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The Ford F-150 Can Be a Stranded EV's Best Friend, Charges BMW i3 in Three Hours

It was only a few years ago that range anxiety was often quoted as one of the main reasons the public was reluctant to adopt the EV trend, but thanks to battery advancements and an ever-growing network of charging stations, it feels as though it's mostly in the past now.
Ford F-150 PowerBoost charging BMW i3 6 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Ford F-150 PowerBoost charging BMW i3Ford F-150 PowerBoost charging BMW i3Ford F-150 PowerBoost charging BMW i3Ford F-150 PowerBoost charging BMW i3Ford F-150 PowerBoost charging BMW i3
EVs need nothing more than a regular power outlet to replenish their fuel tanks - albeit at a much slower pace than at a dedicated station. Look around you, and you're likely able to see at least one. Out on the road, however, they're a bit more difficult to come by. Well, next time you're strapped for electricity, why don't you try this: instead of looking for an outlet, why don't you calibrate your search on a 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost?

The hybrid pickup truck from Ford has not one but five electric outlets at the back of its bed - four rated at 110 volts and one at 240 volts. They are obviously there to be used with the power tools pickup truck owners often work with, but everyone is free to plug in whatever they desire. Forgot to shave your beard? Go right ahead.

The cool thing is the built-in generator can be used with the rest of the vehicle locked, so it doesn't need constant supervision. It can provide a maximum combined value of 7.2 kW, which is enough to power a small household for most of the time. What the guys at TFL want to know, though, is whether that's also enough to power an electric vehicle.

To test it, they chose a 2014 BMW i3. The reasons for that are pretty simple: first, they had one, and second, it has a relatively small battery capacity at 22 kWh. Tommy starts the test with the BMW's on-board charger in the "Reduced" setting. That yields a charging rate of roughly 3.8 kW and a total estimated time of six hours (with the battery completely depleted).

Encouraged by the result, Tommy switches the i3's charger to its "Max" setting, which ups the rate to the maximum value Ford credits its generator with, which is 7.2 kW. In this configuration, the BMW says it will have its battery ready in less than four hours.

Indeed, the whole process took three hours and 25 minutes for a total of 18 kWh. The missing 4 kWh can be explained in a multitude of ways - the battery wasn't actually completely depleted, or maybe BMW keeps a small reserve buffer, or the six years of use have simply lowered the battery's real capacity.

The F-150's engine remained at a constant 1,000 rpm throughout the whole process, and thanks to topping up the tank before and after the test, we can also know exactly how much fuel the whole shenanigans consumed. The answer is 2.979 gallons (11.276 liters).

We all know that charging EVs using generators is not going to be efficient, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Also, the consistency showed by Ford's Pro Power Onboard system is remarkable, being able to provide its top output over nearly three full hours - the BMW dropped the charging rate toward the end, as EVs do.

 
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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