This article was co-written with my colleague, Chris Watson, who leads ICF’s beneficial electrification work, including fleet assessments.
From the truck delivering a package to your doorstep to your next ride to the airport, electric vehicles (EVs) are showing up everywhere. President Biden set an ambitious goal to electrify every federal government fleet vehicle, as well as half of all vehicles sold in the U.S., by 2030 as a key step in the country’s efforts to fight climate change. Even the best-selling truck in America is going electric with Ford’s plan to nearly double F-150 Lightning truck production to 150,000 vehicles a year by mid-2023. The latest move, Ford says, is in direct response to overflowing consumer demand. In short, vehicle manufacturers, regulators, and drivers are on the same page: electrify America’s wheels—and soon. But in order to meet these goals, charging infrastructure readiness needs to be prioritized as highly as vehicle innovation.
The F-150 Lightning has company—that’s a good thing
EVs are no longer limited to small two-door models that many skeptics compared to golf carts. With the arrival of the F-150 Lightning, EVs look a lot like the most popular rides of today. For context, pickups represent 20% of the annual vehicle sales in the U.S.
In addition to the rollout of the promising F-150 Lightning, consumers will be able to select an EV pickup from a growing list of manufacturers that includes Rivian (the R1T and R1S), General Motors (the electric Hummer and Silverado) and Tesla (the Cybertruck). And manufacturers are not just playing with concept cars in factory parking lots. In 2021 alone, top automakers around the globe including Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, and Toyota, all made EV commitments in the billions. That’s real money with real ambition to capture significant EV market share, boost consumer demand, and make driving more sustainable.
The charging infrastructure is just as important as the vehicles
Today’s race to win over Americans will help to cement EVs as mainstream options for clean and reliable transportation. But manufacturers need action from utilities, charging station providers, and other stakeholders around the country for EVs to really succeed.
For the pickup market, home and fleet charging are two key segments that will need to accommodate these rapidly developing technologies. Vehicle manufacturers are being transparent about their charging specifications, publishing the details for all to see. Utilities should take notice and update today’s policies and programs to prepare for tomorrow’s utility delivery and consumer power demands. Bi-directional charging, the capability for EVs to provide power to a house or worksite, is a new feature utilities should prepare to embrace. The main reason: auto manufacturers looking to scale EVs to nationwide fleets are already incorporating it.
Take the F-150 Lightning, for example. The truck can charge at home, the worksite, or fleet depot using between 32 and 80 amps, depending on the charging station. The company has also made it a point to offer a bi-directional charging option, enabling the F-150 to discharge electricity—with enough capacity to fully power a home for three days during a power outage. This approach has significant implications beyond the Ford assembly line and customer driveways.
Imagine the benefits of an EV that can power in a pinch for a state like Michigan that has nearly 1.5 million registered pickup trucks, or Florida where more than 2.5 million trucks could be replaced by the F-150 Lightning (or equivalent). Each truck has the potential to add 145 kWh to the grid each day while running on a simple plug-in connection of 32 amps at 240V.
Ford F-150 Lightning charges at a home equipped with solar panels.
Ford Motor Company
The benefits of bi-directional charging coupled with lower fuel and maintenance costs will help drive adoption in both the consumer and fleet vehicle markets. Fleets, in particular, are driven by the economics; a recent analysis from ICF’s fleet assessment team shows why fleets are tripping over each other to place orders. Along with the adoption comes the potential for grid impacts.
Across the board, there’s considerable incentive to put policies and programs in place today to help manage and shape that load as it grows. At the same time, it’s vital that customers, manufacturers, utilities, and even regulators understand what new transmission, distribution, and generation facilities may be required to keep up with the growing load. There’s homework to do and action to take.
Participation from every sector is essential to the overall success of EVs like the F-150 Lightning and policies like President Biden’s plan to electrify most American vehicles within the decade. Embracing electrification innovations, such as bi-directional charging, will multiply the value of EVs—especially as grid stress, extreme weather, and climate impacts continue to challenge infrastructure in the U.S. and around the world. As we move toward an EV future, domestic vehicle and charging innovation will be necessary for success.
