A good time to buy used????

[TaxmanHog]

NJ to Northern Maine No problems charging until you get to mid-coast Maine.
Then you want to schedule those stops just right.

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[ReaperHWK]

NJ to Northern Maine No problems charging until you get to mid-coast Maine.
Then you want to schedule those stops just right.

my route would be from Toms River NJ to Loring AFB in ME. Maybe I’ll do it if I want to be adventurous!

so what’s plan B if I’m towing and run out of battery completely 50 miles away from the closest charge?

Is there trucks that come and charge your EV on the road?
Just curious.

 

[TaxmanHog]

my route would be from Toms River NJ to Loring AFB in ME. Maybe I’ll do it if I want to be adventurous!

so what’s plan B if I’m towing and run out of battery completely 50 miles away from the closest charge?

Is there trucks that come and charge your EV on the road?
Just curious.

You definitely need to stop at Houlton and head into Canada unless there are other stations not listed, then charge to 100% which will get you a round trip back on the return leg from Loring.

 

[Jseis]

Towed (w/Lightning) small tractors like these, typically ~2500 lbs. A yard of gravel, say 3,000 lbs. plus trailer all under 5,000. Towed my 24’ boat to the launch 5 miles distant on 25-35 mph roads. Boat & trailer near 7,000 lbs. at the limit. Would I tow more… sure, growing up on a farm, I’d tow things that are… marginal but off road (usually). While the Lightning will out pull my ‘99 7.3 F250 SD. It won’t out tow it ‘cause beefy springs & solid axles. The SD has a six speed manual & I’ve towed 13K (3 axle contractor trailer & swamp tractor) cross state. 13K would be too much (on the highway) for the Lightning’s IRS & springs in my opinion. I’ve put 2 tons of fertilizer in the bed of the F250 SD. Not sure I’d do that with the Lightning on the highway as that’s way more than its rated capacity, again due to the SD’s stronger springs & solid axles. Not to say that we never overloaded our 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2 tons . Never .

 

[shutterbug]

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.

1 pedal driving is NOT a regen mode. Unlike Tesla, Ford regens just fine in 2 pedal mode.

 

[3rdgenfan]

I do 3 charging stops in my SR when going from DE to central Maine, no trailer of course. So there isn't an issue.

I've also towed with my SR from Lakewood NJ to DE without needing to stop to charge.

 

[21st Century Truck]

my route would be from Toms River NJ to Loring AFB in ME. Maybe I’ll do it if I want to be adventurous!

so what’s plan B if I’m towing and run out of battery completely 50 miles away from the closest charge?

Is there trucks that come and charge your EV on the road?
Just curious.

To answer Your question about a Plan B: electricity is all around us, in every single building all across North America (all four countries).

My Plan B was, and continues to be alternate, non-DC Fast charging. I've charged off a 240V HVAC receptacle (common enough on the back sides of most strip malls where their HVAC units live), and several times off a 240V welder's receptacle, both the new versions and once off the old-style welder receptacle.

I have nine receptacle adapters and so far, I've used seven.

If You happen to be short 50 miles, that will equal kinda - sorta 2 hours of a 240V AC charging under such a Plan B. Not ideal for certain, but far from a showstopper.

Not to mention the plethora of NEMA 14-50 receptacles all over every single state. In state parks, in some National Forest lands, and in Corps of Engineer campgrounds. Plus all the private and county parks with NEMA 14-50 receptacles. At non-peak times and with a friendly approach, one can often use such NEMA 14-50 points for, say, 2 hours or so in exchange for a ten-spot or two... time enough to eat at the nearby diner and to stretch them legs. Yes, I speak from experience here.

In our 170,000 EV miles (2 sequential EVs) with multiple coast-to-coast trips, and about 30 thousand of them towing a 1,500 pound teardrop, to include a trip across the length of Newfoundland Canada this past December, the Lightning is a decent - to - fantastic choice of vehicle, including for longer trips and for towing stuff.

Very cold weather, strong headwinds, towing (because of increased air resistance much more than because of towed weight), fast continual speeds and long uphill climbs like across the Rocky Mountain passes will all reduce the available range... more so if most or all these factors are present on one trip. But hey, some of those factors would affect a truck fueled by hydrazine too.

Another advantage of owning a truck like the Lightning is that the usual truck maintenance, whether at a dealership or DIY, pretty much goes away. Like, no need for it. Saves the owner's time and moolah.

Whatever You choose, good luck with it!

 

[PNW-Steve]

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.

I found this video very informative on this topic. I think it has been posted elsewhere on this forum.


My son works in the EV industry, and there is a significant market for salvaged Tesla battery packs from totaled cars where the battery packs were not damaged. I anticipate this could be similar for Lightning packs as a replacement alternative for the rare but painful failure that may occur after the warranty expiration like the truck in the video above. One nice aspect of the Lightning that this video demonstrates is that the battery swap is plug-n-play, and the labor is not extensive. Teslas require some software hacking not needed for the Lightning.

As a side note, I'm new to the forum and also considering a Lightning purchase or lease. Ford's cancellation of the truck has created some concern about accelerated depreciation since historically I have tended to sell and move on after about 150k miles. Nevertheless, the Lightning is the top contender for me of the available EV trucks.

 

[PNW-Steve]

1 pedal driving is NOT a regen mode.

What do you mean by this? Are you saying the 1 pedal drive setting is not using regen to slow the truck? I'm still researching the truck, but I would be extremely surprised if 1 pedal drive is not using regen. We all have our preferences, but for me, 1 pedal drive is probably the feature I enjoy most about driving an EV.

 

[EV Engineer]

What do you mean by this? Are you saying the 1 pedal drive setting is not using regen to slow the truck? I'm still researching the truck, but I would be extremely surprised if 1 pedal drive is not using regen. We all have our preferences, but for me, 1 pedal drive is probably the feature I enjoy most about driving an EV.

He means 1 pedal drive and 2 pedal drive both regen the battery the same.

Ford engineers designed both systems to maximize regeneration. If you like 2 pedal drive, use 2 pedal - you get the same regeneration as 1 pedal.

 

[EV Engineer]

To answer Your question about a Plan B: electricity is all around us, in every single building all across North America (all four countries).

My Plan B was, and continues to be alternate, non-DC Fast charging. I've charged off a 240V HVAC receptacle (common enough on the back sides of most strip malls where their HVAC units live), and several times off a 240V welder's receptacle, both the new versions and once off the old-style welder receptacle.

I have nine receptacle adapters and so far, I've used seven.

If You happen to be short 50 miles, that will equal kinda - sorta 2 hours of a 240V AC charging under such a Plan B. Not ideal for certain, but far from a showstopper.

Not to mention the plethora of NEMA 14-50 receptacles all over every single state. In state parks, in some National Forest lands, and in Corps of Engineer campgrounds. Plus all the private and county parks with NEMA 14-50 receptacles. At non-peak times and with a friendly approach, one can often use such NEMA 14-50 points for, say, 2 hours or so in exchange for a ten-spot or two... time enough to eat at the nearby diner and to stretch them legs. Yes, I speak from experience here.

In our 170,000 EV miles (2 sequential EVs) with multiple coast-to-coast trips, and about 30 thousand of them towing a 1,500 pound teardrop, to include a trip across the length of Newfoundland Canada this past December, the Lightning is a decent - to - fantastic choice of vehicle, including for longer trips and for towing stuff.

Very cold weather, strong headwinds, towing (because of increased air resistance much more than because of towed weight), fast continual speeds and long uphill climbs like across the Rocky Mountain passes will all reduce the available range... more so if most or all these factors are present on one trip. But hey, some of those factors would affect a truck fueled by hydrazine too.

Another advantage of owning a truck like the Lightning is that the usual truck maintenance, whether at a dealership or DIY, pretty much goes away. Like, no need for it. Saves the owner's time and moolah.

Whatever You choose, good luck with it!

This is something that I think really is understated. Electricity is everywhere. ABC. Always been charging.


Yes chargers at times can be a little limited, especially in rural areas. But almost everytime you park your car, you are near electricity. Even a 110 common outlet from lets say 6pm to 8am get's you ~20KWH of energy. That's 50 miles while you sleep or maybe 35 towing. That sounds trivial but it actually greatly extends the "range" of these trucks. I find myself doing it just to save $ and time at fast chargers.

If you happen to cross a NEMA 14-50 even better, you're 100% charged in a few hours while you were parked anyways.

 

[K6CCC]

Even a 110 common outlet from lets say 6pm to 8am get's you ~20KWH of energy.

20 KWH from the wall - more like 15 KWH into the battery (at best on both numbers).

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Just like if you pay attention while towing with a gas vehicle, if you pay attention while towing with a Lightning, you cannot run out of charge 50 miles from a DCFC on the route you mentioned.

In the US, there are very, very few areas that are 50 miles or farther driving distance from a DCFC. There is almost nowhere in the US that’s drivable that is farther than 100 miles driving distance from a DCFC. I happen to live where there are >150 mile gaps between chargers and I regularly drive such a route. I have towed through those gaps while climbing several thousand feet elevation. I would have no concerns about towing through the “gaps” in Maine.

There are millions more charging stations in the US than there are gas stations because every plug is a potential charging station. I just recently charged to 100% on both my Lightning and my Mustang over several days on a single Level 1 plug while we were visiting family in a hospital. If your approach to charging is to always be on a plug (within reason and with permission when necessary), then you’ll find you almost never have to worry about charge.

This image shows the DCFCs (red dots) in New England and the east coast, and the areas within 50 miles driving distance from those DCFCs (blue hash layer). There’s one short stretch that doesn’t have more than two DCFCs within 50 miles driving distance, so there’s a chance of some pucker factor there if you are new to driving EVs and don’t charge “just" before (~50-100 miles before) crossing that stretch. But if you happen to stop near there for an overnight stop, grabbing a Level 2 charge overnight to 100% eliminates that as a concern. If I couldn’t stop there overnight, I would just charge to 85% on a DCFC and go on without worrying about it.

 

[ReaperHWK]

Well my gas f150 may need a trans repair. I’m thinking about this one.

thoughts?

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/436729170

 

[Skidrowe]

Well my gas f150 may need a trans repair. I’m thinking about this one.

thoughts?

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/share/436729170

Here, compare to these platinum trim Lightnings to what you're looking at:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/776098542
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/776738750
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/777118611
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/776661073
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/773046687
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/776880321
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/776908724
https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicle/776661073

There are so many all over the country and depending on how far you want to go and what the market is like in that state will determine whether you're going to pay bottom dollar or a couple grand over average. Good luck finding the one you want. Then enjoy it! It's the best non-towing truck I've ever owned.

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