Important Update: The Ford EV Roadmap and Future of F-150 Lightning (EREV Next Gen Model)

[dmod]

I see that vehicle as a SUV with a truck body with little in common with a F-150. Also suspect Rivian may go the way of the delorean. It's not close to having a nationwide dealer network.

But it's a great product for some.

Some of the drawbacks are the reason why I chose the lightning over it the first time, but I won’t go back to a gas vehicle. I’ve been fully electric for almost a decade.

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[PJnc284]

It depends on the engineering strategy.

1. Keep the existing battery pack size and structure. Replace with LFP packs and put the gas tank and engine below the trunk bed.
2. Reduce the battery size means re-engineering the pack size and manufacturing tools. Gas engine can go somewhere in the frunk and gas tank in the traditional spot. This would give a larger gas tank.

A gas F150 is either 23 gal or 26 gal. Makes sense to re-use the existing gas tanks.

• At 19MPG, new Lightning would get 437 gas miles, the additional 263 electric miles gets to 700 miles. That's about the same 131 kWh battery.

• If the range extender gets 28MPG, then we're talking 644 miles on the 23 gal tank and a tiny 25kWh pack with 60 electric miles (2.4mi/kWh). At that point might as well call it a PHEV.

Those are some upper and lower bounds I'm having fun calculating.


All fun theory crafting. Kinda pointless until Ford announces specs.

You do realize that lfp is less energy dense than nmc? There's 0 chance it has anything close to the current lightning range on purely electric.

 

[WXman]

Having gone from a V8 F-150, to a Lightning, then to a PowerBoost; this is exciting!

I know! So I will still be able to have my electric truck, but without the massive inconvenience of finding chargers every 80 miles while towing my camper? WHERE DO I SIGN PAPERS?

 

[flabrent]

On a side note, I guess my accountant will have a heyday depreciating my truck.

 

[mr.Magoo]

Residual value was already at rock bottom and T3, EREV, doesn't matter which one and it would have taken an additional hit, so that is what it is.

With Ford officially pulling the plug even for 2026, it means it's already considered a legacy product and as such there will only be critical bugfixes and no additional/future development going forward which is a bit of a bummer considering some things are still half baked.

The Lightning had enough range for me so I dont want to complicate things by adding an on-board generator. (Plus Im guessing that means we lose the frunk)
But we'll see what the options are once it's time to replace it (boy am I glad I opted for the extended warranty in the end).

 

[Shmoe]

FWIW, I see EREV as a huge step forward.

Eventually the much needed step-chage improvement in battery performance will come from new tech that reduces weight and charge times and, most importantly, extracts cost. I suspect Ford and other EV makers (especially those trying to serve high power markets) had hoped solid state and other techs would have completed the arduous qualification process by now. Not only has that not happened, but the pace of progress is lagging. I don't see any transformative battery techs hitting the sector in the next 5 years -- I follow the space closely.

Dual fuel is never a solution.. it's a bridge. Nothing more.

Huge step backwards. For the country to even embrace this bullshit.

Big oil and Ford dealers are going to be head over heels though.

 

[Iamgote]

Two big issues, both solvable without going ICE.
1) Charging speed - 800v system, done.
2) Distance while towing
a. Add a battery with a quick disconnect at the back of the truck to add another 100-150kWh battery under the trailer. Add quick charging port so both truck and trailer can be charged at the same time
b. add the ice as a package to be trailer mounted so you get benefits of EREV without the draw backs of taking frunk space, added maintenance on the truck and extra weight you're hauling around without using. Also gives you more base range as you don't have to replace battery with fuel tank and other ICE components.

Benefits of trailer mount. (battery or ICE)
1) Don't have to carry extra weight when not needed
2) Adds energy capability at your destination, drop trailer and it can charge your electric dirt bikes or electric UTV while the truck isn't there. Or it can run your camper for days.
3) Provides home energy backup
4) Add an electric axle assist and it takes load off of the BEV, both motor and battery. Gives more traction in adverse conditions...safer.

As an alternate, engineer an adaptor for those of us who already own a Lightning so we can add a trailer assist. I will put a used Lightning battery under the trailer and have all the energy I need until battery tech allows you to put 250kWh of battery in a truck to equate to a 25gal F-150 of today.

I'm not going back to ICE which means I may not be going back to Ford depending on your solution.

Going the proposed route, you're really inviting other makes to take your market....really.

 

[PreservedSwine]

Wall Street Journal article several weeks ago turned out to be accurate.

 

[Maquis]

 

[seanocono]

Hard pass, Ford. 100% electric or nothing. I’m not going back to the pump.

I guess it’s GM for the foreseeable future.

 

[CD4TNF]

You do realize that lfp is less energy dense than nmc? There's 0 chance it has anything close to the current lightning range on purely electric.

Ah, forgot about that. Was having too much fun thinking about the gas tank.

 

[LUXMAN]

Additionally. @Ford Motor Company doesn't want to be in the battery business. So why not just quit this nonsense and sell straight gas trucks since the fuel standards no longer have teeth.

 

[PJnc284]

It's almost like carfax planned this.

 

[22legit2quit]

I don’t know lightning family. There’s a reason why the ram charger or whatever it will be called hasn’t come out. Probably the energy companies keeping it from the market in the US.

I can’t imagine what the recalls would be, getting a service appointment these days isn’t as smooth as I’m sure ford intended.

The MME comment cannot be accurate. I’ve seen so many 2023-2024 models selling new or really not selling.

These manufacturers are headed to complete obsolescence in regard to their model. Tesla has shown it can be done without all the nonsense and be direct to consumer. So it may take a few election cycles locally and maybe one federally. Which means dealers days are just as numbered. Personally the concept of the lightning makes way more sense as it is because the maintenance should be simple in comparison to the ICE. Not worried about an oxygen sensor putting the vehicle into limp because the government mandated exhaust system caused it to fail.

 

[Shmoe]

It’s not the US. It’s the market. Unfortunately at this time people don’t want EVs in mass. I like the idea of letting the market decide. When the prices are right, and the time to charge shortens and you can tow a decent distance I think lots more people will go that way. I love my 23 ER. I won’t be getting rid of it anytime soon. In fact I don’t think I’d go back to a ICE vehicle. But there are others that think differently. The problem was we were creating a false market by incentivizing people to buy one using tax dollars. Believe we all pay for it. That money does not come out of thin air. The market will correct and we will see what comes of it.

It is 100% the United States. They are taking off in the rest of the world, and we've now ceded that market (amongst many others) to China due to our own short sightedness and love of oil.

Stupid is as stupid does.

EV sales are up everywhere in the world — except North America

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