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RickLightning

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MountainAlive

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“The secret is now out as Ford races toward building its first model, a new truck it says will be nearly as fast as a Mustang, travel around 300 miles on a single charge and feature in-car technology to compete with Tesla and China. It’s aiming for a 2027 launch and a price tag of around $30,000, the cost of a Toyota Camry.”

I hope Ford succeeds here, but something tells me this price is not gonna happen. And calling it a “truck” might the same as calling a Mach E a SUV.
 

RickLightning

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Newton

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I wish them the best but stories about how they were worried that the frame would collapse when it was painted and the technical challenges of making the body waterproof do not inspire a lot of confidence. The Honda Ridgeline already exists.

I really wish we would drop the PR lines about competing with China and Tesla, at this point it just looks stupid. Where are my self-opening doors and massaging footrests? Where is my 500-mile range and 5 minute charging? We have a walled garden that we are quite content with as long as we get our daily dose of the USA! USA! reality distortion drug. Just give us something that works.

VAG (Volkswagen to my fellow USians) tried this by throwing out their stable codebase and ended up with software that was so late that mechanically fine cars could not be released. When it finally came out it was buggy and consumers hated it - the new electric Polo (Golf) makes a big point of having physical buttons and returning to a traditional design. The Sync system is good enough, basically because it works with CarPlay.

For a US EV company to move forward into the new population of users who are beginning to dimly realize that the Oil executives who really run the country do not have our best interests at heart (USA! USA! USA!) it just. needs. to. work. That means that when the electrons are running out it takes me to an operable, fast, charging station that doesn't make me monkey around with a new 'app'.

It means that it shows me what to do with this scary big charger - it is amazing how many people don't know to remove the second plug on a CCS charging port (which is always black and invisible).

It means that while I'm charging you give me useful information about the charging speeds and perhaps recommendations such as moving to a new pedestal if the charging speed is low, or other tricks that we all know by now. Tell me that I only need to charge to 80% or whatever to reach my goal.

It means that the guess-o-meter needs to be really upfront that it is an estimate, and in my opinion it needs to stop being 'smart' unless Ford wants to put in a lot of effort into sensors that cost well above $8.00. Perhaps it should be presented as a low to high range, anything to remove the perception that it is actual miles. In my opinion they should focus more on battery percentage (which they didn't even show in the first versions of the Lightning), we all have phones and understand how that works.

It means not coming up with clever overloads of buttons to keep the interface 'clean, no freaking using the same knob for climate control and volume! When I'm half drunk on good ol' USA! USA! I don't want to be delighted about how I discovered a new function after half an hour of roasting my butt in the 120 degree weather that our benevolent oil executives have gifted us with in January.

It means an 800V system that charges quickly. That is not optional.

It means that if I want to power my house, I plug in a cord from my (50 amp!) bed outlet and it freaking works the first time without having to rewire anything.

Since this is coming out in 2027 (with technology to dazzle Tesla and the Chinese) it had damn well better have more than 300 miles of range. Not that it is necessary, because it isn't, but I don't see how you continue to sell anything sub-350 when other countries USA! USA! USA! Now what was I saying?
 

bmwhitetx

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@RickLightning link worked for me. A screen pops up over the lower half that wants you to sign in or create a free account, but you can minimize it with the down arrow and see the whole article without doing either of those things. Firefox on Windows and Safari on iPad.
 

MidAtlanticLightningClub

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@RickLightning link worked for me. A screen pops up over the lower half that wants you to sign in or create a free account, but you can minimize it with the down arrow and see the whole article without doing either of those things. Firefox on Windows and Safari on iPad.
MSN link worked best.
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