What the coming F-150 Lightning EREV needs (per Motor Trend)

[jwrezz]

Because towing, and has need to tow, are different things.

I have a Lightning, and a travel trailer, and doing any distance using my one and only truck that cost a lot of money is not feasible.

CAN it do it? Yes. Would you want to? No. An hour of driving for an hour of charging is not feasible. And even for shorter distances the need to find a dcfc within 15 minutes of your destination is severely limiting.

I don't know how long a diesel can go while towing but it's range is reduced too, no? All we need is a couple or 3 hundred miles and charging that matches gas fill-up times.

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[jwrezz]

A pure BEV truck with faster charging would do well in my use case, until then EREV is still on my radar around 2032, which is when I plan to flip the Lightning.

2032?!? ALL of the issues listed that some how have people thinking an EREV with any petroleum fuel is needed, all of them, will be solved by then. Batteries will be higher energy density so more range same weight. Charging will be faster. Likely closer to a 10 minute stop. In 2032 if we're still having a discussion anything like this, I'll eat my shoe.

 

[PJnc284]

My thoughts have been, why can’t we get a plug in the bed, and some attachment points to securely hold a ford built generator. If you never have a use for it, don’t buy it. If you use it once in a blue moon, you can just pull it in when you use it. And if you’re a lunatic with range anxiety you’ll eventually realize it just sits in there for no reason and you’ll take it out.

Everdrive will basically make that a reality. It's only level 2 so you're limited to the max ac speeds your truck supports though so the benefit will be limited if towing a good load

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

People like convenience. Time is convenience. Having to stop and charge for an hour or two, vs. a 15 minute fill defeats convenience. When those reach parity, then you will feel success.

Here’s the thing, from a road trip perspective, we already have the tech for BEV’s to be convenient.

Look at how the Porsche Taycan DC fast charges vs the Lightning. It’s 93kWh battery can go from 10 to 80% in less than 15 minutes. There are now TONS of 400kw chargers out there to actually attain these charging speeds. Furthermore BYD has vehicles and charges deployed that charge from 10% to 97% in less than 10 minutes. The technology is here, Ford simply needs to take advantage of it.

Remember that faster charging speeds mean batteries don’t need to be as large which drives down vehicle cost. It’s a win win for both the manufacturers and consumers.

 

[Shawnson]

Everdrive will basically make that a reality. It's only level 2 so you're limited to the max ac speeds your truck supports though so the benefit will be limited if towing a good load

A great tool. I’m just thinking a manufacturer generated solution will have the benefit of software integration, bypass some issues that may be related to charge speed, etc.

 

[Shawnson]

the thing most it us font get, which apparently every other ICE truck buyer gets, is why are all these people worried about towing long distances for that one opportunity that they might actually do it. The vast majority of 150 customers do not tow.

It’s like a sedan or suv customer worrying about having interior storage instead of a truck bed for the one time they might need to pick up a load of rocks. It’s a once in a couple years opportunity.

 

[Maineiac12]

Ford really missed on canceling the lightning. The extended range vehicle is ridiculous. Like someone said above I can go about 200 miles and I need to go to the bathroom and get a bite to eat and drive again. I don’t know how anyone does 345 hour marathon driving but to each his own I’ll wait for the Democratic president to come into power and bring back the Ford lightning so stupid.

The point is towing and public perception. If you tow it’s drive an hour then stop to charge for 45 min and repeat. And even if people do stop to pee every 200 miles, the slow charging (relative to gas fill ups) and lack of charger availability makes people hesitate. If public chargers were more prevalent and charge times were closer to 10-15 min you’d have a lot more buyers.

And if you think Ford canceled the Lightning because of the federal government you’re delusional. Why pick on the Lightning? Why not the MME? Or every other electric truck? It was a short term profit driven decision, nothing more.

 

[csukoh78]

the thing most it us font get, which apparently every other ICE truck buyer gets, is why are all these people worried about towing long distances for that one opportunity that they might actually do it. The vast majority of 150 customers do not tow.

95% never tow by Ford's numbers.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I don't know how long a diesel can go while towing but it's range is reduced too, no? All we need is a couple or 3 hundred miles and charging that matches gas fill-up times.

My former 2012 F250 PSD could eke out 20 MPG hyper mile style driving & no load trailer.
When I hooked up my 7x14 V-nose twin axle, it dropped to ~15 MPG, a 25% drop.
Never needed to make a fuel stop, and completed the round trip one one tank

Exactly 4 years ago today, I was trailering the Destroyer race bike to New England dragway, this was the consumption stats when arrived at the track.

With the Lightning it drops 54% from 2.44 MPK to ~1.1 MPK.
Requires two 15 to 25 minute charging stops, one going up the other going home.

 

[DavidS]

An EREV pickup doesn’t need more than a 75 kWh battery. So even with a 400V architecture charging at flat 150 kWh it would be possible to charge from say 20-80 in under 20 minutes. At 180 kWh that would be 15 minutes. That seems ideal for leveraging the existing charging network but would require a better LFP battery than is currently available in the US (but not the rest of the world).

 

[TaxmanHog]

2032?!? ALL of the issues listed that some how have people thinking an EREV with any petroleum fuel is needed, all of them, will be solved by then. Batteries will be higher energy density so more range same weight. Charging will be faster. Likely closer to a 10 minute stop. In 2032 if we're still having a discussion anything like this, I'll eat my shoe.

I look forward to the innovations to come in 5.5 years and while Ford is in development stage on EREV, they capitalize on what's available by the moment they commit to the production design.

 

[jamelski]

And if you think Ford canceled the Lightning because of the federal government you’re delusional. Why pick on the Lightning? Why not the MME? Or every other electric truck? It was a short term profit driven decision, nothing more.

You’re delusional to not think it has anything to do with a downfall of many EVS not just the lightning many companies have gotten rid of theirs such as the ID4 and there’s others all because of who’s in office. The moment a dem gets back in office the push for EV’s, and the credit will be back

The funny part is democrats suck and so do Republicans it’s all part of the system to keep people fighting with each other. All behind closed doors they’re all sipping champagne together like look at all these idiots think we care about them.

 

[Joe.....Montana]

To be devils advocate (while fully recognizing in Montana we are but a miniscule fraction of the US population and certainly the EV driving population)...Outside of I-90 there are 2 Superchargers open to Lightnings. The Supercharger on this map in Big Timer is NOT open. Yes, people do live, travel, and pull campers along the Northern part (it is named the Hi-Line).

I have also enjoyed seeing commercials for some car makers that highlight "range of over 500 miles" when it is a full gas vehicle. So ridiculous...

 

[Shawnson]

95% never tow by Ford's numbers.

So why can’t they just focus on actually advertising to customers the advantage of switching. They were so scared of cannibalism on the ice sales that they ensured the Lightning would fail. It was like an unwritten rule at Ford HQ. Never say Lightning is better at anything. I get there was a profitability issue, but why even launch it in the first place then.

 

[jwrezz]

You’re delusional to not think it has anything to do with a downfall of many EVS not just the lightning many companies have gotten rid of theirs such as the ID4 and there’s others all because of who’s in office. The moment a dem gets back in office the push for EV’s, and the credit will be back

The funny part is democrats suck and so do Republicans it’s all part of the system to keep people fighting with each other. All behind closed doors they’re all sipping champagne together like look at all these idiots think we care about them.

Thank you! They have us all fighting each other and laughing all the way to the bank.

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