Ford F-150 Lightning owner powers fridge, freezer and mini AC for 106 hours during outage and still has 35% battery left

Losing power at home can turn into a nightmare, especially when the fridge stops working and temperatures start climbing, but one Ford F-150 Lightning owner found a way to keep things running, including a fridge, freezer and a mini AC.

The EV pickup truck became a makeshift power station, keeping food cold, and the lights on.

And the best part is that the owner still had plenty of battery left when the electricity finally came back.

Quite the solution in a blackout!

Ford F-150 Lightning kept household essentials running through a lengthy blackout

The owner shared their experience in the F-150 Lightning community on Reddit after using the electric truck to power their home during a 106-hour outage.

That’s more than four days without regular electricity, but the truck helped keep a range of everyday essentials going throughout the ordeal.

According to the post, the setup powered a fridge and freezer, TVs, lights, and a mini air conditioner, and the owner also ran appliances including an espresso machine, toaster oven, and tankless water heater.

So, while a power outage might usually mean worrying about spoiled food and sitting around in an uncomfortable house, this owner managed to keep several home comforts available.

The experience also gave the owner a useful comparison with their previous storm-related blackout, when they had relied on a conventional generator.

“We used a generator last hurricane (Sally) and this was so much less annoying,” the owner wrote on Reddit. “Set it and forget it.”

The owner used extension cords instead of a complicated setup

One of the most interesting details is that the owner didn’t describe an elaborate home energy installation.

When another Reddit user asked how everything was connected, the owner explained that they had used extension cords.

They added that a 30-amp cord was used for the wheeled air conditioning unit, while standard extension cords handled the other appliances.

It’s a simple-sounding arrangement, although anyone hoping to recreate it should check their vehicle’s capabilities and follow the manufacturer’s guidance and electrical safety requirements.

High-powered appliances can place significant demands on a power source, and household circuits should never be connected to a vehicle without an appropriately designed and installed system.

The discussion also prompted other owners to share their own experiences of using vehicles as backup power during storms, including one driver who said a gas-electric Ford F-150 PowerBoost had kept much of their house running for three days.

The Ford electric truck still had 35% battery left

After more than four days of keeping household appliances running, the truck’s remaining battery charge was the detail that really stood out.

According to the owner, the battery level had started at 99 percent and was still at 35 percent when the outage was over.

That means the truck had used 64 percentage points of its displayed battery charge while powering the household essentials over 106 hours.

Of course, the result will depend on which appliances are running, how much electricity they consume, the weather and the vehicle’s starting charge.

It shouldn’t be taken as a guarantee that every F-150 Lightning owner could power the same equipment for the same amount of time.

Still, the experience offers a glimpse of how an electric pickup can be useful even when it isn’t being driven.

For owners who live in areas affected by severe storms and prolonged blackouts, having a vehicle that can supply power to essential appliances could make a major difference.

And in this case, the truck managed to keep the fridge, freezer and mini AC running for 106 hours – while finishing the ordeal with more than a third of its battery charge remaining.