Ford's Cheapest EV Will Be Able to Power Your Home

Ford plans to give its most affordable electric vehicle a feature that has so far been limited mostly to higher-priced models: built-in bidirectional charging. That means the car can do more than pull power from a home charger. It can also push energy from its battery back into the house.

The practical appeal is backup power. A household with a compatible setup could draw on the car's battery during an outage or when grid electricity is expensive, instead of relying only on the utility. For owners, that turns a vehicle parked in the driveway into a source of stored energy as well as a means of transport.

The headline alone does not say how much the feature will cost to add or whether it will work with every home electrical setup. Bidirectional charging typically depends on a compatible charger and on how the local utility handles power sent back to the grid, so buyers will want to check those requirements before counting on the feature.

The report also left out pricing and a timeline for the vehicle. Those details will determine how much of an advantage this feature gives Ford in the affordable EV segment, where buyers have been especially sensitive to cost. We will update this story if Ford releases specifics.