Confession: Got a little jealous of a Chevy EV...

[cyrus831]

So a little background. I have been having some solar work done, added a second system as non-export to not mess up my NEM 2.0 status on my existing system (I live in CA). The company messed up and originally installed an inverter (Tesla) that PG&E did not have on the supported list. Fast forward 6+ months and lots of back and forth and I got a replacement inverted (for free!!) installed from EG4 which is AWSOME. It has inputs for a battery (added that yesterday) and a generator (to charge the battery). Good things happen to those that wait as this replacement inverter was much more expensive, additionally my new panels got optimizers installed (again free) where before they did not have them.

Anyways, point of the post. I have become friends with the solar tech, Francisco. First time he came he was driving a RAM 1500. He liked my Lightening and asked about range. I said comfortably over 200 at 80% charge. He said he would drive 300+ miles a day so was concerned. A couple visits later he pulls up in a Silverado EV. We spent about 20 min checking it out. I HATE the weird flair on the top sides of the bed. A buddy came over while he was there and that was the first thing he said (he is GM guy). Francisco said it had a range of 440 miles, and I was instantly jealous (I know that is not really what it gets, just like I do not get 320). It has a 200 kWh battery. I also got jealous of the tail gate...

I asked him how much he had been spending on gas a month, he said over $3000. He now has a level 2 charger at home and gets free power from his neighbor who has a lot of excessive solar. How awesome is that!!!

While I like Francisco, I have to admit I was a little annoyed the two (yep, two times) he said I could probably sell my Lightning and get a Silverado....

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[Saberdentures]

Yeah, that 400+ miles of range makes me jelly too, especially since I have standard range. I gotta remind myself to be content and thankful for what I got Lol.

After many long trips though (including a recent 2,000 mile trip), I realize that range isn’t as big a deal as it feels. For my use case anyways — your buddy sounds like he genuinely needs that range!

 

[sotek2345]

The range is nice, but the lack of car play / android auto is a deal breaker for me. My Lightning already go further than my bladder anyways - and the Chevy is slower!

 

[hturnerfamily]

just like have a PLATINUM Lightning, with ER Battery pack... I could buy TWO of my PRO SRs with that kind of money... I don't 'need' 300+ or 400+ miles of range, under ANY normal circumstances, or most ANY traveling event... there are just too many charging options now that make that 'overkill', in my book... I could also add another 100gallon diesel tank to the back of my BIL's F250, and he could drive ACROSS COUNTRY without stopping.... but, that really doesn't make sense for the 99% of 'everyday' driving needs, when there is a gas station on every corner.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

I actually don't hate the design of the GM EV. I'm glad they made it and I hope it does well.

 

[Heliian]

The Chev ev has more range but you pay for it. The lightning allegedly drives better and I don't doubt that with the added weight on the Chev. It looks more futuristic than the f150 but that was the whole point of making an electric F150.

The whole range discussion is ridiculous now. There are very few real cases of needing more than 400 miles on a daily driver but I keep hearing the same anti-ev crowd moving the goalposts, now saying they need... No shit.... 1000 miles of range on a full charge. Losers.

Personally, I'm sticking with Ford for now but I welcome as many new ev's on the road as possible. The only downside being is that I won't be able to smoke everyone off the line if everyone else has one.

Enjoy the sunshine!

 

[VTHokies]

Love my Lightning but wish they did a "max range" version as I've been recently flirting with the idea of trading in for the Sierra EV Max Range. My in-laws are in Houston (270 mile drive) and sister in-law is in Austin (212 miles drive) so would be very nice to not have to worry about stopping to charge on these short weekend trips I do multiple times a year. The faster charging speeds would also be a plus!

 

[COrocket]

While there’s no denying that 460 miles of range is ludicrous for the daily commute, I do see why GM offers this range option and I really hope Ford comes out with something to compete with it. A couple examples that come to mind are…

- Interstate road tripping in winter weather. A combination of 75-80 mph speeds and freezing cold could easily knock down the real range to the mid to low 300s, and if you are capping your fast charging at 80% to avoid long charging times and a 10% destination buffer, you are probably looking at 230ish miles (3 hours) in between highway charging stops, which seems about right.

- Towing. 460 mile range could easily get cut down to 200 miles if you are pulling an RV or boat (especially at interstate speeds). The only way companies are gonna get recreational towing truck owners onboard with EVs is if the truck has enough range to pull several hundred miles at once. Even if this means the truck has seemingly excessive range for daily driving.

I personally found that when driving cross country that having an extra 100 miles of “EPA range” would have come in handy whether it was more options picking the next stop, or not having to charge beyond 80%, or not worrying about range anxiety setting cruise control at 75MPH with a stiff headwind and only getting 1.4-1.5 miles per kWh. Stopping every 130ish miles in Kansas gets a little tedious. A longer range Lighting would be the only reason I would ever consider upgrading.

 

[flyct]

In 10 years of EV ownership I’ve only NEEDED to charge away from home maybe 5 times. In 1-1/2 years of Lightning ownership I’ve never NEEDED to charge away from home. I did charge away from home a few times only because I had 250 kwhs free charging at EA. Even though it was free I only used 75 kwhs of free charge.

I talked to FP&L employees who had ER Lightning and Long range Chevy EV pick up. They liked the Chevy because they towed a trailer with it and needed the range difference compared to Lightning. BUT, both reps I talked to said they had back aches after driving the Chevy On longer trips.

Still would like to have another 100 miles of range with the Lightning. It would allow me to make the 250 mile round trip from our house and our cabin without charging at either house if needed. On the 125 mile one way trip I arrive with 90 miles of range remaining. So at 80% charge I get about 180 miles before I’m at 10%. I use 180 miles to calculate stops.

 

[Jamchampnate]

If I were to switch it would be a sierra over the Silverado. Same features in a truck that looks wayyy better.

Discovered that neither of those trucks share the same bed with the standard GMC/Chevy trucks meaning…no accessories for a while.

One of the biggest draws for the f150 is that it’s an f150. Endless ladder racks, tent, tonneau covers, bed caps, you name it. I’ve seen people post on Reddit how little accessories are out there for the Silverado/sierra since it shares only the name with their ICE siblings and nothing else.

That sucks IMO for folks who want to really utilize their truck beyond just the bed.

Oh and as mentioned, they have loud interiors, ride is wayyy stiffer and less comfortable.

 

[Adventureboy]

While the extra range would be nice sometimes, for most of us, it isn't needed. In the case of the solar installer, or anyone else who does 300 miles or tows regularly, the Silverado has a big edge right now. That said, Ford's next gen isn't that far away, and if Ford is on their game, they'll have this covered. Let the leap frog games begin

 

[F150ROD]

Ford believe in a lighter smaller battery, I agree with them. It’s a matter of figuring out more range from the battery of making materials lighter. The Chevy is nice though.

 

[Mmiketa]

I parked next to a Sierra EV this weekend and that thing looks nice. I like the looks over the Lightning quite a bit. The extra range and faster charger are also very enticing. What I don't like is the added weight you get from all that battery and the fact that I could buy 2 lightnings for the same price.

I think a Scout Terra will probably what I move into when those release and are in the wild for a bit.

 

[gbuydos]

I want to know how to get free power from my neighbor??? Did he run an extension cord??

I asked him how much he had been spending on gas a month, he said over $3000. He now has a level 2 charger at home and. gets free power from his neighbor who has a lot of excessive solar How awesome is that!!!

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

I just completed my 13th EV road trip of more than 1500 miles (actually, it was part of a longer 3400 mile trip). I am constantly asked what the range of my truck is (Pro SR), and I now reply “it isn’t the capacity of the battery that matters, it is the capacity of my bladder.“

There are a tiny number of cases where a bit more range would be nice, but the reality is that I want to stop every couple of hours anyway. I just plan to combine a charging stop with a restroom break and a snack. For me, it’s a very pleasant way to travel.

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