Recent content by djwildstar

Modifications I put AMP Research PowerSteps on my truck less than a month after I bought it. So I've had them for a bit over 3 years, with no problems. I'd recommend them to anyone who needs more-secure footing getting in and out of the cab (I'm over 60, and my wife has arthritis in her hip)...

Welcome to the group and (hopefully) welcome to the truck! In terms of battery size, nobody ever complained about having an extended-range truck instead of standard-range, so but the reverse is not true, if you can find one and can afford it, extended-range is the way to go. In general, I...

The 1% figure mentioned in the article is over the entire vehicle lifetime, and not per year. So that means for "recent" (2016-2024) EVs, excluding battery recalls, fewer than 1% have ever needed a battery replacement. For the vehicles in the study, this is also within the battery warranty...

I'm not concerned about gradual battery degradation. Ford has stated that the vehicle is designed for the same overall lifespan as an F-150 truck: 15-20 years and 200,00-300,000 miles. Cycle-testing of lithium-ion batteries suggests that we should see between 10% and 20% reduction in capacity...

It isn't just the Pacific Northwest -- don't ever count on being able to charge at a dealership. At best, dealerships consider the chargers to be a convenience that they might offer to their own customers. However, most dealerships would prefer that EVs not exist, and will take steps to ensure...

These are observed charging rates. The 2022-2023 model year trucks shipped with a DC charging current limit of 450A and 61C limit on charge port pin temperatures. The current limit meant a theoretic maximum fast-charge rate of 175kW, with typical peaks in the 150kW to 165kW range. The charge...

Ford has updated the charging curves several times since 2022. With the latest charge curve, the Lightning will charge at 160kW-190kW up to somewhere between 30% and 45% SoC. It'll then transition to ~120kW. At ~80%, charge rate drops to ~55kW until the battery is just shy of 95%, and then in...

Yep. Never trust a single-digit SoC -- you could drop to zero without warning.

My wife drives a 2023 Mach-E GT Performance Edition. If ride and handling are important, go for the trims that are equipped with the MagneRide active suspension: 2021-2023 GT Performance Edition, 2024-present Mach-E GT, and 2024-present Mach-E Rally Edition. Other than that, Ford added a heat...

I agree with you. US car buyers have always liked full-size cars, pickups, and SUVs: the best-selling vehicle in the US has nearly always been a "full-size" vehicle for its day and age, going all the way back to 1908 and the Model T. The exceptions I can think of are 1972-1976 when fuel...

Overall, I agree that all powertrain types have a role. It is a huge disappointment to me that Ford cannot somehow manage to produce both BEV and EREV F-150 pickups at the same time. Having all the power train options (gas, diesel, hybrid, PHEV, EREV, and BEV) for the F-150 should have been the...

Ford's recommendation for brake fluid is every 3 years. So if you have a '22 or a '23, it might be time. Even if it's not quite due yet, it isn't a bad idea to get it done now versus bringing the truck back in a few months. According to Ford, the Lightning's coolant is rated for 200,000 miles...

I unfortunately agree. As I wrote earlier in the thread, Ford's actions suggest that the company does not see EVs as significant part of their sales for the foreseeable future. If so, it makes sense to use the investment to reduce taxes now, because there is no guarantee of profits as far in the...

Here's the other thing that the press (and in fact most people) miss: It isn't an either/or situation. You can take the write-down in 2025 and still use the results of the investment in the future. People read about the write-down and imagine Ford as wadding up and throwing out $19 billion...

The write-off at the end of 2025 wasn't foolish -- it's part of the same profit-taking strategy. Changes in the 2025 budget law allow companies to write off big investments (rather than spread them over multiple years). For Ford, this saves on the 2025 tax bill, and (since the money has already...