Ford unveiled two new electric‑vehicle chargers that will let its upcoming Fathom pickup act as a battery for a home or the grid. The chargers are priced at roughly half of Ford’s current bidirectional models, which could make vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) technology more accessible to a broader range of households. The Fathom itself will start at $28,350 and is expected to supply “over 10 kW” of power to a residence, enough to replace a small standby generator. While most U.S. homes would need additional sources for full‑time operation, the truck could keep a refrigerator and an air‑conditioner running for about twelve hours.
The ability to feed power back into a home has been promoted as a key advantage of EVs over gasoline vehicles, but many models lack the necessary hardware and the required chargers have traditionally been expensive. Ford’s two offerings provide similar yet distinct functions. The Home Power Station lets owners charge the Fathom when electricity rates are low and discharge it back into the house when rates rise, helping to lower utility bills. Ford says this unit will cost about $650, roughly 50 % less than its first‑generation counterpart.
The second option, called Home Backup Power, bundles the Home Power Station with a Home Backup Panel. This combination enables the Fathom to supply power to part or all of a home during an outage. The package is priced at approximately $2,100, about 60 % cheaper than the earlier version. Installation costs are not included; existing V2X setups can require up to $10,000 depending on the amount of electrical work needed. Ford did not name any installation partners, though a spokesperson told TechCrunch that more information will be released later.
Which appliances the Fathom can support will depend on the household’s wiring and the specific installation. Devices such as air conditioners and refrigerators typically draw a large surge of power at startup before settling to a lower draw. Soft‑start devices can reduce that surge, but they add to the overall cost.
Both chargers also allow owners to join virtual power plants (VPPs), networks that use software to coordinate distributed energy storage like EVs to ease grid congestion. As AI data centers increase demand on the grid, utilities are exploring VPPs as a way to manage load at the edges. Fathom owners who keep their trucks plugged in can sell electricity back to the grid, often at a premium. Ford did not disclose exact earnings, but participants in similar programs can see payouts of $1,000 or more per year, depending on grid needs and participation levels.
Ford’s move into VPPs with the Fathom reflects a broader industry push into energy‑storage services as demand for such capabilities grows. This is likely the first of several initiatives the automaker will launch in the space.
Tim De Chant, senior climate reporter at TechCrunch, contributed the story. He has written for Wired, the Chicago Tribune, Ars Technica and other outlets, and teaches in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing. De Chant holds a PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from UC Berkeley.