F150 powerboost Generator Mode

[halg]

Just posting in case anyone is looking at getting a new/different truck and wasn't aware of this.

I have a '21 F150 that is the 'powerboost' hybrid. It has 7.2 KW 220 outlet in the bed. More importantly, the truck can be put in generator mode. This feeds power out of the outlets from the battery and then if/when the battery gets low it starts the truck to recharge it and then shuts back down. I used it with my camper boondocking a couple weeks ago and it worked great. Would be just the ticket for charging a bike. Lots of videos online about it.

google: F150 Generator Mode

 

[Chadx]

The 240v of the F150 hybrid is sure a nice feature. And way more capacity, even in 120v than the non-hybrids.
Any Ford equipped with the Pro Power Onboard option also has the Generator Mode, but they are limited to 120v. My Superduty with Pro Power Onboard is limited to 2,000watts of 120v in the bed outlets, but I've already used it to keep a Varg battery warmer blanket powered as I drove to the trailhead for an hour just below freezing temps. Haven't pugged in and charged the Varg as I drove, but would be an option. It is even smart enough to know when something gets plugged into the outlet and it prompts you and asks if you want to go into Generator Mode (with the accompanying warnings about truck must be outside and not in an enclosed garage, etc.). Unlike the hybrid, however, the non-hybrids engines run 100% of the time and never shut off. Having the hybrid battery as a buffer means way less engine idle time because it starts the engine, charges the hybrid battery at max rate, then shuts off and draws down the hybrid battery; only starting the engine again when that draws down to a certain level.

All the Fords with Generator Mode know when something is plugged in and lock the shifter from moving and prompts you to make sure everything plugged into the bed is secure or so you don't drive away with an extension cord plugged into something and drag it down the road. As soon as you OK the message, you can shift out of Park.

I usually charge the Varg to 60% SOC when I get home from a ride, then wait to charge up to 90 - 95% SOC the evening before a ride. Then I'll charge up to 100%, if I think I'll need that much range, the morning of the ride. But, I could also top up that last 5 or 10% as I drove to the trailhead with this feature if I'm running short of time or forget to top it off before needing to leave. When I tested the Varg charger draw with a Kill-a-watt meter, it pulled mid to high 1,700 watts (and tickled 1,800 watts a couple times, but I didn't leave it plugged in long enough for it to settle). That draw makes sense when it's charging the bike at 1,600watts on 120v with charger efficiency added on top.

 

[halg]

I did not know the non hybrids also had the generator mode. That is good data. Thanks for posting. In my use case where I was using it for electricity all night while camping, the fact it does not idle all night when the loads are relatively low and just starts up for a few minutes every couple hours was very nice.

This is also true for a use case where someone has an e-dirt bike with 2 batteries. They could leave one charging for a few hours while they were out riding on the second. You can put it in generator mode and lock it up, secure your battery and charger and leave. The truck engine would only run when the hybrid battery got low and, if the battery on charge got full, the truck would probably not run at all.

Unfortunately, anyone who needs to work on a vehicle with such a complex network of systems has to be part software engineer, part electrician and part auto mechanic. That did give me pause and I sure hope nothing goes wrong with the truck. But, just as unfortunately, this is becoming more and more true of any modern truck these days. So, I went ahead with the purchase. So far so good. I have had it 1.5 years.

As a final caveat to anyone considering this truck and thinking it could also serve as a home backup for power outages, it definitely can. However, be aware the truck is wired as a bonded generator. As such, odds are it may not work with existing transfer switches that do not also switch the neutral wire. I won't get into all the details on that here but, if you are considering this purchase for such a use case, be sure to read up about it. Also lots of existing stuff online for that too.

 

[Chadx]

Worth noting that the Powerboost hybrid battery is only 1.5kWh (1,500 watt hours), and only a fraction of that is usable. Not sure the amount, but maybe the middle 60%? If so, that would be 900 watt hours. That is reasonably large as 900 Wh is about 70% of the Wh of a typical 12v 100ah lithium battery (12.8v x 100 = 1,280Wh). Would be reasonable for small loads all night while camping, but if you exceed the available Wh, would be a bit startling if your tent is close to the truck and it starts in the middle of the night. Also for others in the campground, though non-issue for dispersed camping. Hopefully in generator mode, the truck has the sense to not turn on any lights at all when it starts and stops. Can you confirm if that is the case?

I'd heard mention of the wiring (bonded, neutral, etc.) regarding using the hybrid as home backup. I recall there being work arounds, but something to keep in mind BEFORE you need it for emergency backup. Though one can still run extension cords off the 120v to specific loads snd there is 7.2kW available from the bed. The 240v circuit splits to the two 120v circuits. You can pull 7,200watts from the 240 outlet or 3,600watts from each of the two legs of 120v. Extension cords would need to be beefy to handle sustained 3,600watts and you'd need at least two if you needed the full 7,200watts to your loads.
By comparison, the Lightning all electric has 7.2kW from the bed and an additional 2.4kW from the front trunk for a total of 9.6kW (9,600watts).

Both of those are quite impressive compared to the 2000watts available for the regular Pro Power Onboard of the Superduty, non-hybrid F150, and the Powerboost (if the optional 7.2kW version is not optioned).

Wish they would figure out a way to offer higher output for the Superduty Pro Power Onboard. Even if they didn't do an electric motor, they could option a 2kWh battery and offer the 7.2kW of power at the bed outlets. But they can only size the outlets up to the max the alternator can output. Currently, they use a dedicated 24V 150A alternator when the optional pro power onboard is selected. That is 3,600watts max output and they rate the bed outlets at a 2,000watts max. Keeping that ratio, to get 7,200watts in the bed of a non-hybrid, the alternator would be sized at 12,960watts (24v 540amps compared to the current 24v 150amp).

I imagine they will eventually come up with something for non-hybrid vehicles, but until then, we'll have to settle for the 2,000watt Pro Power Onboard, a gas generator or a portable-power all-in-one (commonly called a "solar generator" but that naming convention just seems incomplete).

 

[halg]

That is important data about the battery size. I have never researched that but I imagine your numbers are correct. Thanks for that. I know its not very big and cannot move the truck when driving on its own very far or under much (any) load.

Regarding how the generator mode operates. The truck is on and not turned off during generator mode. It operates similar to if you were stopped at a light or parked with it turned on. If the engine is not needed to power the totality of whatever the truck is doing, it shuts the engine down and uses the battery for power. Then, if the battery gets low, it starts the engine and runs it at ~1200 RPM until the battery is full and then turns the engine off. Whatever lights (external or internal), or temperature control or anything you had set before you got out stay just as they are (and add to the load). The truck in generator mode starting the engine does not change any of that.

I have not researched or done any experiments to determine how long the truck battery could power a given load before starting the engine and how long said load would require the engine to run before it decided the battery was full enough and turn off the engine. It would be interesting to see that experiment and I'm sure there are people on youtube with channels who might be interested in executing that experiment. Unfortunately, I'm not up for that.

Regarding the noise and whether/how much it would be a nuisance, the truck has a 3.5L V6 engine. Again, I have no data about how many decibels it creates at what distances. But, its not a V8 and has no rumble so in my opinion it is pretty quiet at its idle/charge RPM.

Would I want to be sleeping in a tent in a dead quiet camp site 10 feet away and have it start up in the middle of the night? No I think probably not. Would it be noticeable at an MX track or park? Almost surely not. I can say it was not noticeable in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel next to rt 70 when I stopped to sleep in my camper for a few hours on a trip across the country.

Mainly, I think when compared to a portable gas generator, it is much more preferable, versatile and convenient. Just costs and arm and a leg so I do not advocate getting a new vehicle just for this purpose.

But, my intent with the thread was to inform anyone who was considering purchasing a new or different vehicle in the first place. Hopefully it helps someone in their decision.

It certainly was good information for me to know that the hybrids are not the only ones with the generator mode. I don't think I would have avoided the hybrid even if I knew that before my purchase. I think I still prefer the hybrid ability to turn off the engine. But, other people's calculus may be different. Thanks for the data.

 

[Chadx]

Thanks. Good info.
Oh, and I'll note the other benefit of the hybrid....the kick in the pants when you romp the accelerator. Ha. That electric motor sure fills in the turbo lag and adds to the low-torque pressed-into-the-seat feel. Loved it. I had a powerboost F150 for a loaner for a day when the dealership had my Superduty in for a quick warranty tweak. Unfortunately, I was working that day so only had the chance to drive it the 5.5 miles home and then back later in the day rather than going the long way there. Wanted to go for a 30 - 60 minute drive, but just didn't have time.
A couple times each way, I gave it the what for and holy smokes do those things fly! Then the rest of the 5+ miles (of mostly 30mph - 40mph and stoplights) I tried to see how good of mpg I could get. I don't recall the mileage, but it was silly good. Granted it was a small sample size. The thing that struck me was how much the engine was shut down when maintaining constant speed (totally off in sub 20mph school zone) and when letting off to cost down, or time, stoplights. The dash displayed how many miles were with engine on and off and as I recall, of the almost 12 miles I drove, 3+ of those miles were battery only/engine off.