A New Job for Electric Vehicles: Powering Homes During Blackouts

In early March, strong winds brought down trees and power lines in the Nashville area, leaving thousands of homes without power. But about 20 miles outside the city an electric pickup truck fed energy to John and Rachelle Reigard’s home, keeping their lights on.

“You can look at all the houses around us, and they’re all off,” said Mr. Reigard, who bought the pickup, a Ford F-150 Lightning, more than a year ago. “A lot of people ask…