Ford sent a pair of F-150 Lightning pickups to aid the Kentucky flood response, providing mobile power to help families regain power.
Heavy flooding hit the state of Kentucky in July, with water levels reaching an all-time high that left dozens of people killed and many hundreds more hurt — to say nothing of the fact that tens of thousands of Kentucky homes are currently without electricity, making every day a challenge.
If you haven’t been following the story about this “thousand year flood,” this video offers a shocking look at what the people of Kentucky are up against …
An aerial look at the severe flooding that has impacted Eastern Kentucky. TR continues to monitor the situation across Appalachia and are standing by to support as needed. pic.twitter.com/Rj3GJR7rGd
— Team Rubicon (@TeamRubicon) July 29, 2022
… so, yeah. And it’s into that terrible mix that Ford CEO Jim Farley has sent two Ford F-150 Lightning pickups to help aid in the state’s recovery efforts.
The F-150 Lightning and Ford F-150 Powerboost Hybrid models are available with an onboard generator system that the company calls “Pro Power Onboard,” which provides up to 9.6 kW of power through 120 and 240v power outlets in the bed of the trucks. With the base Lightning’s 98 kWh battery pack, that amounts to more than 10 hours of power at full draw — but work crews will get much, much more time than that in real-world use, since even the most high-powered power tools won’t pull a max load for more than a few seconds at a time.
Kentucky is part of our @Ford family, so we’re working w/ @FordFund to support the communities affected by the devastating floods by sending #F150Lightning Pros & F-150s w/ Pro Power Onboard. The trucks will be used for cleanup efforts & mobile power sources in the region. ⚡️💙 pic.twitter.com/MNlFR0w2On
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 4, 2022
A nonprofit disaster response unit called Team Rubicon received the two trucks, and told the Detroit Free Press that each of the Ford F-150 Lightning pickups provided can support a crew of 5-7 workers working all day, and help get power back 10-15 family homes per day.
Definitely not nothing, in other words. And, having lived through both Andrew and Katrina (seriously, kids — if there’s a hurricane coming, stay as far away from your old EIC as you can), we can say with confidence that those families will feel a lot better with the lights on.
Ford is using its Ford Fund to help provide aid for the people of Kentucky. Since 1949, the Ford Fund has invested more than $2.2 billion in initiatives that ensure basic needs are met, provide access to essential services, offer tools to build new skillsets and open pathways to high-quality jobs.
