"Gen 2 F-150 Lightning" development leaked in Ford employees' Linkedin profiles

[Ford Motor Company]

Boy you gotta know it kills Brian @Ford Motor Company to see these threads and not be able to say a word

I enjoy being employed too much to say anything.

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[RocketGhost]

I enjoy being employed too much to say anything.

And we enjoy you being the one employed. We appreciate your dedication, sincerity, and humor.

Too often corporate customer service seems like a battle between rival teams. You make it feel like you care and are looking out for us. As a result we respect you and understand the limits of what you can do and say. Everybody wins!

Thank you Brian! Ford has found the perfect man for the job.

 

[Yellow Buddy]

I knew this thing would come in handy some day.

I love the fuel tank as well. It does however need some noise insulation.

A coffee can with some 3M foam adhesive should do...

 

[Maineiac12]

I’m pretty confident that the next gen F-150 Lightning will be an EREV… or at least that will be a trim option alongside a pure EV. It makes too much sense for them not to do it.

 

[sotek2345]

I’m pretty confident that the next gen F-150 Lightning will be an EREV… or at least that will be a trim option alongside a pure EV. It makes too much sense for them not to do it.

I would rather they just stick with basic hybrids and pure EVs. All of the data coming out on plug in hybrid vehicles is that almost no-one ever bothers to plug them in and they end up getting worse efficiency than a non-plug in hybrid, sometimes even worse than the pure ICE variant as well.

 

[Maineiac12]

I would rather they just stick with basic hybrids and pure EVs. All of the data coming out on plug in hybrid vehicles is that almost no-one ever bothers to plug them in and they end up getting worse efficiency than a non-plug in hybrid, sometimes even worse than the pure ICE variant as well.

My wife plugs hers in and gets crazy high mpg because her daily commute is within range of the battery. I don’t think the issue with plug in hybrids is the technology, it’s the implementation from the manufacturer.

Also, EREV is different. There’s no gas engine powering the wheels. It’s still a full electric drivetrain and you get all the power and torque. The difference between an EREV and PHEV is that the EREV has a small gas engine which has only 1 job - charge the battery. That way, it can run quietly and more efficient since it’s tuned for that one purpose. There is still a big battery with enough juice to go 100+ miles on battery alone before the gas engine kicks on and starts to charge it. Ram says that theirs can go 600 miles on a full charge and tank of gas. It should be a good solution for the towing problem and road trip anxiety for a lot of people.

 

[sotek2345]

My wife plugs hers in and gets crazy high mpg because her daily commute is within range of the battery. I don’t think the issue with plug in hybrids is the technology, it’s the implementation from the manufacturer.

Also, EREV is different. There’s no gas engine powering the wheels. It’s still a full electric drivetrain and you get all the power and torque. The difference between an EREV and PHEV is that the EREV has a small gas engine which has only 1 job - charge the battery. That way, it can run quietly and more efficient since it’s tuned for that one purpose. There is still a big battery with enough juice to go 100+ miles on battery alone before the gas engine kicks on and starts to charge it. Ram says that theirs can go 600 miles on a full charge and tank of gas. It should be a good solution for the towing problem and road trip anxiety for a lot of people.

Maybe. I just foresee lots of folks "saving money" by not installing a home charger and letting their truck idle for hours in the driveway to charge the battery.

 

[WXman]

Well I was looking for job listings at the Ford Truck Plant in Louisville, and noticed that elsewhere in the company they are currently hiring engineers and professionals to work on electric vehicle programs. They specifically mention wanting candidates who specialize in battery thermal management systems, high performance electric vehicle systems, and electrified transmission design.

I think it's pretty obvious that Ford isn't stepping away from the EV game, they're just going to focus on cost and efficiency going forward with attention directed toward vehicles that people would actually buy.

 

[Rayden]

Maybe. I just foresee lots of folks "saving money" by not installing a home charger and letting their truck idle for hours in the driveway to charge the battery.

Would people REALLY need to install a charger for those? I've had my Lightning since July and have been home charging using the 110v charger that came with the truck, topping off once a week at a DCFC nearby. My commute is 50 miles daily, so it can't QUITE keep up. So for someone with an EREV or PHEV, would they really need a level 2 at home?

And for what it's worth, I got slow rolled by my first electrician and that slowed me down until I moved on to #2. Now I'm close enough to see if there's any good deals for Black Friday.

 

[sotek2345]

Would people REALLY need to install a charger for those? I've had my Lightning since July and have been home charging using the 110v charger that came with the truck, topping off once a week at a DCFC nearby. My commute is 50 miles daily, so it can't QUITE keep up. So for someone with an EREV or PHEV, would they really need a level 2 at home?

And for what it's worth, I got slow rolled by my first electrician and that slowed me down until I moved on to #2. Now I'm close enough to see if there's any good deals for Black Friday.

Well - not everyone has a 120V outlet near where they park their car, so they would have to install something.

It also depends on how cold it gets where you are. Our first EVSE had to be replaced under warranty, so we had to go without it for a couple weeks in the middle of an upstate NY winter. This was in a Mach-e, not a lighting, but all of the charging power went to keeping the battery warm and we still lost a few % over night, every night. No nearby DCFC at the time (early 2022), so we had to leave it at a level 2 charger a few miles away for 4-5 hours every night. Not fun.

 

[Altivec]

My wife plugs hers in and gets crazy high mpg because her daily commute is within range of the battery. I don’t think the issue with plug in hybrids is the technology, it’s the implementation from the manufacturer.

Also, EREV is different. There’s no gas engine powering the wheels. It’s still a full electric drivetrain and you get all the power and torque. The difference between an EREV and PHEV is that the EREV has a small gas engine which has only 1 job - charge the battery. That way, it can run quietly and more efficient since it’s tuned for that one purpose. There is still a big battery with enough juice to go 100+ miles on battery alone before the gas engine kicks on and starts to charge it. Ram says that theirs can go 600 miles on a full charge and tank of gas. It should be a good solution for the towing problem and road trip anxiety for a lot of people.

you just wait a few more years and see if you have the same opinion. I thought my EREV Cadillac ELR was the best thing ever. Until I found out that small battery in there takes a beating. You chew through its life cycles like no tomorrow. constant engine issues and maintenance due to it not being used. Lack of 3rd party mechanics that will touch it due to its complexity.

I get it, because I felt the same as you. BUT... I will never buy a hybrid or EREV again. Battery tech and infrastructure just keeps on improving. Wasting development and factory funds on ancient/inferior technology while your competitors are doubling down on future technologies will not end well.

My hope for Gen 2 lightning is that in their quest to cheapen it, they make sure it stays a truck. I bought a lightning over its competitors because it's really a truck.

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

I would rather they just stick with basic hybrids and pure EVs. All of the data coming out on plug in hybrid vehicles is that almost no-one ever bothers to plug them in and they end up getting worse efficiency than a non-plug in hybrid, sometimes even worse than the pure ICE variant as well.

PHEV owner. It’s plugged in daily to a 240v 16a EVSE.

 

[Traconesu]

Either my Lightening will be reliable and I won’t need another Ford truck or it will be unreliable and I won’t want another Ford truck. Why are we talking about this?

I agree. I'm 76 and expect my 2022 platinum to at least carry me through the 8 year warranty. That will put me at 80 years old. At that age I'm hoping I won't need another new truck.

 

[Maineiac12]

you just wait a few more years and see if you have the same opinion. I thought my EREV Cadillac ELR was the best thing ever. Until I found out that small battery in there takes a beating. You chew through its life cycles like no tomorrow. constant engine issues and maintenance due to it not being used. Lack of 3rd party mechanics that will touch it due to its complexity.

I get it, because I felt the same as you. BUT... I will never buy a hybrid or EREV again. Battery tech and infrastructure just keeps on improving. Wasting development and factory funds on ancient/inferior technology while your competitors are doubling down on future technologies will not end well.

My hope for Gen 2 lightning is that in their quest to cheapen it, they make sure it stays a truck. I bought a lightning over its competitors because it's really a truck.

Towing is part of the truck things. I think that’s why they are considering EREV. Even people don’t tow, they want to be able to. It’s my only complaint with my flash. If I only had another 100 miles of towing range it would be perfect.

 

[Altivec]

Towing is part of the truck things. I think that’s why they are considering EREV. Even people don’t tow, they want to be able to. It’s my only complaint with my flash. If I only had another 100 miles of towing range it would be perfect.

That doesn't change anything I said. I tow a lot with my lightning. 99% of the time, it's well under 100miles so no charging is necessary. A couple of times a year I do take it out long distance. When towing with my gas trucks, I would have to stop for gas more often too, an EREV wouldn't be any different, probably worse because it's going to have a smaller tank. Yes, I'm stuck at a charger for maybe 20 minutes longer than a gas stop a few times a year. How about all the savings in time not having to go to a gas station for the other 99% of the time. All the time savings and costs in maintenance, dealing with fuel stabilizers, and added complexity. I know which one I would choose.

I know for some, they tow long distance a lot. If that were me, I would be getting a gas F150, end of story. If that's all you do, when are you going to gain anything from the EV side of a EREV. Just hauling a heavy battery around for the fun of it.

If you are someone that tows long distance often but stick around the city a lot too where you will be taking advantage of the battery, then expect to chew up its small battery life cycles within the trucks usable life. In other words you will reach a point where you will have to decide to spend big bucks on a battery replacement or write-off the truck. That's where I am at with my ELR with only 50k miles on it.

There might be some niche case use where an EREV would be the best choice but I would not be able to pin point it. Batteries will continue to get better, infrastructure will continue to get better. China already has cars going insane distances with extremely fast charging speeds. Ten years from now, this conversation will be meaningless everywhere except for the US where bad after bad decisions keep getting made.

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