Lightning Commuter rolls over 54,000 miles.

[Jseis]

Pilgrims: I’ve grown a bit weary of the Love-Hate/Like-Dislike narratives on vehicle reviews so here’s my take on :Why acquired?

1. I’d been driving a Twin Turbo Flex Limited on and off, pushing 20+ mpg. Very comfortable & powerful cruiser.
2. Then switched to our Mustang Mach E for two years. So jumping to E-hyperspace was easy.
3. Stealth Swiss Army vibe, rolling like a Lincoln, big enough to spare me if I hit an elk.
4. Hauls 5 very comfortably.
5. Charge at home w/$.064 per kWh power. This is key as the Flex was 20 mpg fuel user, the MME was rolling at 3.6 miles/kWh. The Lightning wasn’t going to be as E-thrifty as the MME but 300+ range & truck utility + plus battery “generator” spoke of utility. Plus tow boat, etc.
6. All-weather power train.
7. Stealth azure gray color.
8. Comfortable heated & cooled seats w/ driver full recline.
9. Driver interface same as our ‘21 Mach E, thus easier to adapt to.
10. A brute on power. Easy to forget until you get on it.
11. Very quiet and smooth ride.
12. Summer 320+ and winter ~280 Range more than adequate.
13. Compared against my ‘99 7.3 SD F250? Lightning wins hands down. Pretty sure it’d out pull the F250 though the latter had mighty suspension that’d take more tongue weight. And the solid axles were very stable on towing (the Lightning’s IRS is good but that F250 SD was a towing machine).

How I use it (the S.O. rocks the MME).

1. Commute ~90 miles a day
2. Tow boat and cargo trailers on weekends. Haul mini-ex, smaller farm tractor (9N).
3. Lumber store typical haul, water pipe, lumber, plywood, conduit, etc.
4. Tend to keep winter gear, flares, fire extinguishers in frunk. Probably don’t use it as effectively as I should as instanta crates are an awkward fit.
5. Range & ride means once a year trips to Montana (~1800 miles round trip). It’s the preferred interstate sled.
6. Charge nightly at home (ChargePoint Home Flex) & the conversion of a dryer breaker-8!AWG copper cable to 220V 50 amp service was pretty easy. Typically add 32-40 kWh nightly.
7. Energy (fuel) savings (-$5,000) per year covers insurance & state EV fee (Insurance ~$2200 annual & EV fee~ $350 annual + power at $600). Net maybe $1900?. But burn through a set of tires every two years.
8. The drive… “Fuel” efficient!! 2.28 m/kWh translates ~80 MPGE. Yowsa!!!

We almost bought a Maverick Hybrid a few months before but didn’t as I’d hit two deer in the prior 5 years, avoided many others as well as elk and the S.O. wanted me in a big, stouter rig. I’d driven a Sport Trac Adrenalin for a decade and an elk would demolish a small pickup that size including brutalizing the windshield.

My driving data indicated that I’m annually averaging 2.38 mi/kWh overall so right at 312 miles annual range; Summer higher & winter lower.

The truck barely fits through our 1980’s era garage/door but easier than the ‘99 SD F250. I’ve accidentally backed up right on the right side and folded the right mirror twice but no damage.

GUI- Works fine, I tend set & forget. Quiet nature of truck means I can accidentally turn it off at idle not realizing it’s “running”, & no auditory cue . The screen froze a few times but cleared after next stop-start cycle. I drive with music or current trip. Occasionally native map program on Google AutoPlay. I’ve actually used sketch feature at a job site!

I completely darken screen at night. Headlights are good but I’ll add driving lights. May end up using a wireless switch to a relay off battery power to use driving lights. Canbus system a challenge. But maybe?

I switched from the Hankooks to Michelin Defenders at 40K. Run 36-38 psi summer, 44-45 psi winter.

Cabin set to 65 F winter w/ driver focused and defog keeps windshield defogged and heats cabin fine as our winter weather is typically 34-44-50 F morning & evening. This type of heating means 4%-8% of power to heat which roughly translates to an average of 6% or say 8 kWh or about 50 cents a day to stay somewhat comfortable and have a fog free windshield on my 90 mile round trip day…

As our weather is variable and given the drivers lead foot or not, even on a regular commute, miles per kWh can be extremely variable based on: headwinds, tailwinds, speed, pounding rain, air temperature and etc. that variable range is a low below 2 kWh and a high of 2.6+. But my average is around 2.38 kWh & 312 miles of range and I’m fine with that.

Some other observations:

1. The “ride”. It’s a floater in the front, stiffer out back. There’s one corner on my commute that upset every vehicle I commuted with (Subies, Expeditions, Mustang GTs, TT Flex, ST Adrenalin, Edge, etc.). The Lightning glides over that multi-patched off camber slumping POS corner.
2. Cornering hard will wear the tire edges out in 10K miles with nice rounded shoulders.. no tread.
3. On towing, relocated a boat trailer with a 24 foot boat and all four tires were flat. Truck didn’t care, just yarded it around. Popped a trailer tire off the rim. The truck didn’t care.
4. Passing slow traffic is like “be careful what you wish for” truck just accelerates like a demon and “edgy”. Both hands on n the steering wheel!!!
5. Quiet cab and comfortable seats means long trips are pleasant. And that Ford adapter gift really gets used! Thanks Jim!
6. Energy management- Since speed is a big impact… I tend to average 53 mph on the straights and 46 mph in the curves. If a lot of late-to-the party recreation traffic I’ll roll 55-56+ if necessary. When air temperature drops below 54 F or so I’ll switch to 1 bar auto at 65 degrees or driver focused with windshield heat cause PNW humidity fogs windshield.
7. If freeway driven I’ll swing behind a truck/truck convoy cruising at 65 mph and call that good. I don’t follow that close. Usually at a point where I can see the truck’s mirrors and the driver can see me.
8. The one frill we rarely use is the sunroof. 2-3 summer months glass, a few days actually open.
9. Love ProPower. Not set up yet with a house transfer switch-panel but soon. Great for a chop saw, charging various battery powered tools, portable lights, air compressor, etc.
10. BlueCruise-nope. Not on our rural roads.
11. Put a bed cover on. Rain means such things are necessary in the PNW.
12. Other than careful in and out of garage… size not an issue in ruralandia.
13. The S.O likes the running boards. The “A” pillar handle really helps her.
14. Gang sign when another Lightning enters the chat. Don’t look at them. How many crazies are there that pay $80K for a truck that does truck things?
15. Nagging issues. Ok these don’t keep me up but I often wonder about parts and software viability 10-15-20 years on. Say 2040. I wish more had been sold as that implies better support as opposed to exclusive-niche support.
16. Tires; I rolled the Hankooks to 40K… the shoulders were pretty worn from hot dogging the corners daily (76 per day) and uhh, kept them on too long and damned near stacked up the truck on a narrow iced bridge deck on a curve !
17. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) / AdvanceTrac. This system is similar to the Adrenalin’s. It is very good. I’ve had two loss of control situations on ice and ESC responded both times in a fraction of a second, so fast that it was startling. One second I was aimed right, sliding off a bridge deck staring at a 5’ diameter Sitka Spruce trunk 100’ feet in front, then a fraction of a second later the truck straightened out like right now. The Lightning’s system analyzes tire rotation, senses yaw, brakes accordingly to straighten truck. The speed of response was very rapid. I had time to stare at that tree for 1 second then bang, truck straightened out. I was impressed! The Adrenalin did exactly the same on an icy uphill right off camber turn. Began to slide, corrected instantly. I can’t say enough about ESC. In our climate with morning icy roads & black ice on every shady corner, bridge deck, or small valley air drainage, stacking up/totaling a rig is a real possibility. ESC works very well & speed of response is startling.
18. As a two BEV family, we’ve put 116,000 miles on the vehicles at an average (combined) kWh/mile of 3.04 miles per kWh. Gas mileage at 20 mpg equates to 5800 gallons at $4.50 per gallon equals $26,100 saved versus $2,442 in electricity. This is in 4.5 years.
19. That savings covers the 2 BEV vehicles auto insurance, electricity, state BEV charge, and savings net $6K-7K. The obvious is that I commute and roll say ~20-24K miles a year whereas the SO might roll a few thousand. I commuted with the Mach E nearly 50K. We ended up getting $26,000 months on Flex trade in on the Lightning and that covered tax & license and some depreciation but going to have to keep the truck for another decade plus before it comes anywhere near evening out.
20. At the end of the day, pretty happy with the BET (battery electric truck) & now a Unicorn. Could’ve bought a $19,999.00 Maverick, could’ve hit an elk. Could be a Powerball zillionaire .

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[B177y]

Nice writeup.

I have a very similar experience in NW WA except I pay a couple more pennies per kWh. Best vehicle I have ever owned. 43,000 mi in 14 months. It has also become the preferred rig to take for an annual hunting trip to North Dakota. It's surprisingly easy to roadtrip and has made some EV skeptic friends see the advantages of a BEV, even while crossing ID, MT, and ND where chargers are few and far between, but more are being added every year.

70 mile work commute 2-3 days/week. 120 mile kid's soccer commute a few times per week. Family road tripper. Pulls the travel trailer like nothing is there. Drive it every chance I get.

I had to trade my Mach-e to afford the Lightning, but I really wish I was able to still have both.

 

[electricpig]

Pilgrims: I’ve grown a bit weary of the Love-Hate/Like-Dislike narratives on vehicle reviews so here’s my take on :Why acquired?

1. I’d been driving a Twin Turbo Flex Limited on and off, pushing 20+ mpg. Very comfortable & powerful cruiser.
2. Then switched to our Mustang Mach E for two years. So jumping to E-hyperspace was easy.
3. Stealth Swiss Army vibe, rolling like a Lincoln, big enough to spare me if I hit an elk.
4. Hauls 5 very comfortably.
5. Charge at home w/$.064 per kWh power. This is key as the Flex was 20 mpg fuel user, the MME was rolling at 3.6 miles/kWh. The Lightning wasn’t going to be as E-thrifty as the MME but 300+ range & truck utility + plus battery “generator” spoke of utility. Plus tow boat, etc.
6. All-weather power train.
7. Stealth azure gray color.
8. Comfortable heated & cooled seats w/ driver full recline.
9. Driver interface same as our ‘21 Mach E, thus easier to adapt to.
10. A brute on power. Easy to forget until you get on it.
11. Very quiet and smooth ride.
12. Summer 320+ and winter ~280 Range more than adequate.
13. Compared against my ‘99 7.3 SD F250? Lightning wins hands down. Pretty sure it’d out pull the F250 though the latter had mighty suspension that’d take more tongue weight. And the solid axles were very stable on towing (the Lightning’s IRS is good but that F250 SD was a towing machine).

How I use it (the S.O. rocks the MME).

1. Commute ~90 miles a day
2. Tow boat and cargo trailers on weekends. Haul mini-ex, smaller farm tractor (9N).
3. Lumber store typical haul, water pipe, lumber, plywood, conduit, etc.
4. Tend to keep winter gear, flares, fire extinguishers in frunk. Probably don’t use it as effectively as I should as instanta crates are an awkward fit.
5. Range & ride means once a year trips to Montana (~1800 miles round trip). It’s the preferred interstate sled.
6. Charge nightly at home (ChargePoint Home Flex) & the conversion of a dryer breaker-8!AWG copper cable to 220V 50 amp service was pretty easy. Typically add 32-40 kWh nightly.
7. Energy (fuel) savings (-$5,000) per year covers insurance & state EV fee (Insurance ~$2200 annual & EV fee~ $350 annual + power at $600). Net maybe $1900?. But burn through a set of tires every two years.
8. The drive… “Fuel” efficient!! 2.28 m/kWh translates ~80 MPGE. Yowsa!!!

We almost bought a Maverick Hybrid a few months before but didn’t as I’d hit two deer in the prior 5 years, avoided many others as well as elk and the S.O. wanted me in a big, stouter rig. I’d driven a Sport Trac Adrenalin for a decade and an elk would demolish a small pickup that size including brutalizing the windshield.

My driving data indicated that I’m annually averaging 2.38 mi/kWh overall so right at 312 miles annual range; Summer higher & winter lower.

The truck barely fits through our 1980’s era garage/door but easier than the ‘99 SD F250. I’ve accidentally backed up right on the right side and folded the right mirror twice but no damage.

GUI- Works fine, I tend set & forget. Quiet nature of truck means I can accidentally turn it off at idle not realizing it’s “running”, & no auditory cue . The screen froze a few times but cleared after next stop-start cycle. I drive with music or current trip. Occasionally native map program on Google AutoPlay. I’ve actually used sketch feature at a job site!

I completely darken screen at night. Headlights are good but I’ll add driving lights. May end up using a wireless switch to a relay off battery power to use driving lights. Canbus system a challenge. But maybe?

I switched from the Hankooks to Michelin Defenders at 40K. Run 36-38 psi summer, 44-45 psi winter.

Cabin set to 65 F winter w/ driver focused and defog keeps windshield defogged and heats cabin fine as our winter weather is typically 34-44-50 F morning & evening. This type of heating means 4%-8% of power to heat which roughly translates to an average of 6% or say 8 kWh or about 50 cents a day to stay somewhat comfortable and have a fog free windshield on my 90 mile round trip day…

As our weather is variable and given the drivers lead foot or not, even on a regular commute, miles per kWh can be extremely variable based on: headwinds, tailwinds, speed, pounding rain, air temperature and etc. that variable range is a low below 2 kWh and a high of 2.6+. But my average is around 2.38 kWh & 312 miles of range and I’m fine with that.

Some other observations:

1. The “ride”. It’s a floater in the front, stiffer out back. There’s one corner on my commute that upset every vehicle I commuted with (Subies, Expeditions, Mustang GTs, TT Flex, ST Adrenalin, Edge, etc.). The Lightning glides over that multi-patched off camber slumping POS corner.
2. Cornering hard will wear the tire edges out in 10K miles with nice rounded shoulders.. no tread.
3. On towing, relocated a boat trailer with a 24 foot boat and all four tires were flat. Truck didn’t care, just yarded it around. Popped a trailer tire off the rim. The truck didn’t care.
4. Passing slow traffic is like “be careful what you wish for” truck just accelerates like a demon and “edgy”. Both hands on n the steering wheel!!!
5. Quiet cab and comfortable seats means long trips are pleasant. And that Ford adapter gift really gets used! Thanks Jim!
6. Energy management- Since speed is a big impact… I tend to average 53 mph on the straights and 46 mph in the curves. If a lot of late-to-the party recreation traffic I’ll roll 55-56+ if necessary. When air temperature drops below 54 F or so I’ll switch to 1 bar auto at 65 degrees or driver focused with windshield heat cause PNW humidity fogs windshield.
7. If freeway driven I’ll swing behind a truck/truck convoy cruising at 65 mph and call that good. I don’t follow that close. Usually at a point where I can see the truck’s mirrors and the driver can see me.
8. The one frill we rarely use is the sunroof. 2-3 summer months glass, a few days actually open.
9. Love ProPower. Not set up yet with a house transfer switch-panel but soon. Great for a chop saw, charging various battery powered tools, portable lights, air compressor, etc.
10. BlueCruise-nope. Not on our rural roads.
11. Put a bed cover on. Rain means such things are necessary in the PNW.
12. Other than careful in and out of garage… size not an issue in ruralandia.
13. The S.O likes the running boards. The “A” pillar handle really helps her.
14. Gang sign when another Lightning enters the chat. Don’t look at them. How many crazies are there that pay $80K for a truck that does truck things?
15. Nagging issues. Ok these don’t keep me up but I often wonder about parts and software viability 10-15-20 years on. Say 2040. I wish more had been sold as that implies better support as opposed to exclusive-niche support.
16. Tires; I rolled the Hankooks to 40K… the shoulders were pretty worn from hot dogging the corners daily (76 per day) and uhh, kept them on too long and damned near stacked up the truck on a narrow iced bridge deck on a curve !
17. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) / AdvanceTrac. This system is similar to the Adrenalin’s. It is very good. I’ve had two loss of control situations on ice and ESC responded both times in a fraction of a second, so fast that it was startling. One second I was aimed right, sliding off a bridge deck staring at a 5’ diameter Sitka Spruce trunk 100’ feet in front, then a fraction of a second later the truck straightened out like right now. The Lightning’s system analyzes tire rotation, senses yaw, brakes accordingly to straighten truck. The speed of response was very rapid. I had time to stare at that tree for 1 second then bang, truck straightened out. I was impressed! The Adrenalin did exactly the same on an icy uphill right off camber turn. Began to slide, corrected instantly. I can’t say enough about ESC. In our climate with morning icy roads & black ice on every shady corner, bridge deck, or small valley air drainage, stacking up/totaling a rig is a real possibility. ESC works very well & speed of response is startling.
18. As a two BEV family, we’ve put 116,000 miles on the vehicles at an average (combined) kWh/mile of 3.04 miles per kWh. Gas mileage at 20 mpg equates to 5800 gallons at $4.50 per gallon equals $26,100 saved versus $2,442 in electricity. This is in 4.5 years.
19. That savings covers the 2 BEV vehicles auto insurance, electricity, state BEV charge, and savings net $6K-7K. The obvious is that I commute and roll say ~20-24K miles a year whereas the SO might roll a few thousand. I commuted with the Mach E nearly 50K. We ended up getting $26,000 months on Flex trade in on the Lightning and that covered tax & license and some depreciation but going to have to keep the truck for another decade plus before it comes anywhere near evening out.
20. At the end of the day, pretty happy with the BET (battery electric truck) & now a Unicorn. Could’ve bought a $19,999.00 Maverick, could’ve hit an elk. Could be a Powerball zillionaire .

Sooo ....many..... WORDS!! ;-)

 

[Jseis]

LOL.

34 words to
the mile !!!

 

[12MattG12]

Always nice hearing from folks in the PNW, and specifically SW WA…

 

[Jseis]

Always nice hearing from folks in the PNW, and specifically SW WA…

Getting drenched !

 

[Ted23Lightning]

Double rainbow

 

[21st Century Truck]

Very nice! Agree on all the points we have in common. My truck is painted the same handsome Azure gray tricoat.

 

[MountainAlive]

Sooo ....many..... WORDS!! ;-)

I had to stop reading when I reached $0.06 per kWh at home. I had to go for a walk to temper down.

 

[Islandbumxlt]

Amazing write up! Very similar experience in the San Juan Islands in the PNW. This summer we got solar panels so most summer June - September - driving was free, but with a 90+ mile and Ferry Ride for commute, an EV specially a XLT Lightning in my case - best car I've owned. Being able to have it on in the ferry ride, with the heat on for about 90 minutes consumes at most 1% of the battery it's just something else... Looking forward to maintaining my collector item.

 

[djwildstar]

Great write-up, and great truck.

Your observations mirror mine here in the Atlanta area (though with less ice). I charge on $0.07-and-change electricity, and commute ~75 miles a day, 2-3 days a week. I've got 42,000 miles on the factory Hankook tires (and like you, have worn down the edges). I park and charge outside behind the house, because my wife's Mach-E has dibs on the garage.

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