Ford Fathom aims to bring bidirectional EV power below $30,000 with no extra inverter
Ford says its 2027 Fathom electric truck will be the first EV from a U.S. automaker priced under $30,000 that can send over a projected 10 kW of AC power to a home without a separate wall-mounted inverter.
- below $30,000
- over 10 kW
- more than 3,000
- at least 60%
What Happened
Energy needs are evolving as more energy-intensive technologies emerge and extreme weather events become more frequent, and utilities are exploring additional resources to meet demand and keep service reliable. Bidirectional power lets energy flow both ways, turning an electric vehicle into mobile energy storage for customers and an additional energy source for the grid, but getting it to scale has not happened yet. Cost has been the biggest obstacle: EV batteries store direct current while homes use alternating current, and converting between the two has traditionally required costly external equipment such as an inverter. That price tag kept the technology in premium vehicles and in the hands of early adopters.
over 10 kW
Supplied by the 2027 Ford Fathom electric truck without a separate wall-mounted inverter
Ford started from a clean sheet on the Universal EV Platform's bidirectional hardware and software after acquiring the startup Auto Motive Power in 2023, with the goal of redesigning the system to cost far less rather than simply adding bidirectional power. The result uses fewer multifunctional parts and builds the inverter right into the vehicle's E-box, one of the five main modules in the vehicle, so the system is simpler and more affordable. Fathom's system is also designed to meet all applicable UL 1741 requirements and comply with IEEE 1547 interconnection standards to ensure the vehicle connects safely to the grid. It uses an existing communications technology standard called SAE J3068 with LIN-CP, developed at the University of Delaware, which also helps reduce the cost of Fathom's charger.
- Charge the vehicle's battery when electricity is less expensive and use it to power the home when electricity is more expensive, which may help lower electricity bills; the only hardware required is Ford's Home Power Station, expected to cost about half as much as Ford's first-generation bidirectional charger.
- Send power to a customer's home when the power goes out; customers need the Ford Home Power Station plus the Ford Home Backup Power Panel, expected to cost at least 60% less than Ford's first-generation home backup hardware.
Ford acquires the startup Auto Motive Power, then starts from a clean sheet on bidirectional hardware and software for the Universal EV Platform.
Ford forms a utility working group with five major utilities: American Electric Power, BC Hydro, Consumers Energy, Exelon, and Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
The all-new Ford Fathom electric truck arrives as the first EV from a U.S. automaker with an MSRP below $30,000 that does not need a separate wall-mounted inverter.
- Recognize differences: make interconnection regulations and utility procedures clear when they apply to bidirectional EVs. Interconnection should not be required for customers who only use their EV for charging or isolated backup power — only to operate a bidirectional EV in parallel with the grid.
- Anticipate change: update interconnection procedures, or where necessary interconnection regulations, to incorporate the latest bidirectional EV charging standards, including standards applying to both DC- and AC-type systems.
- Solve together: work collaboratively across utilities, regulators and OEMs to update interconnection regulations and utility procedures so bidirectional EVs can be adopted and easily interconnected.
Affordable hardware is only part of the equation: utilities and regulators also need processes that make it easier for customers to connect bidirectional EVs to the grid and participate in utility programs such as virtual power plants. The opportunity is significant for utilities, but there are more than 3,000 utilities across the U.S. and Canada with largely unique interconnection processes. Those processes were primarily written for rooftop solar and stationary battery storage, which are fixed assets, while bidirectional EVs bring new considerations because they are vehicles first, not stationary equipment. Ford says bidirectional EVs at this volume are new territory for everyone, and it is inviting utilities and regulators working on these opportunities to reach out and collaborate.
Why this matters
Bidirectional power has stayed limited to premium vehicles and early adopters because the extra hardware was costly; cheaper hardware could put home backup and bill-saving capability within reach of mainstream EV buyers. Ford is also lining up utilities early, because interconnection rules were written for fixed assets like rooftop solar and stationary battery storage, not vehicles. The five utilities in Ford's working group and the regulators behind those rules are the other half of the equation.
Terms in This Story
- Bidirectional power
- A technology that lets electricity flow both ways, so a vehicle battery can send power back out as well as take it in.
- Inverter
- Equipment that converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC), the form of electricity homes use.
- Virtual power plant (VPP)
- A utility program that pools many small, distributed energy resources, such as customer batteries, so they can be called on like a single power plant.
- Interconnection
- The process and set of rules for connecting a device to the electric grid.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.