Ford Motor Co. is mobilizing its seller community in Texas to assist these affected by widespread energy outages throughout unusually frigid climate.

The automaker on Thursday despatched a letter to retailers within the state asking them to mortgage 2021 F-150 pickups from stock to residents with out electrical energy to allow them to use the vans’ onboard mills to energy houses. Ford is providing the sellers $600 greater than regular to place any F-150 with the Professional Energy Onboard characteristic into loaner fleets.

Ford says there are presently about 415 generator-equipped pickups on Texas sellers’ heaps. The vans nonetheless will be offered to retail clients throughout an upcoming “Truck Month” promotion in March, the letter mentioned.

“For effectively over a century, Ford Motor Co. and our seller companions have been there to assist and serve our communities in time of want,” the letter mentioned. “Our Texas communities want all of the assist they’ll get proper now. You may make a big distinction in our group by offering help throughout these very robust instances.”

The redesigned F-150, which went on sale in late 2020, provides a 2-kilowatt generator as an possibility with all gasoline engines besides the bottom 3.3-liter V-6. The F-150 hybrid comes normal with a 2.4-kilowatt generator that may run for 85 hours on a full tank of fuel at most load. A 7.2-kilowatt system that may final for 32 hours below max load circumstances is optionally available on the hybrid.

The mills will be accessed through normal 120-volt shops within the mattress. Ford has mentioned even the least highly effective generator is strong enough to energy heaters, TVs, blenders, minifridges or different equipment one would possibly use for tenting or at a tailgate.

Ford spokesman Mike Levine on Thurday shared a social media put up through Twitter from somebody who obtained an F-150 from Holiday Ford in Whitesboro, Texas, to energy a furnace and elevated the temperature of their dwelling from 47 levels to 64 levels. Vacation Ford didn’t instantly return a request for remark.

“As a result of pressing and unprecedented climate scenario in Texas, quite a few our native sellers are utilizing all-new Ford F-150s outfitted with Professional Energy Onboard to assist in their communities,” Ford mentioned in a press release Thursday. “We’re proud to pitch in to assist Texas on this time of want.”

Some latest F-150 consumers in Texas have been glad they received a truck with the onboard generator. Randy Jones, 66, has used his new F-150 hybrid to energy his dwelling for 4 straight days.

A retired refinery employee who lives in Katy, Texas, Jones advised Automotive Information on Thursday that he bought the brand new automobile this month and particularly selected a mannequin with the 7.2-kilowatt generator. He assumed he would possibly want it to energy his dwelling throughout hurricane season.

“I wasn’t anticipating to make use of it this quickly,” he mentioned.

As soon as his energy went out late Sunday evening, Jones ran extension cords from the truck to the home, plugging in a fridge, tv, toaster, espresso pot and different home equipment.

He mentioned the truck carried out flawlessly, utilizing solely about six or seven gallons of fuel whereas working from about 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. He mentioned a few of his neighbors have used the truck to cost telephones and tablets.

“I am thrilled to demise over it,” he mentioned. “Every thing I wished I plugged in. If I had extra splitters I’d have plugged extra in.”

Jones posted about the truck in a web based homeowners discussion board the place others shared related tales. It caught the eye of Ford CEO Jim Farley, who retweeted a story about Jones and mentioned he wished everybody in Texas had the vans.

Ford in its letter to sellers Thursday mentioned those that shared tales about how the pickup helps Texas residents could be entered right into a drawing, and 5 shops could be chosen to obtain 5 further F-150s of their subsequent allocation.

Ford has mentioned the vans are promoting nearly as rapidly as they attain seller heaps.