{
  "id": 16937261,
  "title": "Ford's $30K Fathom electric pickup can be used as your home's battery backup without a separate inverter",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/fords-30k-fathom-electric-pickup-can-be-used-as-your-homes-battery",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-28T18:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechSpot",
    "slug": "techspot",
    "url": "https://www.techspot.com/news/114364-ford-30k-fathom-electric-pickup-can-used-home.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ford's upcoming mid-size electric pickup, the Fathom, offers a unique feature that could make it a valuable addition to households and businesses alike: bidirectional charging. This capability allows the Fathom to not only draw power from the grid but also send power back to homes and external devices during emergencies. Unlike Ford's current F-150 Lightning, the Fathom will not require a separate expensive inverter to perform this task. Instead, it will rely on an inverter built into the truck itself, significantly reducing the cost. While owners will still need to purchase Ford's Home Power Station and second-generation Home Backup Panel to send power back to the grid, these additional components will be considerably cheaper than what's required for the Lightning. The second-generation backup panel is expected to cost around $2,000, compared to the $5,000 of the predecessor. This means that using the Fathom as an emergency power source could add roughly $2,500 to $3,000 to the truck's original price. Despite this additional cost, the Fathom remains a more affordable option compared to similar solutions currently offered by other American automakers. Ford is also working with several utility companies across the US and Canada to implement a vehicle-to-grid pilot program, ensuring the Fathom's bidirectional charging feature complies with existing safety standards and regulations. The Fathom, built on Ford's new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform, represents the company's bold bet on electric vehicles, positioning it to compete with the growing number of affordable EVs from China. With a starting price of $28,350, the Fathom is set to usher in a new era of electric pickups and could help Ford stay ahead of the competition.",
  "summary": "According to Ford, the Fathom's bidirectional charging feature will rely on a built-in inverter, eliminating the need for the expensive 80A wall-mounted unit required by the F-150 Lightning. The inverter will convert power from the truck's battery into AC electricity, supplying up to 10 kW to a home. This would... Read Entire Article",
  "key_points": [
    "Fathom electric pickup offers bidirectional charging capability.",
    "Inverter built into truck reduces cost compared to previous models.",
    "Second-generation Home Backup Panel costs around $2,000."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}