Randy Jones, of Katy, Texas, was using his 2021 Ford F-150 to power space heaters and other appliances throughout his home when it lost power during the winter storm earlier this week.
Source: Randy Jones
When Randy Jones of Katy, Texas bought his new Ford F-150 a few weeks ago, he didn’t think he would use it to turn on the lights in his home during a historic winter storm that left millions of people without power.
The on-board generator of the Ford F-150 Hybrid Truck 2021 “gives you the opportunity to use your truck like a mobile generator” which, according to Ford, can generate an output of up to 7.2 kW.
In a phone interview with CNBC, 66-year-old Jones said he bought the truck due in part to this feature, adding that it frequently loses power due to hurricanes and other storms. When he lost power on Sunday evening, he pulled out a couple of extension cords and decided to put the generator to the test.
“Without them, I would have been in the dark and cold like everyone else in the neighborhood,” said the retired refinery worker, adding that he was helping the neighbors charge their phones and laptops. “Quite a few neighbors said, ‘Hey, I’m getting one like’ I’ll trade my Dodge or GMC ‘because we always have blackouts in South Texas with hurricanes and things like that.” “
Jones said he used the truck’s on-board generator for three days to power appliances in his home until electricity was restored on Wednesday. He is not alone. Jerry Hall, 73, bought his new F-150 in late January. It turned out to be perfect timing, he said.
“The truck saved the day,” the Kerrville, Texas resident said in a telephone interview. Hall said his house lost power from Sunday evening through Thursday morning. “Without the truck it would have been three miserable days.”
Hall said he and his wife still passed those days without heat, but they could run extension cords from the truck into the house to power lights, the refrigerator, television, and other luxuries.
“It connected us to the outside world,” he said.
Hall added that “the main reason” he bought the truck was because of the built-in generator. He said last spring’s harsh weather had resulted in power outages in his part of the state, and he knew he wanted some kind of generator. It just makes sense to get a new truck with a built-in generator.
Other truck owners have posted stories similar to Hall and Jones on an online forum dedicated to F-150 owners. Photos from the forum were broadcast on Twitter, where Ford boss Jim Farley found out: