Ford announced this morning that owners of the forthcoming Fathom—its sub‑$30,000 electric pickup slated for release next year—will receive more than just a vehicle. In previous vehicle‑to‑home setups, such as the system Ford used for the discontinued F‑150 Lightning, DC power from the electric truck was routed through an inverter located in a wall‑mounted box, which then converted the electricity to AC for household use. The Fathom, however, will have the inverter installed directly in the truck, allowing every unit to function as a backup power source for a home.
After a decade of waiting for an affordable electric truck, two very different models are arriving at nearly the same time, and they illustrate the divergent directions the market can take. One is the Blank Slate, a minimalist two‑door offering from a brand‑new startup that strips away features many consumers say they want, such as an onboard modem, touchscreens, and an infotainment system.
The other is Ford’s answer, a product of the Detroit automaker’s deep dive into Chinese EV designs and the question of how to produce a vehicle at a low price point. While the Fathom will cost about $5,000 more than the Slate, that premium buys additional doors, modern conveniences like an infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, electric windows, and access to Ford’s extensive dealer network for service—a factor that may matter given the number of recalls Ford issues each year.