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Ford wants its Texas dealerships to help locals keep their lights on by loaning out F-150 trucks equipped with power generators.
The automaker sent a letter Thursday asking dealers to offer the juiced-up pickups to Texans who lost power thanks to the massive winter storm that walloped the South, according to Automotive News.
The 2021 F-150s come with a built-in “Pro Power Onboard” generator that can churn out anywhere from 2 to 7.2 kilowatts of electricity, depending on the engine.
Some F-150 owners in Texas have used their trucks to power lights, heaters, refrigerators and other appliances since the unusual cold snap crippled the state’s electric grid, according to an online forum for fans of the truck.
Ford dealers in the Lone Star State have about 415 generator-equipped F-150s available to lend to residents who are still in the dark, Ford spokesman Mike Levine said.
“Due to the urgent and unprecedented weather situation in Texas, a number of our local dealers are using all-new Ford F-150s equipped with Pro Power Onboard to help in their communities,” Levine told The Post in a statement. “We’re proud to pitch in to help Texas in this time of need.”
A promotional leaflet for the Pro Power Onboard feature notes that the generator can power gear for tailgating, landscaping or heavier projects like building a deck or masonry work.
But some F-150 owners told CNBC that they bought generator-equipped trucks because their homes previously lost power during hurricanes or other nasty weather.
“The truck saved the day,” 73-year-old Jerry Hall told the network. “It would have been three miserable days without the truck.”
Even Ford CEO Jim Farley pointed out that America’s best-selling pickup could come to the rescue in a dire situation.
“The situation in the SW US is so difficult,” Farley said in a Wednesday Twitter post. “Wish everyone in Texas had a new F150 with PowerBoost onboard generator….”
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