A good time to buy used????

[Firn]

Background here. I never owned an EV and I am looking to get a new daily driver truck to replace mine. My current daily beater is a 2006 F150 with 230k miles I bought new, I will probably give it to one of the kids to learn to drive with.

My use case for the lightning is comfort, luxury, Home Depot runs, and reliability. I know they can't tow well (I have a hellcat I race and tow a few times a year, it's 7000lb with trailer and I may tow it 500 miles each way sometimes to track events), so I have a 2026 Tahoe RST with the 6.2 motor I bought for the wife and for tows. So the lighting won't be doing that.

The reason I am even considering the lightning is that I see a few year old PLATINUMS for 40k, and they seem really loaded with cool features. I did some basic digging around and I read that the biggest problem I may face with a used EV is the battery replacement, it could cost 40k?!

Any opinions if buying a 2023 platinum for 40k is worth it now? They have about 50k miles at that price. I also am not sure if these trucks will depreciate another step down when the new hybrid F150's come out to replace them.

My mind is thinking that a lighting will become worthless as soon as the battery needs replaced because it will cost more than the truck. Battery says 10 years and 150k miles, so after that the truck is toast. Am I missing something?

Any thoughts on this? Other option is to buy a used gas F150 with the 5.0.

I see the cranky members here got the thread off to a bad start. It's really a good place with few of the "old man yells at cloud" folks that you happened to come across.

Batteries dont really fail and need full replacements, but they do age. How much depends on use, habits, and environment. Using 100% of the battery daily in a hot climate will wesr the battery down faster, using smaller bits, limiting max charge level on the daily, and moderate climates slow that down greatly. From your stated use case I would estimate a very long life. That said, if I were to guess 85% remaining capacity at 15 years, if that would be an issue then yes that would need a full new (or remanufactured) battery. I do expect the price to be lower than $40k though, battery prices continue to drop.

The other side is a component failure, which just like gas cars can happen, and just like gas cars can typically be repaired by private shops using new, refurbished, or even used parts. If a module fails (it happens) then you can have that module replaced, its even very straightforward and can be done in under a day. It's also very likely those modules will be available as low mileage used items, being significantly less than the $3-4k new price.

There are of course other items too, such as the high voltage contactor. Which is also easy to replace

Oh, and the lighting has much better throttle than the Tesla.

There is an internal health monitor you can get to with a scanner, we dont know how accurate it is though. Ford service can do a more detailed check if you pay for it

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[Ken]

I'm going to test drive one soon, I drove a Tesla model 3 before and I hated the regen braking where it slows the car without the brakes. I'm used to just rolling like a gas vehicle.

I'll see how the lighting drives first and we'll go to step 2.......

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.

 

[EV Engineer]

It's a great truck.

It's just not that complicated.

If you are going to be towing a camper or very heavy boat >200 miles than probably consider an ICE.

If you are mainly using it as a truck around town, within state limits, maybe towing a boat or light trailer- It's a fantastic truck.

You're questions about the longevity of the truck are somewhat hard to answer. On a population level, the data for EV batteries seems to be significantly less maintenance and longer lasting that ICE on average. The battery is warrantied to 100k miles.

There are ICE engines that can probably make 400k.
There are EV modules that fail after 5k.

None if it matters unless it happens to YOU.

No one has a crystal ball. I hope my Truck gets to 300k miles and I have no reason to believe it can't.

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.

Those numbers obviously might like very different in 5 years for better or worse.

 

[RickLightning]

First off I'm not an "EV Hater" I'm talking facts of the situation and trying to have a conversation. I would buy an EV if it makes sense.

I don't think buying a new EV is a good idea because the depreciation is a bitch but after they bled out a bottom feeder like me would look.

Yes I know that you can replace single "packs" of the battery but eventually batteries all need reaplced, no battery will last forever. I keep my vehicels until they are beyond econimcal repair.

My gas 2006 F150 with a 5.4L has 230k miles like I said, and the engine has never been opened up for any repairs. Still doesn't burn a drop of oil as I use synthetic every 5k miles. Things like alternators, BATTERY, starters, hoses, belts, plugs, etc. All stuff I can replace myself for cheap.

The biggest repair it ever needed was a new transmission at 194k miles, that cost me 5k installed.

This is the EV Battery warranty I mentioned:
https://www.xcelerateauto.com/xcare...MImoK56bPKkwMVxXd_AB0IWQbxEAAYAyAAEgLh8_D_BwE

If I'm so clueless how do I know about this and you guys don't? lol


So can anyone tell me IF I need new batteries at 150k miles(so another 100k after I buy a used one with 50k miles on it), how much would that cost? Keep in mind it will take me 10 years to get to 150k miles so AGE will be the issue more than mileage. I keep hearing my 40k is inaccurate.

Can I hope there are Chinese batteries knockoffs by then?

No one knows how much something will cost in 10 years, but everything we know today is that the cost will be much less.

That company has a limit on liability, and lists battery costs below the $40,000 you mention. They've also not been around for more than 5 years - will THEY be there in 10 years?

 

[Joe.....Montana]

I'm going to test drive one soon, I drove a Tesla model 3 before and I hated the regen braking where it slows the car without the brakes. I'm used to just rolling like a gas vehicle.

I'll see how the lighting drives first and we'll go to step 2.......

I too am a rolling stop kind of a person...which I love about the Lightning. Turn one pedal driving off and it feels almost identical to a gas powered vehicle. It still has regen, but it is not nearly as aggressive and you will need to depress the brake pedal to come to a full stop.

 

[ReaperHWK]

One last question that no one answered. How do I "test" or see the battery life. Does the truck show you the battery health of each individual pack? If not is there a way that a diagnostic can be run to test the battery health by the dealer or a shop?

I would like to make sure that gets done if I buy a used one.

 

[K6CCC]

I'm going to test drive one soon, I drove a Tesla model 3 before and I hated the regen braking where it slows the car without the brakes. I'm used to just rolling like a gas vehicle.

I'll see how the lighting drives first and we'll go to step 2.......

I am not a fan of 1 pedal mode and fortunately, Ford makes it optional (default is normal 2 pedal mode). In my opinion, when operating in 2 pedal mode, the feel is about as close as you can get to driving an ICE with an automatic transmission. Note that regardless of 1 pedal vs 2 pedal mode, the truck always uses regen for braking if possible - you just don't know it other than dashboard display.

 

[ReaperHWK]

No one knows how much something will cost in 10 years, but everything we know today is that the cost will be much less.

That company has a limit on liability, and lists battery costs below the $40,000 you mention. They've also not been around for more than 5 years - will THEY be there in 10 years?

Battery costs could/will decrease but these trucks would be discontinued for a long time by then; if there is no market to make replacement cheap batteries for these things we are SOL anyway.

 

[jamelski]

I love when people say they stop for 5 mins to fill up. No you don’t. It will take 6-12 mins to fill a 36 gallon tank. Depending on gas station. While it fills you gonna go to the bathroom , buy a snack, stretch your legs , walk a dog whatever blah blah. ect. You gonna spend 20 mins or at each stop.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Also, does the lightning have battery health monitors for each "pack" and can tell you the life left? I am not sure.

One last question that no one answered. How do I "test" or see the battery life. Does the truck show you the battery health of each individual pack? If not is there a way that a diagnostic can be run to test the battery health by the dealer or a shop?

I would like to make sure that gets done if I buy a used one.

FORD dealerships have the tools (FDRS) to pull the full pack diagnostic health, some independent shops might also have access to the same tools if they sell/service FoMoCo products

 

[ReaperHWK]

FORD dealerships have the tools (FDRS) to pull the full pack diagnostic health, some independent shops might also have access to the same tools if they sell/service FoMoCo products

thanks. Def will do that if I find a truck I like.

 

[ReaperHWK]

I love when people say they stop for 5 mins to fill up. No you don’t. It will take 6-12 mins to fill a 36 gallon tank. Depending on gas station. While it fills you gonna go to the bathroom , buy a snack, stretch your legs , walk a dog whatever blah blah. ect. You gonna spend 20 mins or at each stop.

in my gas truck I can haul my trailer non-stop for 4 hours without stopping. Let’s say 300 miles or more . You will be taking TWICE as many stop and waiting 4 times as long at each stop.

I don’t know about you but when I’m towing im not on a sight seeing adventure I have a place to be and I’m getting there. I go drive a full tank and then stop.

and try finding charging stations in upstate Maine.

a lightning for “heavy” towing for long distances shouldn’t be argued as a good option lol. It’s called reality. It’s one of the main reasons it failed at a core truck duty.

 

[jamelski]

in my gas truck I can haul my trailer non-stop for 4 hours without stopping. Let’s say 300 miles or more . You will be taking TWICE as many stop and waiting 4 times as long at each stop.

I don’t know about you but when I’m towing im not on a sight seeing adventure I have a place to be and I’m getting there. I go drive a full tank and then stop.

and try finding charging stations in upstate Maine.

a lightning for “heavy” towing for long distances shouldn’t be argued as a good option lol. It’s called reality. It’s one of the main reasons it failed at a core truck duty.

Man come on a 5.0 f150 will a 23 or 36 gallon tank might get 5-7 miles a gallon at max towing. That’s 115-250. You ain’t driving 45 on highway even 55 might get you 8-9 mpg.

have you towed with a lightning yet ? Just wondering. I have towed with a 5.0 and it sucks. my lighting tows like a dream with max weight.

I enjoy the breaks after 2 hours of driving

 

[Firn]

One last question that no one answered. How do I "test" or see the battery life. Does the truck show you the battery health of each individual pack? If not is there a way that a diagnostic can be run to test the battery health by the dealer or a shop?

I would like to make sure that gets done if I buy a used one.

You need a Bluetooth OBD device and any of a bunch of cell phone apps. The one many, might even say most, use is car scanner elm obd2. This will provide the self reported battery "health" metric.

Probably worth searching this forum for that term so you can get a better sense of how much you should trust it. I'm not saying its wrong, or bad, but it can be influenced by charging routines and battery balancing.

a lightning for “heavy” towing for long distances shouldn’t be argued as a good option lol. It’s called reality. It’s one of the main reasons it failed at a core truck duty.

Most half tons arnt used for "heavy" truck duty, you buy a heavy truck for that.

As far as half tons go, it does everything the vast majority of half tons do. I'd about you but I donr find long distance towing to be "core" truck duty

 

[TaxmanHog]

You need a Bluetooth OBD device and any of a bunch of cell phone apps. The one many, might even say most, use is car scanner elm obd2. This will provide the self reported battery "health" metric.

Probably worth searching this forum for that term so you can get a better sense of how much you should trust it. I'm not saying its wrong, or bad, but it can be influenced by charging routines and battery balancing.

He want all the details about cell/module health, need Ford tools for that detail

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