EV F-150 "Lightning" - anyone have one?

[Gwyneth]

Does anyone here have the EV F-150 “Lightning” truck? Opinions on it?
How is it for towing (specifically for a small 2 horse BP)? I’ve read that the biggest issue with this truck for towing is that the battery range drastically decreases when pulling a trailer.

I’m not a fan of the look of the 2024 Ram 1500 EV, but it does have a slightly better battery range than the EV F-150.
I like the sound of the GMC 2025 EV Denali (which will have an even larger range capacity), but I don’t know if I can wait that long (depends on when my current 25yr old vehicle dies!)

[pick_a_pony]

We wanted one so bad!!! But it is likely on the never list now. A- Ford keeps jacking the prices higher. B- Real world reviews are coming in bad bad. For a honest to goodness review go on YouTube and look up Hoovies Garage and his Lightning review. He did a hauling review and it was brutal unfortunately. He has stood firm on his opinion on them despite being wooed by Ford to change his mind. Heck of a bummer as it was going to be an affordable option to replace my F150 with a more capable vehicle to have two “big” trucks again.

[sherian]

Fast Lane Trucks on youtube does good real world towing tests of trucks (and has done a few videos on some snazzy horse trailers too). The electric trucks loose too much range when towing especially if it’s cold for me - charging stations are few and far between here and they are not accessible with a trailer on to charge.

[Gwyneth]

That’s a shame that they lose so much range!
I wonder if the other brands’ EVs will have figured out how to fix that problem when theirs come out in a couple of years…

[BayAreaRider]

To be fair even ICE (internal combustion engine) trucks also see a huge drop in range when towing. Their big advantage, from over 100 years of development, is a large gas tank and quick fill ups.

I agree with the comment about charging stations. If you don’t have many around you then having a Lightning for towing is going to hurt, bad.

Now if you are getting a Lightning as a get around town with no towing and no long distance travel then it is better than an ICE truck.

[Ibex]

The technology will get there, but having looked at these for fleet vehicles at work, they’re a ways out.

The other interesting option that’s coming in is Renewable Diesel. It’s interchangeable with fossil based diesel, is made from many forms of organic waste, and is significantly lower in emissions.

Petro-Canada EcoDiesel

[wsmoak]

@Ibex

The other interesting option that’s coming in is Renewable Diesel. It’s interchangeable with fossil based diesel, is made from many forms of organic waste, and is significantly lower in emissions.

And you can smell like a giant french fry going down the road!!

I’m looking to downsize from the diesel F250 but definitely not ready to go full electric. A hybrid would be okay. Maybe if I were always in the city, but I don’t want to be without a normal engine out in the middle of nowhere.

[clanter]

@BayAreaRider

I agree with the comment about charging stations.

currently the charging stations are set up to not to accommodate a truck with trailer

[Ibex]

Different stuff! Modern renewable diesel is basically odourless.

[Jarpur]

Read an article today about charging EVs.

Highlights included that charging in hot weather can permanently damage the battery, that 60 to 70 degrees is the preferred temp for charging (good luck with that around here for a large part of the year). Also, the battery management system reduces the charging rate in heat, so EVs ought to be parked in shade and kept in a cool garage (also often unlikely here).

Battery most stable at 50% charge, shouldn’t be charged to 100% unless driven right afterward, especially in hot weather. Best do small charges often, keep it at 30 to 80%. Don’t use Level 3 fast chargers often (this makes me wonder about the chargers I see around here at the large shopping malls.)

HVAC uses up range, especially the heater. Also found out that battery replacement runs from $5K to $20+K. Yikes!

Overall, these issues make an EV unappealing to me on a practical level, especially in my climate, without even getting into the towing.

[Slowslew]

Yes, I have the F-150 lightning. I use it to tow 2 horses in a 2h trailer with a dressing room. I don’t tow long distances I tow to local shows or to a nearby indoor ring. The range does decrease due to the amount of weight you are towing just like your mpg decreases with the weight you are towing. If fully charged my range would be around 300 miles. Towing will decrease that range depending on load, elevation while driving and weather. The vehicle does a great job of adjusting your estimated range and letting you know how far you can go.

If I were routinely towing long distances would I use the Lightning - no. Does it work for the type of towing that I routinely do - absolutely. I have not had a problem. It actually seems to tow better than my gas F-150 that I replaced with the Lightning.

This is my third electric vehicle. I purchased my first one in 2014 and kept it for 8 years. Are they great vehicles - absolutely. Are they for everyone - no. You have to assess the type of driving that you do and see if it fits within the capabilities of the vehicle. Teslas have a much better charging network than non-Tesla vehicles at this point in time. Will that change? I would expect so with more and more EVs in production and the fact that Tesla has indicated they would be opening up their network to non-Tesla vehicles.

I love the truck and for the type of driving that I do, the truck is fantastic. I charge periodically at home with no need to charge elsewhere.

And the bonus, the truck is set-up to act as a back up generator for my house. Based on our preliminary tests, it seems like the truck will power the dedicated circuits (which is the bulk of functionality of the house) for four days.

[Greys]

Keep an eye out for the upcoming Ram Revolution extended range electric truck; the concept goes public Jan 5, I believe.

The Ram 1500 Revolution EV Pickup: What You Need to Know

greys

[Polydor]

Saw one in person the other day at work. They were picking up feed. I ended up loading 3 bags into the front of the truck. Till then hadn’t even realized it was an electric truck.

P.

[endlessclimb]

@wsmoak

And you can smell like a giant french fry going down the road!!

Biodiesel is what you’re thinking of. That’s made from all sorts of stuff, used cooking oil being on that list. It is not a drop in replacement for conventional diesel, and has issues in winter and with impurities gumming stuff up.

Renewable diesel is a drop-in replacement for conventional diesel. It’s made from primarily inedible beef tallow. You retrofit a refinery to process this stuff. It has its own problems for processing, but the final result is 100% a drop in replacement. I’ve started up many of these plants, and actually have jars of the first on-spec diesel off the units sitting on my bookshelf - water white.

Most of the airline companies (as well as the US military) have contracts to use a certain % of renewable fuel on their planes.

[Gwyneth]

Interesting!
I hope they do a good job with the design of the Ram Revolution and don’t make it too aggressive looking. I don’t want an intimidating or “angry” looking truck!

[Gwyneth]

How long have you had the F-150 lightning? Any regrets or things you wish were different about it? How long does it take to charge (when not fast charging)? Was it complicated to get the charging system put into your house?

[Djones]

I can’t stomach the idea of being an early adopter to the tune of 90k for an electric truck. Point being, it’s not a Prius, which is a proven model for a hybrid approach to a daily driver. The idea that I couldn’t elect to randomly decide to haul 5 hours away and ride in a clinic or show without making it an all day or more affair is (for me) crazy.

[atlatl]

If money is no object, check out the Rivian truck or SUV.

Rivian - Electric Adventure Vehicles

[Slowslew]

I took delivery in September. The battery in the truck is very large. I have the extended range battery. I use the 80 amp ford charge station which came with the truck (certain trim lines) in my garage. I do recommend installation by an electrician. If the truck were at 0 it would take about 8 hours to charge. I usually plug it in periodically when I get home so it is fairly “full” most of the time. I charge to about 90 percent full. If I am going on a long trip I will charge to 100%. If you were trying to charge on a 110 circuit, it would take forever. My car plugged into a 110 will get 4 mph charging as a comparison. Not great, but more than the truck. The truck battery is about twice the size of the car.

As I mentioned, it is my third electric vehicle so I am fairly comfortable driving and I don’t get “range anxiety”.

It is not complicated to install the standard charging unit. The home integration system that allows the truck to power the house is another story entirely.

The Tesla superchargers are the one feature that I would like for the truck. Electrify America as a nationwide charging system just isn’t quite at the same level.

My regrets on the truck - very minor. I wish it came in a King Ranch trim line. I had a 2010 King Ranch F-150 that I loved. I have the Platinum Lightning. Just a different feel. The trim line in the Platinum is very nice so this is just a personal preference. Due to supply chain issues, features are being deleted which is annoying. My trimline would have had massaging seats but that was deleted due to chip shortages. Certainly a first world problem, but I was looking forward to that after some rides. I have a heated steering wheel but that is now deleted (but as I understand it will be installed at the dealer at a later point in time when the chips become available).

I have the extended range battery, I would not opt for the standard range. I am an advocate for the largest battery possible. The Denali is indicating that it will get around 400 miles when it is produced which would be nice.

I would say that it is still early for the truck. I have been an early adopter and have not regretted that yet. Tesla Model S ordered in 2013. Tesla Model 3 ordered before they even debuted what the vehicle would look like.

The good thing about the F-150 is that used a lot of the same construction for the EV so it has some test miles already. The question is - is that experience predictive of the EV? It is a heavy, heavy vehicle.

I did purchase an extended warranty from the dealer that covers 100,000 miles regardless of age. It was a very reasonable price. My dealer provides free oil changes and tire rotations for the life of the vehicle. So they discount the warranty for the lack of oil changes. For a new vehicle, this is something to consider. I did have warranty items repaired on the cars.

Things I love - not having to stop at the gas station and not having to get oil changes. Minor things but it is convenient. I figure it more than off sets the time I spend at charges when I do go on long trips.

The cost of the battery is expensive, but that and the drive unit would be equivalent to the engine on a gas car. So it is not replaced anywhere near the same frequency that you would replace your 12v battery. The battery on my 8 year old car only lost a little less than 10 miles of charge. So it was functioning well within specifications. Ford has battery experience with the Mach E so they aren’t starting from scratch. But it is new technology.

[Greys]

I am looking forward to seeing it too. I do drive Rams, and I’ve gotten used to the “stern eye” headlights.