“It’s genius.”
A woman who drove a Ford Explorer for eight years had no idea it came pre-packaged with a highly useful feature.
“So I’ve had this dirty Explorer … for like eight years now, and I’ve never been able to figure out what this is for until now,” Sarah (@parkerandsarah) says. Upon making this admission to her viewers, Sarah showcases an air conditioning gauge cluster along with heated seating buttons.
Beneath it are two power ports. The first is a 12-volt power socket (or cigarette lighter socket if you’re old school). Its protective covering appears to have been ripped off after years of use. Right beside it is a port that hasn’t had its cover broken yet. It reads: “AC 110V 150W.” Upon flipping it open, Sarah reveals it contains a standard three-prong power outlet, akin to the one you’d find fastened to a wall inside of a home or business.
In all the time she owned the car, she had no idea that it carried this functionality. “How dare y’all not tell me the Explorers had this feature! I don’t like gatekeepers,” she penned in a caption.
Immediately after revealing this power option, Sarah got to work showing off what she intended to use it for. She unwraps a Glade plug-in scent dispenser to function as her car’s air freshener.
Folks who saw Sarah’s post have varied responses. One person pondered if the oils in the plug-in would somehow leak and damage the vehicle’s interior. “But are the oils going to mess up the console?” they asked.
Another echoed this sentiment, writing, “I have one of those under a wall mirror and it literally ate a hole in the frame of the mirror.”
However, Sarah says that this wasn’t the case, and she’s had no issues with it during her commutes. “The oils aren’t dripping out or out of the container in any way so it hasn’t affected anything, even when driving.”
Someone else feared that the aroma would be much too bold in such a contained space. “That’s going to be too strong,” they wrote.
Conversely, there were plenty of other people who thought it was a great idea. “No bc why have I never thought of that?” one remarked.
Another applauded Sarah’s use of the AC plug in her SUV. “I don’t have an Explorer but I have a Suburban and that’s freaking genius!” they wrote.
According to this Ford Explorer user manual, the three-prong AC outlet was offered directly from the manufacturer since 2011 as part of its fifth-generation rollout. Ford installed this option on the back-center console on select models beginning that year.
The feature’s availability begins at medium-trim-level vehicles like the Limited, some XLT models, ST, King Ranch, and Platinum. But there are other instances where customers could’ve had it added if they opted for specific add-ons. Between 2020 and 2025, Limited, ST, King Ranch, and Platinum were outfitted with this three-prong outlet.
This trend has continued for 2026, where certain models of the Ford Explorer feature a three-prong power outlet. Ford’s 2026 order guide for the ST Explorer, for instance, highlights the presence of the 110v/150w ACT Power Outlet. Additionally, Ford’s owner manual for 2026 Explorers also contains a section, starting on page 169, about this dedicated three-prong outlet.
Typically, circular car power adapter ports have ruled the roost when it came to power options for vehicles. But this requires drivers to purchase a set of different products to work specifically with this port. Additionally, there are inverters, like this one, that allow you to use three-prong products with your car’s cigarette lighter port. However, having one built directly into one’s vehicles makes things a lot easier.
Let’s say you’re going camping and want to use an air mattress pump or get a hot plate going. You can do so by plugging it directly into your car’s built-in three-prong plug. In Sarah’s case, it could help with fast charging of more modern smartphones and tablets. Her Explorer isn’t rigged out with USB-C ports, which usually carry higher power deliveries than USB-A ports. This way, if you’re taking a short ride and your phone’s low on battery, you can just use a three-prong USB-C adapter you already have.
Motor1 has reached out to Sarah via TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update this story if she responds.
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