A good time to buy used????

[Ken]

I'm going to test drive one soon, I drove a Tesla model 3 before and I hated the regen braking where it slows the car without the brakes. I'm used to just rolling like a gas vehicle.

I'll see how the lighting drives first and we'll go to step 2.......

The lightning has a regen mode called 1-pedal driving but it can be turned off. I enjoy it but if you want it to roll normally it can do something pretty close with 1-pedal off.

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[EV Engineer]

It's a great truck.

It's just not that complicated.

If you are going to be towing a camper or very heavy boat >200 miles than probably consider an ICE.

If you are mainly using it as a truck around town, within state limits, maybe towing a boat or light trailer- It's a fantastic truck.

You're questions about the longevity of the truck are somewhat hard to answer. On a population level, the data for EV batteries seems to be significantly less maintenance and longer lasting that ICE on average. The battery is warrantied to 100k miles.

There are ICE engines that can probably make 400k.
There are EV modules that fail after 5k.

None if it matters unless it happens to YOU.

No one has a crystal ball. I hope my Truck gets to 300k miles and I have no reason to believe it can't.

I think there was a group on the forum some months ago that were willing to drop a SR battery and put the Extended Range (ER) in for about $1000. I think they paid $8,000 for the entire ER battery.

Those numbers obviously might like very different in 5 years for better or worse.

 

[RickLightning]

First off I'm not an "EV Hater" I'm talking facts of the situation and trying to have a conversation. I would buy an EV if it makes sense.

I don't think buying a new EV is a good idea because the depreciation is a bitch but after they bled out a bottom feeder like me would look.

Yes I know that you can replace single "packs" of the battery but eventually batteries all need reaplced, no battery will last forever. I keep my vehicels until they are beyond econimcal repair.

My gas 2006 F150 with a 5.4L has 230k miles like I said, and the engine has never been opened up for any repairs. Still doesn't burn a drop of oil as I use synthetic every 5k miles. Things like alternators, BATTERY, starters, hoses, belts, plugs, etc. All stuff I can replace myself for cheap.

The biggest repair it ever needed was a new transmission at 194k miles, that cost me 5k installed.

This is the EV Battery warranty I mentioned:
https://www.xcelerateauto.com/xcare...MImoK56bPKkwMVxXd_AB0IWQbxEAAYAyAAEgLh8_D_BwE

If I'm so clueless how do I know about this and you guys don't? lol


So can anyone tell me IF I need new batteries at 150k miles(so another 100k after I buy a used one with 50k miles on it), how much would that cost? Keep in mind it will take me 10 years to get to 150k miles so AGE will be the issue more than mileage. I keep hearing my 40k is inaccurate.

Can I hope there are Chinese batteries knockoffs by then?

No one knows how much something will cost in 10 years, but everything we know today is that the cost will be much less.

That company has a limit on liability, and lists battery costs below the $40,000 you mention. They've also not been around for more than 5 years - will THEY be there in 10 years?

 

[Joe.....Montana]

I'm going to test drive one soon, I drove a Tesla model 3 before and I hated the regen braking where it slows the car without the brakes. I'm used to just rolling like a gas vehicle.

I'll see how the lighting drives first and we'll go to step 2.......

I too am a rolling stop kind of a person...which I love about the Lightning. Turn one pedal driving off and it feels almost identical to a gas powered vehicle. It still has regen, but it is not nearly as aggressive and you will need to depress the brake pedal to come to a full stop.

 

[ReaperHWK]

One last question that no one answered. How do I "test" or see the battery life. Does the truck show you the battery health of each individual pack? If not is there a way that a diagnostic can be run to test the battery health by the dealer or a shop?

I would like to make sure that gets done if I buy a used one.

 

[K6CCC]

I'm going to test drive one soon, I drove a Tesla model 3 before and I hated the regen braking where it slows the car without the brakes. I'm used to just rolling like a gas vehicle.

I'll see how the lighting drives first and we'll go to step 2.......

I am not a fan of 1 pedal mode and fortunately, Ford makes it optional (default is normal 2 pedal mode). In my opinion, when operating in 2 pedal mode, the feel is about as close as you can get to driving an ICE with an automatic transmission. Note that regardless of 1 pedal vs 2 pedal mode, the truck always uses regen for braking if possible - you just don't know it other than dashboard display.

 

[ReaperHWK]

No one knows how much something will cost in 10 years, but everything we know today is that the cost will be much less.

That company has a limit on liability, and lists battery costs below the $40,000 you mention. They've also not been around for more than 5 years - will THEY be there in 10 years?

Battery costs could/will decrease but these trucks would be discontinued for a long time by then; if there is no market to make replacement cheap batteries for these things we are SOL anyway.

 

[jamelski]

I love when people say they stop for 5 mins to fill up. No you don’t. It will take 6-12 mins to fill a 36 gallon tank. Depending on gas station. While it fills you gonna go to the bathroom , buy a snack, stretch your legs , walk a dog whatever blah blah. ect. You gonna spend 20 mins or at each stop.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Also, does the lightning have battery health monitors for each "pack" and can tell you the life left? I am not sure.

One last question that no one answered. How do I "test" or see the battery life. Does the truck show you the battery health of each individual pack? If not is there a way that a diagnostic can be run to test the battery health by the dealer or a shop?

I would like to make sure that gets done if I buy a used one.

FORD dealerships have the tools (FDRS) to pull the full pack diagnostic health, some independent shops might also have access to the same tools if they sell/service FoMoCo products

 

[ReaperHWK]

FORD dealerships have the tools (FDRS) to pull the full pack diagnostic health, some independent shops might also have access to the same tools if they sell/service FoMoCo products

thanks. Def will do that if I find a truck I like.

 

[ReaperHWK]

I love when people say they stop for 5 mins to fill up. No you don’t. It will take 6-12 mins to fill a 36 gallon tank. Depending on gas station. While it fills you gonna go to the bathroom , buy a snack, stretch your legs , walk a dog whatever blah blah. ect. You gonna spend 20 mins or at each stop.

in my gas truck I can haul my trailer non-stop for 4 hours without stopping. Let’s say 300 miles or more . You will be taking TWICE as many stop and waiting 4 times as long at each stop.

I don’t know about you but when I’m towing im not on a sight seeing adventure I have a place to be and I’m getting there. I go drive a full tank and then stop.

and try finding charging stations in upstate Maine.

a lightning for “heavy” towing for long distances shouldn’t be argued as a good option lol. It’s called reality. It’s one of the main reasons it failed at a core truck duty.

 

[jamelski]

in my gas truck I can haul my trailer non-stop for 4 hours without stopping. Let’s say 300 miles or more . You will be taking TWICE as many stop and waiting 4 times as long at each stop.

I don’t know about you but when I’m towing im not on a sight seeing adventure I have a place to be and I’m getting there. I go drive a full tank and then stop.

and try finding charging stations in upstate Maine.

a lightning for “heavy” towing for long distances shouldn’t be argued as a good option lol. It’s called reality. It’s one of the main reasons it failed at a core truck duty.

Man come on a 5.0 f150 will a 23 or 36 gallon tank might get 5-7 miles a gallon at max towing. That’s 115-250. You ain’t driving 45 on highway even 55 might get you 8-9 mpg.

have you towed with a lightning yet ? Just wondering. I have towed with a 5.0 and it sucks. my lighting tows like a dream with max weight.

I enjoy the breaks after 2 hours of driving

 

[TaxmanHog]

You need a Bluetooth OBD device and any of a bunch of cell phone apps. The one many, might even say most, use is car scanner elm obd2. This will provide the self reported battery "health" metric.

Probably worth searching this forum for that term so you can get a better sense of how much you should trust it. I'm not saying its wrong, or bad, but it can be influenced by charging routines and battery balancing.

He want all the details about cell/module health, need Ford tools for that detail

 

[ReaperHWK]

I have an autel mx900 scanner. Will it do the scan?
I guess I can plug it in and see what routines it has.

 

[ReaperHWK]

Man come on a 5.0 f150 will a 23 or 36 gallon tank might get 5-7 miles a gallon at max towing. That’s 115-250. You ain’t driving 45 on highway even 55 might get you 8-9 mpg.

have you towed with a lightning yet ? Just wondering. I have towed with a 5.0 and it sucks. my lighting tows like a dream with max weight.

I enjoy the breaks after 2 hours of driving

if I get a lightning I’ll tow my car around the block and let you know!

this is my “tow” rig for now. If the lighting can beat it I’d use it but I doubt it.

It’s the fast chargers and availability in rural areas. I run top speed events on runways; they are off the beaten path.



hoping to break 200mph this season!

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