As you likely already know, a disaster-level snow-storm that slammed Texas this week. It left millions stuck in the cold with no power whatsoever—and no heat. While the situation has already improved with many thousand residents getting power back yesterday, one clever Ford F-150 owner was able to use his truck to power key appliances while he waited for the lights to come back on.
The F-150 with the onboard Pro Power generator was able to power some lights, a toaster, a space heater, and even his fridge—all just by running some extension cords from the truck into the house. That MacGyver-level improvisation caught Ford CEO Jim Farley’s attention, and Ford has now stepped in to play a bigger part in the matter. Today Ford officially asked its dealers in Texas to loan out F-150s with the Pro Power option as a way of literally delivering power to many of those who are still living without it.
According to Automotive News, Ford is asking its dealer network in Texas to put F-150s with the Pro Power Onboard feature into loaner fleets. The hope is that action will allow at least some residents to restore power to some of their key appliances. Several models are available with Power Pro Onboard: gas-powered models with any engine except the 3.3-liter V-6 come with an optional 2 kW unit. PowerBoost Hybrids have a standard 2.4 kW generator, and an optional 7.2 kW unit is available that can provide power for up to 32 hours at max load (on a full tank of fuel) is available.
Ford says that even the least powerful version of the generator is strong enough to power heaters, TVs, blenders, mini fridges, and other, smaller accessories like a string of lights and so on. Ford current has 415 trucks with generators on Texan lots right now, and the hope is they can mobilize them to areas that need them.
