Ford asks Texas dealers to loan out F-150s to use as power generators

One of the most remarkable aspects of Ford's new F-150 is the option to equip it with a generator to power tools (or blenders or TVs). Ford's decided that it can use this neat trick to help folks down in Texas who are suffering without power after winter storms caused widespread outages all over the state.

According to a report published Thursday by Automotive News, Ford has asked dealers in Texas to loan out their stock of F-150 PowerBoost hybrid models -- some 415 trucks in all -- to help homes and businesses. It's even altered its loaner program to make that process more straightforward.

Specifically, Ford is upping its loaner fee paid to dealers by $600 to help incentivize them, and it's also assured dealers that the trucks can still be sold to customers as part of a March Truck Month promotion.

Currently, all of Ford's gasoline-powered F-150 models can be ordered with the 2-kilowatt generator option, aside from the base V6. Hybrid models get a 2.4-kW generator as standard and a 7.2-kW system can be optioned.

Obviously, 415 generators aren't going to make a meaningful dent for the whole state, but it's nice to see Ford encouraging its dealers to help out. Now, if only government officials down there would take a lesson from Boucherville, Quebec, and get some diesel locomotives connected to the grid to act as giant generators. That's some serious juice.