2026 - Upgraded DC Charging Performance, Experience?

[brp]

I am considering a Lightning for my next vehicle and I see that an OTA has allowed for better DC charging, more specifically by allowing higher DC input pin temps. Note: this is not the
450->500amp update.

Surprisingly, I’ve really only seen it mentioned by Brandon Flasch, and can’t find mention of it here.

Am I missing the thread? Can someone speak to their experience with this change? It looks like, along with the 500a upgrade, DC charging has been made meaningfully faster.

The Lightning might even out-charge a Silverado EV on a Tesla Supercharger as a result.

Thanks.

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[JayF]

What are you looking for, exactly? I don't have other trucks to compare it to, but I know my truck has charged as fast or faster than advertised in almost every case when I've had it on a powerful enough charger. I got 179kWh max at a Rivian charger the other day -- I didn't calculate the average (this is on an SR).

 

[DavidS]

BF’s latest road trip has some charge sessions with varying preconditioning which is probably pretty indicative of what you will see although his stops are likely longer than yours will be. The new pin temp under normal conditions, isn’t going to allow you to charge significantly faster. It’s just going to help prevent charger throttling on hot sunny days. The Lightning cooling system is still the limiting factor. ~10-80 is still just under 40 minutes. If you’re looking for fast road tripping, the F150 isn’t the best choice. If you’re looking for consistent, no hassle charging, it might be for you. If you’re over 50 with a dog or in BF’s case have a little kid, you’re likely not going to be significantly impacted by charging times. If you like to drive in four hour blocks, get a GM with a +200kwh battery.

 

[brp]

What are you looking for, exactly? I don't have other trucks to compare it to, but I know my truck has charged as fast or faster than advertised in almost every case when I've had it on a powerful enough charger. I got 179kWh max at a Rivian charger the other day -- I didn't calculate the average (this is on an SR).

One thing I am wondering about is how deep in the curve 180kw will be held if it is cold and the pins never reach the 81c.

Another thing I am wondering about is the wet rag or blown air trick that Out of Spec used to use on Teslas.

This update does not change the max charge power, but does hold 180kw longer and it tapers more gradually, if the pins stay below 81c.

 

[CD4TNF]

@brp Is what you're looking for in @tommolog 's charge test analysis?

https://evchargingstations.com/chargingnews/ford-f-150-lightning-dc-fast-charging-analysis-10-80/

 

[branden]

Here's the data and I confirmed this change with Ford.

Ford confirmation (I also confirmed in more detail with other contacts off the record):

 

[Charge_Rob]

Here's a sampling of my sessions since April (got the OTA in March) in my 2024 Extended Range that ended at 80% (ending above 80% is hard to compare between sessions because of how the charge speed tapers) on chargers capable of 500A.

Your arrival in the real world won't always be precisely at 20% or whatever comparison point you want to make, temperatures will vary. Basically with the update, my takeaway is the average speed for the entire session can now be around 150 kW, and stops in the real world for me personally are averaging 34 minutes - this is faster than before the update.

Others have the curve itself.

Starting %	Ending %	% Added	kWh Added	Avg kW	Minutes
37%​	80%​	43%​	60.9​	152.3​	24​
19%​	80%​	61%​	82.4​	145.4​	34​
31%​	80%​	49%​	67.8​	150.8​	27​
36%​	80%​	44%​	61.1​	152.9​	24​
6%​	80%​	74%​	100.8​	137.4​	44​
7%​	80%​	73%​	98.2​	137.0​	43​
24%​	80%​	56%​	75.9​	151.7​	30​
14%​	80%​	66%​	90.3​	142.5​	38​
27%​	80%​	53%​	72.5​	150.1​	29​
22%​	80%​	58%​	80.0​	150.0​	32​
15%​	80%​	65%​	90.2​	135.3​	40​
7%​	80%​	73%​	98.6​	134.5​	44​

 

[Zprime29]

I'm still waiting for this update on my truck. When I took a trip at the beginning of May, I still maxed out at 450ish amps. This was at a newer Tesla site, V4 dispensers with magic docks in Lordsburg, NM. Would be nice to have it for my July 4th trip (although good odds it'll be so hot I get throttled pretty quick so it may be a moot point).

Anyways, mainly sharing to say that not all trucks have the update yet.

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

I have a 2025 Flash with 131kWh battery that allows up to 500a charging. IMO it’s still very slow. You can expect ~32% in the first 15 minutes of charging from a quality DC fast charger. It will take about 27 minutes to add 50% to the pack.

I really wish the truck was built on 600v or 800v architecture for greater efficiency and faster charging speeds. Also, while the module approach is alright for repairability, it also sucks for packaging. Ford could learn a lot with what BYD and CATL has cooking right now.

 

[Karlos]

I had to do FDRS updates on my 2023 Lariat ER to get the new charging schedule. Saw 180+KwH for 8-10 minutes on several Tesla SC's on a recent Florida trip. Never saw anything above 170 or so previously. My 2022 Lariat ER got the update spring 2025 and probably saved an hour of charging on a DFW to Oakland CA trip.

 

[brp]

I wrote 2026 (calendar) not as the model year, but to differentiate from the 2025 (calendar) software update. There was an update in 2025 that increased the DC charging by allowing 500a. There was a 2026 software update that allows higher DC pin temps. So there are at least two distinct OTAs that improve DC charging on Lightings. Just to clear up some previous posts.

Mr. Flasch and Charge_Rob, thanks for the data/info.

 

[brirr76]

Nice to hear. My last trip about a 10 days ago I was suprised by the charge curve when my SOC was around the 50-60% (usually chugging along at 120 kw) but I noticed it shot upwards to the 170-180 kw rate for a while, then down to 120's, then back up one more time. I'm gonna keep an eye on this.

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

I wrote 2026 (calendar) not as the model year, but to differentiate from the 2025 (calendar) software update. There was an update in 2025 that increased the DC charging by allowing 500a. There was a 2026 software update that allows higher DC pin temps. So there are at least two distinct OTAs that improve DC charging on Lightings. Just to clear up some previous posts.

Mr. Flasch and Charge_Rob, thanks for the data/info.

I’m not sure the difference it will have in the real world. I’ve done several charging sessions in very cold temps, and the vehicle still pulls amperage after around 10 minutes. The attached “Tesla” session was in 22°F weather and the “Ripley” session was 85°F with sun directly on the charging cable.

EDIT: I see what Branden is talking about. This is the update to give the early Lightnings the same curve that the 2024’s and later have. You got me excited that there was something new out there.

 

[abcut973]

What is that DC pin higher temp update called?

 

[WaterboyNorCal]

As others have pointed out, the update to the charging curve was a welcome change for 2022/23 owners. I have a 2023 XLT SR, and I once I received the OTA charging update, I saw my DCFC speeds go from ~125kw max to ~176kw max, usually for about 10 minutes, depending on SOC and pack / ambient temps. The truck still takes ~28min to go from 10-70% (my preferred road trip charge, if I can make it to the next charger with less than 80%), which isn't great. But it is MUCH better than the speeds I was seeing when I bought the truck over 2 years ago. I would also add that the IONNA and Tesla 325kw chargers make a big difference regarding reliability of delivering 500 amps, and it DOES seem like even the EA chargers have been more consistently able to deliver consistent power, which I did NOT see when I first bought the truck.

This truck will never be an exceptionally fast charging vehicle. With the pack voltage being well under 400V and Ford's engineers being very conservative with heat (which I appreciate), we never would see a 10-80% 20min charge. But if we can get 10-80 in just over 30min, that is good enough for me. I am over 65,000 miles, and have virtually no degradation (99.5% SOH according to my OBD reader) thus far. I will gladly take the trade-off of more conservative fast charging to get more battery pack longevity. But that's another topic entirely.

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