Need To Know If a Lightning Will Work For Me

[MJ Heat]

I am interested in potentially purchasing a Lightning. Doing research before I buy a truck, I borrowed a demonstrator from my dealer for a day & it gave me bad range anxiety watching how precipitously the charge dropped with cautious gentle around town driving. What is real world use the truck everyday range? The SR truck I was driving has a stated 220 mile range. The Ford tutorial on the truck touchscreen advised not charging above 70% & not discharging below 30% of battery capacity for optimum battery life. That only leaves 40% usable battery capacity & by my math 220 miles of range times 40% is only 88 miles of usable range. Holy cow! Is that true usable range? Am I calculating this wrong? If not, even with the extended 320 mile range battery that only works out to 128 miles of usable range. Surely that is not right. Further, the truck that I drove dropped range faster than it rolled up miles on the odometer.

Just about every week I take a 300 mile round trip through a very rural area. Can I realistically make a 150 mile leg without stopping for a charge along the way? When I reach my turn around there will be no charger, unless I buy it & put it there. How long does it take to charge the battery back up with a 120v outlet?

If I buy a Lightning, I would install a charging station at my primary residence. What charger do you recommend from your experience? How much should I expect it to cost?

I am a Ford guy & a truck guy. I like the idea of the Lightning, but don't want to regret buying it. I would sincerely appreciate any feedback that will help me make a good decision. Thanks in advance for any assistance that you can provide!

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[MM in SouthTX]

Please read this thread. It answers a lot of your questions.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/real-life-experience-question.18428/

 

[JRT]

Short answer no. The ER would still be a problem unless you are downhill both legs with a constant 20 mph tail wind, or live in flat land and never drive above 45 mph.

There are alot of weird things with don't charge above 70 and recharge at 30 info. These trucks should be charged to 100% if you plan to drive a lot.

You will need a minimum 50amp 240 outlet and charger at the distenation, this will take awhile to recharge, plan for 10 to 12 hours.

Looks like you are NC and have posted about hybrid F150 in the past, what isn't working with the hybrid truck now for you to change?

 

[sotek2345]

In addition to reading the thread referenced, whoever told you to keep the battery between 70% and 30% either doesn't know what they are talking about or is very very conservative.

What you want to avoid is leaving the battery at either a very high (over 90% or so) or very low (below 10% or so) state of charge for a long time (many hours). I charge to between 85% and 90% for daily use and to 100% whenever I have a long drive and have gotten down to 2% or so before recharging. Use the range when you need it!

 

[dww]

If you can swing the price difference get the ER. Do you have a place to install the 80a charger? Do you have space in your panel for an 100a breaker? I think they still come with the ERs for free (but you need an electrician to install it $$). That’s the closest you will get to not having range anxiety and you can return home with 5-10% battery and not have to worry about charging times. I would try to put a 240v plug wherever you routinely stop and you have control over. I added one at my parent’s house several years ago (they are 500mi away). A meaningful 120v charge will take days.

 

[Maquis]

In addition to reading the thread referenced, whoever told you to keep the battery between 70% and 30% either doesn't know what they are talking about or is very very conservative.

He said it was a Ford tutorial he watched in the truck. Not sure what that’s about??

 

[sotek2345]

He said it was a Ford tutorial he watched in the truck. Not sure what that’s about??

Someone at Ford not knowing what they are talking about wouldn't really surprise me!

 

[Maquis]

Someone at Ford not knowing what they are talking about wouldn't really surprise me!

Nor me. The thing I’m a bit puzzled about is the in-truck tutorial. I didn’t know there was such a thing.

 

[PreservedSwine]

How much of the drive will be interstate driving? Can you charge on both ends?

 

[Zprime29]

What is your average daily commute?

 

[MJ Heat]

Nor me. The thing I’m a bit puzzled about is the in-truck tutorial. I didn’t know there was such a thing.

I sat in the demonstrator truck for a couple of hours going through everything that I could find throughout the entire truck & on the touchscreen. Boy is that electronic manual a doozy. That is when I found the Ford charging recommendations for preserving battery life. I cannot help that I am an analytical geek & read most of the fine print.

 

[MJ Heat]

How much of the drive will be interstate driving? Can you charge on both ends?

75% of each 150 mile leg is interstate. At my primary residence (1 starting point) I plan on installing a charging station. At the other turn of my weekly trip there currently is only 120v outlets available & I would have to pay for any upgraded charging there too, which I had hoped to avoid.

 

[MJ Heat]

What is your average daily commute?

30 miles each way 4 days a week.

 

[MJ Heat]

Please read this thread. It answers a lot of your questions.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/real-life-experience-question.18428/

Read it all. Thanks for the direction!

 

[sotek2345]

75% of each 150 mile leg is interstate. At my primary residence (1 starting point) I plan on installing a charging station. At the other turn of my weekly trip there currently is only 120v outlets available & I would have to pay for any upgraded charging there too, which I had hoped to avoid.

Is a dryer outlet available?

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