, I had to choose what to run, and when. If I'd had a 2021 F-150 Hybrid in the driveway, it would have been a different story. Because, given the right extension cords and power strips, the F-150 Hybrid can power your house.

The PowerBoost drivetrain is cool on its own—with 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, it's the quickest non-Raptor-engine F-150 we've ever tested, while improving fuel economy by 20 percent—but the onboard generator is the intriguing option. Dubbed Pro Power Onboard, it's available in several different outputs, from 2.0 kilowatts (with the 2.7-liter V-6 and 5.0 V-8) up to a maximum of 7.2 kilowatts with the twin-turbo3.5-liter V-6. And that latter number is enough to run your whole damn house. I know because I have a 7.4-kilowatt solar array and a net electric meter that tells me whether I'm using grid power or pushing electricity back out. On a sunny day, I'm running my house and sending electrons to my neighbors. It stands to reason, then, that this truck in the driveway could also power my house. So I decided to try it. (There is a third way, but backfilling via a 240-volt plug without a transfer switch, while safe when done properly, adds considerable risk.)

You can use the F-150's generator as your personal electric utility in two ways. In the most elegant scenario, you'd run a cable from the 30-amp, 240-volt outlet in the bed to a 30-amp transfer switch and directly power selected circuits in your house. No extension cords, no breaking out your World's Greatest Dad table lamp to light your kitchen counter. I do not have a transfer switch. So, extension cords it is.

Below the 30-amp plug are four regular 120-volt outlets, and each pair of these is a 20-amp circuit rated for 2400 watts. (There are 120-volt outlets in the interior, too.) That's a lot of power. To safely make the most of it, you need thick extension cords. Which, fortunately, I have. The main one I use in outages is rated for 1875 watts. I have others in various lengths and gauges to construct my own messy indoor power grid. I powered up the truck, plugged in my cords and got to work.

With my Honda generator, I can run the essentials—fridge, some lights, fans, TV—but I might have to unplug something if I want to run a power-hungry appliance like a coffee maker (600 watts) or microwave (1500 watts). To test the F-150, I plugged in as many things as I could think of, all at once: coffee maker, Shark vac, TV, internet modem and router, tankless gas hot water heater, fridge, garage fridge, and a couple lamps. Oh, and while we're at it, let's get the wrinkles out of some clothes with my 1400-watt iron. I don't normally vacuum, make coffee, and iron clothes all at once, but these are the things we do for science.

The F-150 ran everything simultaneously, and could have handled more. I know this because the generator display on the 12-inch dash screen shows exactly how much power you're demanding at any given moment. My various gadgets devoured 3200 watts, which is way beyond the draw that would have caused my Honda to blow its circuit breaker. This is more than half of the power available to 120-volts, but less than half of the system capacity if I were running my house off the 240-volt feed. In fact, the truck seemed bored with this assignment. Occasionally, the V-6 would shut down and leave the truck's 1.5-kWh lithium battery to run the show, resulting in the quietest 7.2-kW generator you'll ever hear. There's a muted whirr from beneath the truck, and that's it.

But, you ask, why wouldn't you just buy a 7200-watt generator? Because if you're buying an F-150 Hybrid, the 7200-watt Pro Power Onboard is a $750 option. (The 2400 watt output, with two outlets, is standard.) You will not get a sophisticated 7000-watt generator for $750. You might find one that sounds like Randy Quaid's lawnmower from the underrated Richard Pryor film Moving, but a modern, quiet inverter generator is going to cost probably twice that. And a 7000-watt Honda—the aspirational luxury brand of generator—goes for about $4500. The F-150 generator is a deal, and you don't have to lug it around, find a place for it in your garage, or worry about the fuel going stale. It's just there, in the truck, whenever you need it.

Ford seems to envision Pro Power Onboard as a tool for contractors or outdoorsy types, running saws on a job site or charging up electric dirt bikes at a remote riding spot. And it can do those things. But when a tree goes down and the lights go out, it could also be the MVP right there in your driveway.

Thanks for this experiment. Was an idea I also had as we are prone to power outages as well. Excellent write up. Really proves the versatility of the power boost. If only they'll make it in the Tremor where it could really be useful.

 

[daemonic3]

Gonna load up a mini fridge full of milks and creamers, a couple of coffee and espresso machines, jugs of bottled water, and supply of beans. Then head into popular dry campgrounds and charge them an s-ton for some morning lattes and cappucinos. Will make up the cost of the Powerboost in 2 weekends, easy! Can sell at least an hour worth of coffees during silent hours before the engine ever kicks on

 

[TheOne]

That was a great test thanks for sharing it. I'm going to get the PowerBoost on my F-150 and this has made my mind up on spending the extra $750 7.2kw option.

 

[libby2cm]

This is why i ordered my platinum with it.. planning to get rid of my portable generator when/if my truck shows up. It's inverted too, so good clean power for electronics. I have a panel tie in as well.

 

[J509]

Love this real world account! Thank you, Peter!

Coincidentally, I recently spoke with my electrician about installing a transfer switch for just this reason! He said it was easy but recommended waiting until I get the truck so he would know what connector to order (more waiting ...)

He also alluded to a less expensive and equally safe approach. I’ll share that experience here in the Forum as I learn more.

I plan to do this as well once I get my truck, hopefully mid February, I will have the electrician install a connection on the outside wall of the house so that when the power is out I can just back up to it and plug in. They will install a kit in the panel box to prevent back feeding the power line.

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