The Weird Way Ford Is Helping Tesla
Discover the super unconventional way that owners of the Ford F-150 Lightning are helping out Tesla owners.
This article is more than 2 years old
Keeping a set of jumper cables in your car is always an advantageous idea in the event that you find yourself stranded on the side of the road, or on the occasion you may come across a person in need of some help. However, did you ever wonder what the equivalent of jumper cables would be in an electric car? Ford did, and then they made it! It’s called bi-directional charging and it’s a feature it packed into all of its new F-150 Lightning EVs. Similar to jumper cables, a bi-directional charging cable enables the Ford F-150 Lightning’s internal generator to charge another electric vehicle. Now, according to The Verge, Ford just came out with an adapter that will allow the feature to work with Teslas, too. So in a really weird way, Ford is extending an olive branch to Tesla owners.
News of the accessory’s existence first popped up on a forum for proud new Ford F-150 Lightning owners to show off their flashy pickups. The owner posted a picture of the bi-lateral charging adapter meant for Teslas at the request of another forum member who exclaimed that they loved the idea of “helping out stranded Teslas!” The Ford owner in possession of the adapter responded in kind and humorously replied, “Lightning to the rescue. Now we can help those poor dead Teslas!”
The fact that Ford actually included a charging adaptor to help “dead Teslas” came as a surprise to all the new F-150 Lightning owners. Mostly because Ford never gave any mention that it would be included. They didn’t even list it amongst all the other accessories that come bundled in with the car. Logically though, Ford would have been very purposeful about the inclusion of an adapter meant to connect to a Tesla because all of Tesla’s connections are proprietary. Regardless, judging by the overwhelming response on the forum, Ford F-150 lighting owners are getting quite a kick over the fact that they could be a savior to a Tesla. One member even wrote that they would proudly advertise it with a bumper sticker that would read “Tesla Rescue Squad.”
The whole concept of a Ford saving a Tesla certainly served to spark a lot of humor. However, the integrated charging feature itself will likely prove to be exceedingly useful for many folks, for reasons other than just helping out another EV owner. This is because bi-lateral charging is made possible by the internal generator in the trucks.
The generator can be used for a variety of things. For instance, it can be used to power any electrical equipment and creature comforts should you go on a camping trip. It will also certainly prove useful for folks who like to frequently go off-grid. The F-150 comes standard with a generator capable of pumping out electricity at 2.4 kilowatts. There is also an upgradable 9.4 kilowatts option. Conveniently the generator’s power can be accessed from a variety of outlets found in the EV’s frunk, interior cabin, and flatbed. All in all, Ford Certainly did not miss a beat with its F-150 Lightning.
