Would a F150 Flash work for me, or should I wait?

[21st Century Truck]

If you approach the idea of the road trip as being about the journey, then you'll find that the stops to charge work out great for getting up and moving around. We don't sit in the car while it's charging--we go use the restroom, get lunch, for for a walk, go shopping, get a haircut, whatever. Usually the truck has charged to a higher % than we'd intended by the time we're done. Charging is not at all as big an inconvenience as many people think.

^^^ This ^^^. I have learned the same lesson in my past two Ford EVs, although I didn't have the clear head to summarize it so succinctly in a previous post on this thread.

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[rhscnative]

I have a very similar scenario - I drive to the SC coast on the weekends and it's about 200 miles. With a long range you won't have to worry about it one way, especially if you prepare the truck for departure before you leave and keep the speed down to 70 or below but probably won't need to do that - I would on the first trip just to see how you do but after that you can probably drive as fast as you want. All you need is a 240V receptacle at the farmhouse and you can get a level 2 charger and you are good to go - the Ford portable charger would work fine. I have a charge station pro installed at my other place but that's almost overkill. L1 charging won't cut it though because you will be at 25-40% when you get there and it will take too long to charge back up. Level 2 will work fine though.

 

[MrLoganRoss]

As a reference, I just went from 20% to 100% overnight at 40 amps (L2 charging). It cost me $14.66. Just add an L2 charger at the farm and be done with it ?

 

[TaxmanHog]

As a reference, I just went from 20% to 100% overnight at 40 amps (L2 charging). It cost me $14.66. Just add an L2 charger at the farm and be done with it ?

Not to side track the conversation, but the Fordpass charging record reflects about 91% of actual total energy consumed from the grid, ex. 108 kWh net to the traction battery converts to about 120 kWh from the grid, 9% loss.

This has been my experience measuring the total energy with an Emporia Vue 2 on the circuit feeding my FCSP

 

[MrLoganRoss]

That Dollar amount in my post above is from the Wallbox app which better accounts for the full amount of energy that it pulls from the grid. In my case, I lose about 4.5% going from grid to car battery. That has been consistent for me across both my Ford EVs.

 

[Lomilar]

Context: I have a '24 Flash. It's great, and with some seat covers and a couple other bits and bobs, I really don't see myself having needed the Lariat. I prefer no sunroof (absurd amounts of rain here) and the only thing I could have enjoyed from the Lariat was phone-as-a-key. Bluecruise is great.

Others have said if you can charge at the ranch, do it. I'll add in that the dryer outlet should work while you're looking to hire an electrician if it is remotely close to a garage or the front door. You might need a J1772 extension cable.

With regards to range, 200 miles is very doable, but you'll be wanting to charge to 90-100% on those days you're heading over. There are two major risks: 1) Freeway speed and 2) Winter. I don't think winter really matters for you, so the only risk I can see is if you enjoy driving 85mph on the freeway (the whole way), then your maximum range is about 200 miles with a full battery. If you're going 65mph the whole way, then it's 300 miles.

Checking your route (Baton Rouge, LA to Utica, MS), it's only 170 miles, so no worries there. There's a Tesla stop, as you said, that will not work for you (150kw, wrong hardware), but nearby (Fernwood / McComb) there's a Love's installing some CCS stations. You shouldn't need them, but it's nice to have a backup. https://www.plugshare.com/location/645864

 

[Mmiketa]

I can get 2.8 miles/kWh on the freeway doing 70-73 mph, but if I'm on country roads doing 45-55 mph, I can get closer to 3.5 miles/kWh. However, let's be pessimistic and assume 2.4 miles/kWh.

This seems incredibly optimistic to me. The absolute best range I have gotten at highway speed has been 2.3m/kWh, on trips it'll often drop down to 2.0.

 

[topher10]

Thanks to everyone for all of the feedback and information. I am reading and watching all of the reviews and comparisons that I can. I have also spent time on PlugShare and ABRP looking at various common travel destinations, and I now have a much better perspective regarding what my personal travel would look like in various EVs.



I conclude that it would be straightforward to travel to all of these destinations in an F150 Lightning, although a few would require long charging times in somewhat remote locations or the installation of a charger in the case of my farm. If the DCFC in McComb comes online, that would make that specific trip easier. Comparatively, something with a larger battery (Silverado/Sierra) would make this travel extremely easy. Therefore, on the one hand I am considering waiting for something with a bit larger range, or at least how the new Sierra and RAM version stack up in 2025.



Conversely, all my reading of reviews indicates that larger batteries mean more weight, resulting in changes in driving dynamics. Plus, big batteries cost more money. Thus, while the extra range would be nice, it comes at a cost in terms of overall price and driving dynamics. Therefore, the Lightning with the ER battery seems to be right at the sweet spot, with lower costs and excellent performance but with a slightly reduced range. At least until new battery tech comes along that is lighter. The only real issue is the charging speed. If the Lightning could recharge at 350kw, it would be a no-brainer. My my wife is not going to be happy sitting 40 mins at a random truck stop. But for me it would be worth it for all of other benefits of the EV.


Anyway, I thought I would just put down my thoughts, and I again appreciate everyone’s advice. I am curious myself whether I will pull the trigger...

 

[topher10]

Thought I would update.

Test drove a lightning with exact options I want. Was a great drive. Dealer gave a reasonable price, and after some shopping around it’s held up as competitive .

So I am considering purchasing, except one issue. While my wife was driving after I took the first turn, the service vehicle soon warning popped up. The salesperson in the back said something about shifting from reverse to drive too quickly, which I dont believe. We noticed nothing wrong with driving, but when we parked it the warning was on.

I will of course not purchase it until that warning is cleared, but how do I know there is not some more serious issue. From my reading, that warning could mean a serious issue, or that the truck is due for an OTA update. Are there any steps I can take to make sure I am not walking into a mess. Or should I just move to another truck. There is not another one near me, so this truck would be very convenient.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Thought I would update.

Test drove a lightning with exact options I want. Was a great drive. Dealer gave a reasonable price, and after some shopping around it’s held up as competitive .

So I am considering purchasing, except one issue. While my wife was driving after I took the first turn, the service vehicle soon warning popped up. The salesperson in the back said something about shifting from reverse to drive too quickly, which I dont believe. We noticed nothing wrong with driving, but when we parked it the warning was on.

I will of course not purchase it until that warning is cleared, but how do I know there is not some more serious issue. From my reading, that warning could mean a serious issue, or that the truck is due for an OTA update. Are there any steps I can take to make sure I am not walking into a mess. Or should I just move to another truck. There is not another one near me, so this truck would be very convenient.

Insist they fix the issue, then take her for another test drive to confirm the problem is solved.

 

[ryun]

What did the warning say/what did it look like?

Edit - Sorry should have been more clear: did it just say "Service vehicle soon"?

 

[topher10]

Yes, just Service Vehicle Soon in the middle of the Dash.


the new thing is that a dealer out of state just got back to me with a great price. So now I have to decide if it’s worth traveling!!

 

[Ragman]

Don’t discount the value of “5 minute charging stop” - 90% of time I can make a 200 mile / 320 km run no problem however the day with the strong headwind makes a stop necessary.

Sounds like you have a Tesla bank of chargers on route as we do - 5 minutes at 150kws generally gives me a nice buffer to end point. 15kw /10% battery costs us $10 at Tesla (.66/kw) - cheap range insurance.

 

[VTHokies]

This seems incredibly optimistic to me. The absolute best range I have gotten at highway speed has been 2.3m/kWh, on trips it'll often drop down to 2.0.

same here, I'm lucky to get 2.0 on the highway, it's probably more like 1.8... you may get 2.8 if you're going downhill, drafting and with the wind... I don't believe 2.8 at 70mph one bit!

 

[DXD]

Installing a charger at the farm might be the most practical solution, especially if you’re leaning toward the F150 Flash for its pricing and features.

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