Lucas Bell 
As Texans start to slowly see their power turned back on following a historic winter storm, there are still hundreds of thousands of people who are still affected by the blackout. In order to assist in any way that they can, Ford is calling upon their dealer network in the Lone Star State to get involved. According to a report from Automotive News, the Detroit automaker has tasked their dealers with loaning out 2021 Ford F-150 models equipped with the Pro Power Onboard generator to help provide electricity to communities still facing power outages.
“For well over a century, Ford Motor Co. and our dealer partners have been there to support and serve our communities in time of need,” the letter to local dealers read. “Our Texas communities need all the support they can get right now. You can make a significant difference in our community by providing assistance during these very tough times.”
The automaker says that there are roughly 415 2021 Ford F-150 Pro Power Onboard-equipped pickup trucks sitting on dealer lots in Texas. Ford has informed dealers that they will offer dealers $600 more than they would normally pay the dealership for giving out loaner vehicles, if they add trucks vehicles to the loaner fleet. The automaker will also allow these trucks to be sold during March’s “Truck Month” promotion.
The 2021 Ford F-150 marks the beginning of the iconic truck’s 14th generation, and brings with it more tech features than ever before. Chief among these features is the Pro Power Onboard generator, which is available with every gasoline engine outside of the 3.3L V6. The generator comes with a 2-kilowatt capacity on these gas-powered pickups. Step up to the PowerBoost Hybrid model and you get a 2.4-kilowatt generator as standard, with the option to spec a larger kilowatt Pro Power Onboard system. Ford says that the 2.4-kilowatt unit can run for 85 hours at maximum load on a single tank of gas. The larger 7.2-kilowatt system can run for 32 hours under max load. The generator is accessed through several 120-volt outlets located in the bed of the truck.
While we are sure that many 2021 Ford F-150 customers had plans for how they’ll use their Pro Power Onboard generators, this situation likely wasn’t on their minds. Some folks might take a cynical approach to this announcement, but Ford often puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to this sort of thing. Look no further than the 75 million pieces of personal protection equipment that the automaker cranked out during the early days of the pandemic. There is a reason they’ve adopted the “Built for America” tagline, because it’s something they actually believe in.
