EVs Earn Money for Owners, Keep Power on During Blackouts With V2G

On October 28, 2025, Ford introduced Home Power Management, a new feature that allows F-150 Lightning owners in select markets to charge their truck during times when electricity is cheaper and then use that stored energy later to power their home when rates increase. In some areas, owners can even send excess energy back to the grid and potentially earn financial rewards from their utility provider.

Electric vehicles are already known for being cheaper to own than gas vehicles and hybrids, quick acceleration and eliminating gas station stops. Now they can also act as a personal energy asset. With the right setup, your F-150 Lightning can store low-cost electricity and put that energy to work, helping lower your utility bills or generating income.

Ford already offers programs like Ford Energy Rewards, which provides incentives for off-peak charging, and Home Backup Power, which turns the F-150 Lightning into a home generator during outages. Home Power Management builds on those capabilities. By charging overnight during low-demand periods and powering your home during peak hours, some customers could save an estimated $42 per month, or around $500 per year. Depending on the utility program, savings may be even higher. For example, Ford customers using TXU Energy in Texas could save an average of $900 per year.

If you need to drive, simply unplug or use the Ford Energy app to stop powering your home. The system continually checks charge levels to ensure the truck has enough energy for driving.

New Pilot Program with DTE Energy

Ford and Michigan-based DTE Energy have launched a pilot program with select Ford employees who own an F-150 Lightning equipped with Home Power Management. Participants are compensated for using their truck’s battery to reduce home energy usage during peak demand periods. The program uses Ford’s smart energy platform, ChargeScape, to automatically schedule charging and power transfers.

These programs are among the first in the country to pay EV owners for sharing stored battery energy with the grid, helping reduce strain on power infrastructure and lowering overall energy costs.

Customer Story: Burlington, Vermont

Peter Schneider, already using Home Backup Power, tested Home Power Management during a stretch of extreme heat when demand on the electrical grid surged. By sending more than 8 kWh of power back to his home on average each day, he helped reduce grid strain at the peak of summer.

Customer Story: Highland, Maryland

After witnessing the Texas winter power crisis in 2021, Brian Foreman bought an F-150 Lightning and Home Integration System. In mid-2024, he became the first customer to power his home during peak demand hours using stored energy from his truck. In 2025, he joined a new pilot program with BG&E and Sunrun that allowed him to return power to the grid. He transferred an average of 23.5 kWh per day and earned up to $1,000 for sharing energy.

Powering a More Resilient Future

Home Power Management is reshaping the relationship between drivers, their vehicles, and the energy grid. Ford is working with utilities and policymakers to refine the technology and expand access, aiming to make advanced energy management simple and affordable for more customers.

FAQ

Is this the same as Home Backup Power?
No. Home Backup Power automatically powers your home during an outage. Home Power Management manages daily energy use for cost savings.

Where is it available?
Availability depends on utilities that offer time-of-use electricity rates and participate in Ford’s programs.

What equipment is required?

An F-150 Lightning

Ford Charge Station Pro

Home Integration System

Home Power Management software

How much can I save?
Up to about $500 per year, depending on energy rates and utility programs.

EVinfo.net’s Take: Why V2X, V2H, and V2G Are Global Game Changers for Drivers and the Grid

Electric vehicles are evolving from simple transportation into mobile energy assets. Technologies such as Vehicle to Everything (V2X), Vehicle to Home (V2H), and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) shift the role of the EV battery from a one-way consumer of electricity to a flexible, two-way energy resource. This shift has worldwide implications for both drivers and the energy grid. Learn more at the Vehicle-Grid Integration Council website.

For drivers, these technologies create new financial and practical benefits. EV owners can lower their energy bills by charging their vehicles when electricity costs are low, such as overnight, and then using that stored energy to power their homes or businesses when electricity rates increase. During outages or extreme weather, the EV serves as a dependable backup power source, restoring power without emissions or gasoline. In markets where utilities compensate customers, EV owners can even earn money by sending excess stored energy back to the grid during high demand periods. This transforms the EV into an asset that can generate value instead of just sitting idle most of the time.

For utilities and the electrical grid, V2X and V2G provide a flexible, distributed energy network. When demand spikes, energy stored in EV batteries can support the grid, reducing strain on aging infrastructure and helping avoid blackouts. Stored energy can also support greater use of renewable energy by storing solar or wind power when it is plentiful and discharging that energy when needed. Instead of investing in expensive new power plants or grid upgrades, utilities can tap into the storage capacity already available in EV batteries. This reduces the need for fossil fuel peaker plants, which are expensive and highly polluting.

The larger impact is a new model for how energy is produced, stored, and managed. V2X turns millions of EVs into a global, decentralized energy network. Households gain more control over energy costs. Utilities gain new energy storage capacity without building new infrastructure. Communities become more resilient during outages, storms, or high demand events.

Electric vehicles will not just drive on electricity. They will help drive the future of electricity.

Why EVs, Renewables and V2G Are Best for American National Security

Electric vehicles (EVs) strengthen U.S. national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil and increasing energy independence, especially V2G-enabled EVs. By running on domestically produced electricity, especially from renewable sources, the U.S. can avoid vulnerabilities tied to unstable global oil markets and supply disruptions. A decentralized, renewable-powered grid also enhances resilience, since electricity can be generated and distributed locally. Technologies like battery storage and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems further improve reliability and allow EVs to serve as emergency power sources, strengthening national security even more.

The U.S. military benefits as well, as the Department of Defense tests electric tactical vehicles that are quieter, have lower heat signatures, and reduce the risks and costs of transporting fuel in combat zones. The 1970s oil crisis highlighted the dangers of oil dependence, showing how supply disruptions can cripple the economy. EVs eliminate that risk by relying on domestic energy, ensuring the nation can keep moving even during global tensions.

In 2023, the U.S. imported about 8.51 million barrels of petroleum per day, with roughly 76 percent being crude oil. Switching to EVs keeps energy spending within the U.S., supporting domestic jobs, power generation, and renewable energy development. Expanding charging infrastructure further stimulates local economies and tax revenue.

America’s future depends not on dirty, polluting, expensive fossil fuels, but on clean, cheap renewable energy, amazing breakthroughs like V2G, and cheaper-to-own electric vehicles. EVinfo.net urges support of politicians who back these smart, clean, cost-saving technologies. Vote at the ballot box and with your pocketbook for EVs and clean energy, for a cleaner, brighter, cost-saving future.