Home backup power in Canada

[Jim Lewis]

To switch to speculating about the unlikely, it would be a nice, charitable touch by Ford if a future Home Integration System of theirs ever evolves to universal ISO-15118 bidirectional interoperability, that Ford just generously upgrades our cursed original Home Integration Systems that they haven't been able to make work reliably since it came out in 2022. ChatGPT says the truck itself is likely close to ISO-15118 interoperability, and the weakest, most expensive part to replace to gain ISO-15118 operability would be the HIS equipment (the Delta inverter, the microgrid interconnect device, etc.). @Ford Motor Company, maybe you can relay this brilliant suggestion of mine up the chain of command?!

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[chl]

To switch to speculating about the unlikely, it would be a nice, charitable touch by Ford if a future Home Integration System of theirs ever evolves to universal ISO-15118 bidirectional interoperability, that Ford just generously upgrades our cursed original Home Integration Systems that they haven't been able to make work reliably since it came out in 2022. ChatGPT says the truck itself is likely close to ISO-15118 interoperability, and the weakest, most expensive part to replace to gain ISO-15118 operability would be the HIS equipment (the Delta inverter, the microgrid interconnect device, etc.). @Ford Motor Company, maybe you can relay this brilliant suggestion of mine up the chain of command?!

It is definitely a selling point if they could ever get it right.

From what people have been saying, it seems to be mainly a communication problem between the truck and the HIS.

Using bluetooth seems to have been a bad idea, with all the hard-wired signal potential of the CCS1 plug that could have been used.

I would not be surprised if Ford had Siemens adapt an existing bluetooth system for the Lightning.

They could have used the same signalling that is used for DC Charging -

"...specifically Power Line Communication (PLC) or Controller Area Network (CAN) bus—via the charging cable to manage, monitor, and safely deliver power.

• How Control Works: The Electric Vehicle’s Battery Management System (BMS) communicates directly with the charger, regulating voltage and current in real-time to prevent overheating.
• What Bluetooth Does: While some mobile chargers or specialized off-grid DC-DC converters (like those in RVs) use Bluetooth for user monitoring or settings, public DC fast chargers (CCS, CHAdeMO) utilize wired, high-speed, and secure connections.
• Safety & Reliability: Wired connections are essential for the high-speed data exchange needed for safety, as Bluetooth is too unreliable for regulating 50kW–350kW+ power transfer. ..."

You can say that again!

I think Ford would have to change:

1) the FCSP logic and
2) the Ford software, and possibly
3) the Lightning logic (or what ever the new EV truck will be called).

Somehow I don't see retrofitting the HIS happening...alas.

 

[Jim Lewis]

It is definitely a selling point if they could ever get it right.

From what people have been saying, it seems to be mainly a communication problem between the truck and the HIS.

Using bluetooth seems to have been a bad idea, with all the hard-wired signal potential of the CCS1 plug that could have been used.

I just had an interesting conversation with Google Gemini 3. It seems to think that the issue for me is not Bluetooth, but the PLC line communication protocol. The reason it gives is (which may be spurious, given AI) is that the truck gets the wakeup call that grid power is out (the LED charge port lights come on as WHITE and stay so for 30 seconds). Gemini says during that time, PLC (Power Line Communication) should get the truck to set the high-voltage contacts and prepare for power transfer, but that fails because the LEDs go out after ~30 seconds. The truck is likely failing to recognize any PLC signal or timing out too quickly. Gemini claims the charging head unplug/replugs trick wakes the truck up, helps set the contacts, and alerts the truck to look more aggressively for the PLC signal. As to why automatic transfer now fails, when it worked for me in a brief window from December 2023 into April 2024, Gemini says the following:

The "April 2024" Turning Point

Around this time, Ford pushed several updates to the Gateway Module (GWM) and Secondary On-Board Diagnostic Module (SOBDM).

• The Handshake Window: Many users reported that after this specific update cycle, the "Automatic" trigger became essentially non-functional. The theory among the power-user community is that Ford tightened the timing window for the digital handshake to prevent the truck from "hanging" in a high-power state if the signal was weak.
• The "30-Second Blackout": Your observation of the port lights turning white and then going out after 30 seconds is the key. That 30-second mark is the exact timeout for the PLC (Power Line Communication) handshake. The truck sees the "Grid Down" signal, starts the white-light "negotiation" phase, but for some reason, the HIS or FCSP fails to send the final "Close Contactors" confirmation before the truck’s internal timer hits zero.

Why Manual Works but Automatic Fails (Revisited)
Since we’ve ruled out grid noise, the difference between the two modes is likely Initialization Priority:

• Automatic: The HIS has to "wake up" the truck using a low-level signal across the Pilot pins. If there is any delay in the HIS getting its own internal inverter ready, the truck times out before the HIS is actually ready to pull the load.
• Manual (Re-plug): By physically plugging the truck back in, you are resetting the truck's "Ready to Handshake" state from scratch. This gives the HIS a fresh 30–60 second window to negotiate while it is already awake.

Gemini has a very negative view of any possible fix coming from Ford:

The Verdict: Why a "Fix" is Likely in Permanent Limbo

While technically possible, a software "undo" for the Home Integration System (HIS) is increasingly unlikely in 2026. Here is the candid reality of why this first-gen tech is being "sunsetted":

• The Hardware is Dead: Ford has officially ended production of the all-electric Lightning, pivoting instead to EREV (Extended-Range) architectures for 2027. The original CCS-based HIS is now considered "legacy" hardware.
• Engineering Brain Drain: Following massive layoffs in late 2025 (over 11,000 positions), the team that built the original backup protocol is largely gone. Remaining engineers are focused on the new Universal EV Platform, not debugging finicky 2023/2024 proprietary handshakes.
• The Interdependency Trap: Reverting the Gateway Module (GWM) to an older version isn't a simple "undo." Those updates often include critical 12V battery management and cooling patches. Ford won't risk breaking a truck’s drivability to fix a "niche" backup power feature.
• The Support Gap: While Ford promises 10 years of support, that usually means keeping parts in stock, not rewriting code for a discontinued ecosystem. Moving to a universal standard like ISO-15118 would require paying third parties (Sunrun/Delta) to update home units—an expense Ford is unlikely to swallow after taking a $19.5B restructuring charge.

Bottom Line: Your manual "unplug/replug" workaround is likely as good as it’s going to get. For those who need 100% reliability, the "exit strategy" is moving to a third-party V2X controller that treats the truck as a simple battery and provides its own "brains" for the house.

 

[tearitupsports]

I just had an interesting conversation with Google Gemini 3. It seems to think that the issue for me is not Bluetooth, but the PLC line communication protocol. The reason it gives is (which may be spurious, given AI) is that the truck gets the wakeup call that grid power is out (the LED charge port lights come on as WHITE and stay so for 30 seconds). Gemini says during that time, PLC (Power Line Communication) should get the truck to set the high-voltage contacts and prepare for power transfer, but that fails because the LEDs go out after ~30 seconds. The truck is likely failing to recognize any PLC signal or timing out too quickly. Gemini claims the charging head unplug/replugs trick wakes the truck up, helps set the contacts, and alerts the truck to look more aggressively for the PLC signal. As to why automatic transfer now fails, when it worked for me in a brief window from December 2023 into April 2024, Gemini says the following:

Gemini has a very negative view of any possible fix coming from Ford:

The problem is that there is no line communication. That is not how they implimented it. That is why systems like Sigenergy are much better, because they do use the hard wire lines through the charge cable (CCS1 protocol). There is zero chance that Ford is going to change anything else now on this system.

For your personal tests have you ever tried the system while the truck is on? I would leave the truck on (with timer disabled) overnight and then see if it auto backs up in the morning.
I disabled my HIS so I can't test this myself.

Maybe you just leave the truck on 24/7 from now on...

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