The most popular car in the US got electrified. Yes, if you haven’t heard, the Ford F-150 truck is getting an electric version named the F-150 Lightning. While the American demand with trucks has been more hard work-oriented, the F-150 Lighting packs some intelligent features - one of which being the Intelligent Backup Power option.
Among the very exciting list of features that make the Ford F-150 Lighting a power station to power up your entire house and lower your electricity bill raises a big question on the price that makes the magic work. Let’s find out more on price and benefits.
A Closer Look At Ford Charge Station Pro
First and foremost, the Ford Charge Station Pro is essentially a home charging port for your Ford Lightning. It can fully charge the Lightning in 8 hours, which is the fastest home charging, or it can charge up to give you a range of 30 miles with every hour of charging.
The Ford Charge Station Pro will cost $1,310 according to Ford. This will be applicable to all Ford F-150 Lighting owners who choose the Standard Range battery pack. Lightning models with the Extended Range battery pack already come with the Charge Station Pro, so no extras need to be paid.
The Charge Station Pro is an 80-ampere level two charging station that employs a "combo" connector instead of the conventional J1172 connector found on North American level one and level two charging points. This also gives the F-150 Lighting with the Charge Station Pro the ability to act as a generator that can power up an entire house. A fully charged F-150 Lightning can power up a house for 3 days, but that can be extended to 10 days if rotating the power.
This however doesn’t magically plug and play as there are a number of requirements for this to work. Firstly, the house must have the “home installation set-up” established. This will ensure no grounding or similar electrical shocks can happen around the house.
A dedicated 100-amp circuit is required for the charging station to be plugged into - power can be tuned down to as little as 20-amps despite the F-150 pumping out all of its 40-amps as it runs on a different wiring feed. This dedicated inverter will turn the electric feed from your F-150 Lighting from DC to AC.
Is The Ford Charge Station Pro Worth It?
Enough with the technical side, and let’s talk about whether this would be a good investment for your truck and house at the same time. Considering the $1,310 price tag of the Charge Station Pro and the bits of modification that can make the thing run, this seems like a better deal from the ClipperCreek CS-100, an 80-amp charging station that retails for $2,195.
On top of that, the Ford F-150 lighting already comes in at a very reasonable price. Starting at a $40,0000 base price before any government incentives, the extra $1,310 doesn’t add much to the bill considering this feature will come in very handy when electricity blacks out. On the other side, picking up a Ford F-150 lighting just because it can act as a generator isn’t the best idea out there, as there are fully-automatic power stations that can do the same and be stationary at your house - cars are meant to be driven. At a final take, considering the budget-friendly price offered by Ford, the Charge Station Pro will be a good investment if you are already thinking about buying an electric truck.