Duke Energy to test use of Ford F-150 Lightning EV Truck at Florida Grid Edge

Duke Energy will launch a research and development pilot program in Florida to test and evaluate the feasibility of using the high-capacity batteries in the new Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric trucks as a grid edge resource, facilitating bidirectional charging from EVs to power homes during outages.

In the pilot, Duke Energy will add about five Ford F-150 Lightning trucks to its fleet in the state and perform additional testing of the technology. The testing will focus on homes with solar energy and stationary storage and use the Ford Charge Station Pro and Intelligent Backup Power Home Integration System’s bidirectional charging infrastructure.

Vehicle-to-grid integration will push and pull energy between the connected electric trucks and the grid.

The pilot will also focus on real-world use cases, like how the vehicle interacts with the other distributed energy resources owned by the customer, like rooftop photovoltaic and batteries, how the battery powers homes during outages and how it supplies power to the grid during peak hours.

“We’re continually testing clean energy innovations to gauge how they perform in complex real-life scenarios,” said Lon Huber, Duke Energy’s Senior Vice President of Pricing and Customer Solutions. “Like our customers, we’re excited about the prospects of these advancements, and we’re working to evaluate them in controlled environments so we can find ways to maximize their value and benefits.”

The F-150 Lightning is a 10-kW smart distributed energy resource with software updates and offers the functionality of a full-sized truck with innovative features. Vehicles like the Ford F-150 Lightning feature an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine and function as an electric power generator on wheels.

EV batteries can be connected to it, expanding energy storage capacity, which can be used for customers’ needs and delivered back to the power grid.

The F-150 Lightning also has an Intelligent Backup Power, which enables customers to power homes for up to 10 days during power outages. This feature is available when purchased with the required installation equipment.

Sunrun is the preferred installer for the F-150 Lightning home charging solutions.

“Ford’s electric vehicles are unlocking new possibilities in energy management for our customers, becoming valuable energy storage sources that are changing the game on the benefits an EV can deliver,” said Steven Croley, Chief Policy Officer and General Counsel, Ford Motor Co. “Alongside Duke Energy and our mutual customers, we’re working to fine-tune and expand these capabilities that will not only power their lives, but also accelerate the development of a less carbon-intensive grid.”