Purchasing the HIS modules

[majorgearhead]

Before we start, I know I can integrate a generator link and manual transfer switch to use my pro power onboard for outages. I still want to get the HIS components. I already have a FCSP that has worked for years flawlessly. I am moving into a new home house and don’t have a backup generator. I have most of the latest updates for the trucks modules and I want to give the HIS a run. I have a well seasoned sparky who knows how to install them. I see that SunRun still sells them.

I know more we’ll know folks like @Aminorjourney have exhaustively reviewed and share info on the HIS and I am truly grateful for this.

I perhaps have a few questions for them or others who have the HIS:

1. With the latest updates to the truck, how is reliability?

2. Does the semi new energy site energy.ford.com work?

3. Is energy arbitrage possible now meaning can I transfer to the truck in peak times and back to grid in off peak thus beating the time of day increases?

4. SunRun lists the same price for the 4000, 6000, or 8,000w inverter versions. I have no intention of adding solar. Should I just get the 8k JIC or are their drawbacks?

Thanks for any info

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[Aminorjourney]

Hi hi!

Soooo.

1) Since I STOPPED Ford's latest update on my FCSP (I blocked one from the network) AND I fixed the software bug after gaining root access, my FCSP and HIS automatically transfers power within 60 seconds of a power outage.

2) I've never tried it. I'm doing everything locally now. - That includes being able to change the current of my charging station using ModBus over TCP.

3) Not unless your utility offers it, or your'e willing to really go off the usual plan.

4) The same price eh? That's *interesting*. The difference isn't for backup power, it's for being able to feed power back to the grid IIRC.

 

[LightningDoug]

Hi Willam,

I had a dream that one day my solar powered EV's bidirectional battery would not only power my all electric North Texas ranch house, but also tie my 22 kW solar array into the house to have energy independence. So when I purchased my 1st EV in November of 2022, my fantastic Lightning, of course I purchased Sunrun's HIS: installed in February 2023... my boyhood dream come true!

Except this dream hasn't ever been realized! Sunrun electricians returned in 2023 twice to diagnose/rewire without success. Ford engineering has filed multiple case reports, even offering me a $1276 refund in 2023... but never truly fixing the system/truck interconnect. For '24 & '25 their "solution" for me when our local grid dropped, was for me to "wake up the truck": go out to the garage, unplug the truck, open the front door, replug the truck. Then after ~30 seconds the HIS would turn the truck battery on to power the home. In '26 this hack has failed twice: nothing worked to get the HIS to work. I'll be adding a home battery soon.

This "Ford promise" is a lie. Don't fall for it. I love my EV, I absolutely love charging it for free from my 12 y/o solar array, but that ~$9,000 HIS is a pipe dream/POS. Sunrun washed their hands from mine, Ford Engineering keeps assuring me that a software update will fix it. More failed promises. My dreams has been smashed.

Hard pass!
Doug

 

[RickLightning]

If you are willingly going to shell out money for the discontinued HIS system, I would suggest that an intervention is necessary. If you do research, and still want to buy it, one would have to question your intelligence. Ford bought back Lightnings when with engineers deployed from Ford and Sunrun, they couldn't make systems work. One situation had them buying new network equipment for neighbors, convinced that interference was the issue. It was not.

In addition to HIS being discontinued, the Ford Charge Station Pro was also. Why? Better quality and less expensive 80amp EVSEs on the market would top my list.

When HIS was announced, I was interested. Then I thought about Ford and software, and slapped myself back to reality. I also thought about enjoying my Lightning driving places, then realized it would not be in the garage powering my house if it was in Utah with me skiing...

A few of the people that have made it work are what I would call geeks, and I don't use that term in a disparaging way. @Aminorjourney is a real geek, and does things that I can't understand even when she writes about them. And is hers working 100% of the time? Nope.

Don't do it.

 

[Zprime29]

You have better alternatives, please consider them over the HIS. One example:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...-way-bi-directional-charging-should-be.35203/

 

[majorgearhead]

If you are willingly going to shell out money for the discontinued HIS system, I would suggest that an intervention is necessary. If you do research, and still want to buy it, one would have to question your intelligence. Ford bought back Lightnings when with engineers deployed from Ford and Sunrun, they couldn't make systems work. One situation had them buying new network equipment for neighbors, convinced that interference was the issue. It was not.

In addition to HIS being discontinued, the Ford Charge Station Pro was also. Why? Better quality and less expensive 80amp EVSEs on the market would top my list.

When HIS was announced, I was interested. Then I thought about Ford and software, and slapped myself back to reality. I also thought about enjoying my Lightning driving places, then realized it would not be in the garage powering my house if it was in Utah with me skiing...

A few of the people that have made it work are what I would call geeks, and I don't use that term in a disparaging way. @Aminorjourney is a real geek, and does things that I can't understand even when she writes about them. And is hers working 100% of the time? Nope.

Don't do it.

Fair enough. I am a 30 year Linux/Unix engineer/architect so I fall squarely into the geek category. That being said I am in the discovery phase and was intrigued by @Aminorjourney experience with this. I think part of this discovery phase has turned up too many negatives and I am no longer considering the HIS as a viable option for me at this point. What this has also made me realize is I don’t want to root my FCSP just to fix their zombie files making it run out of space. I am at an inflection point where I can just get another 80A EVSE, and I may just do that.

One of the other solutions I was looking at is the Generlink. I will have soft start on my ac compressor and can power the whole house on under 7.2kw if I am judicious, so this may be the solution.

I haven’t ruled out Powerwalls but it seems counterintuitive since I have 9.7 powerwalls worth of energy in the truck I will continue to own for a long time.

 

[Heliian]

the Ford Charge Station Pro was also. Why?

Because there was no longer a need for an 80a evse. It's a great unit, mine has run flawlessly for nearly 4 years. It's made by Siemens if i recall correctly.

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