Ford Ties Up With PG&E To Pilot Bidirectional EV Charging As Power Source For Homes

Ford Motor Co F is partnering with PG&E Corp PCG to introduce a bidirectional charging feature in its electric vehicles, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the Californian utility firm's chief executive officer Patti Poppe.

What Happened: The pilot-partnership is aimed to test Ford’s soon-to-be-launched F-150 Lightning’s potential to power homes as well as connect to the grid, according to the report. 

Bidirectional charging lets electric charge travel both ways, allowing EV owners to pull power from the grid or use it as a backup to power their homes or business with specific loads.

The pilot is being tried out with PG&E customers and is capable of providing power to a home for three to five days, Reuters quoted Poppe as saying.

Ford did not respond to Benzinga's request for comment outside of business hours.

Why It Matters: Ford earlier this month revealed the pricing for its bi-directional home charging station, which will power its hotly-anticipated F-150 Lightning truck.

The company has built its own home EV-charging wall box for Lightning, with the ability to charge the electric truck 15% to 100% in eight hours. 

Ford's Charge Station Pro delivers Level 2 capability at home, unlike Tesla Inc’s TSLA DC fast chargers, which have Level 3 capability and are faster.

Ford had earlier partnered with solar power firm Sunrun Inc RUN for a similar initiative. 

PG&E is also working with General Motors Co GM to test electric cars as a backup source of home power.

Price Action: Ford stock closed 0.24% lower at $16.3 a share on Thursday.

Photo Courtesy: Ford