Will You be upgrading to the Lightning EREV?

[Mal106]

"700 mi range" So I go the 650 or so, now what? Stop for gas gives me what 300? Stop for a charge, 200? Stop twice?! Haul a huge battery you may not use after the first discharge; haul a heavy ICE you won't use until you have to.

I've lived with PHEVs since 2019 and they are not the answer. EREVs are the same. They both have the possibility of convincing the average Joe, like they did me, of the value of an EV. BUT long range towing OFTEN or no way to charge while you sleep ... ICE is the answer, otherwise EV.

Again, love my Lightning, hate Ford's decision .... but I understand. The US is not ready and Ford has to sell trucks.

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[srspring551]

"Upgrade?" That's not an upgrade. Another engine to maintain. Nope, worst of both worlds. I'll never buy anything with an engine in it again. My wife's next vehicle will be all electric. Hybrids are for people who fear change or tow A LOT. This is not an upgrade. Nope, nope and nope. If I had to buy another truck RIGHT NOW, it would be a Tesla or an electric GM truck. Hopefully the lightning lasts a long time so I don't have to worry about it for a while.

OMG - Why would anyone buy a Musk "Male Birth-control" truck like the CyberCluck??

 

[gregoryhcain]

You nailed it. Diesel for long distance towing, EV for everything else. No point for gas; ICE vehicle or EREV.

 

[djwildstar]

I'll be driving my '23 ER Lariat for the foreseeable future. In my use, I'll probably get to 150,000 miles in another 6 1/2 years, so I expect to be looking for a new truck sometime between the beginning of 2031 and the end of 2034. I will definitely be looking for a BEV, and will probably want another full-size pickup. We'll see what the offerings look like.

What I don't understand is why Ford is so determined that the the drive train choice be either-or: for some reason they feel that they cannot offer a BEV and a EREV version of the same vehicle. Maybe they feel that buyers would be too confused to understand the differences?

 

[morrisosu]

A hard NO from me on an EREV. A meaningful generator will replace the frunk, which is a HUGE part of my love for the Lightning. I’m 71 years old, have owned some great cars (five BMWs in a row), and my Lightning is the lifetime favorite. I guess I’ll just drive it until I die.

Same here. I will never go ICE (even if just a generator) again, unless forced.

 

[The Weatherman]

I will drive my Lightning until I can't drive it anymore. After that I'll likely go back to an ICE or switch to a plugin hybrid. I won't go back to an EV until someone can produce a Pickup like the Lightning with a minimum range of 500 miles.

Here you go. EREV when want to.

 

[ZheWiz]

OMG - Why would anyone buy a Musk "Male Birth-control" truck like the CyberCluck??

Probably someone more worried about function than form. CT is well done if ugly and overpriced.

 

[ClevelandBeemer]

I think the failure of the F150 Lightning Edsel was due to two things:
1) first and foremost, the precipitous decline in the price of gasoline, from its peak in 2022. At $4+/gal, the first Lightning customers cut their gasoline bills by over $300/mo; today, at $2.80/gal, the economics are no longer as attractive.
2) Ford misrepresented its towing and long-distance capabilities (remember that promo pic showing a Lightning towing a 24’ Airstream?). They probably should have left off the hitch receiver completely, and made it an optional dealer-installed accessory.

Range is important only if you don’t own your own L2 charging at home, or if you drive in areas underserved by DCFC.

Two counter points:

1. The economics of the BEV are still very attractive depending on your situation. First, my L2 charging at home is billed at $0.085/kWh, so still a no brainer vs a 20mpg truck that needs 89 or 93 octane (let’s not forget the cost of maintenance difference either). You also have to consider those who are charging at home using excess solar energy.

2. Did Ford misrepresent towing ability? Will it not tow the 10,000lbs the max tow pack is rated for? There’s a difference between towing ability and range. For me to tow a car to a track 115 miles away is still no problem for the truck. Sure, 500+ mile towing is going to be a tad annoying, but if that’s what you do all the time then was a 1/2 ton truck the best choice to begin with?

I’m not here to invalidate your opinion, but I think that Ford did a terrible job addressing this issue with potential customers and dealers. To be honest the dealers are not really incentivized to sell BEV’s to begin with. Service and parts typically makes up 15% to 20% of a dealers total revenue and is especially important because it’s extremely high margin. EV’s don’t need much regular maintenance and thus hurt the dealers revenue model. You have to remember that dealers are small businesses and most small businesses can’t survive losing 10% of their revenue stream.

Bottom line, until the dealers are all in, it’s going to be an uphill battle with the legacy automakers to lead the charge in EV conversion.

 

[Marc]

I’m never going back to any type of ICE vehicle. I’ll probably buy an Denali EV or another Rivian.

 

[DarkL1ghtn1ng]

I would be interested in an EREV under two conditions.

1 - Not completely losing the frunk
2 - Must still be able to plug in to charge

If it has both of those, then my day-to-day BEV lifestyle continues, AND I am covered for longer roadtrips to areas that, sadly entering 2026 still do not have good charging options. It would also completely free you from fast charging.

As it sits, the truck is great for 95% of our use, but those edge cases are where it loses its luster.

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

I'm done with gas, and I love my lockable storage in the frunk, so it will be hard to give it up.

I've never been worried about range, so I have no need to get and EV with a gas generator, especially since it adds more things that may break some day.

That said, I'm open minded about seeing how it plays out.

Perhaps another path for me is a smaller all-EV truck like the Ranger, if the price is right.

 

[Franky5Angel]

I have a reservation for Scout and Slate. Scout I opted for the all electric version. I have the Flash with the Active-X, 131KW, Tailgate Assist. Probably should have upgraded to the Tow Package and ProPower, but got one of the cheapest ones on the lot. I'll just hang on and see where Ford goes and see where the rest of the EV Trucks fall over the next 5-10yrs. Hopefully Ford comes back around. They can keep improving the mach-e and hopefully come back around to EV Ranger or F-150.

 

[Radar]

When my Lightning gets old I will get a Rivian I will never go back to ice cars

 

[The Weatherman]

I would be interested in an EREV under two conditions.

1 - Not completely losing the frunk
2 - Must still be able to plug in to charge

If it has both of those, then my day-to-day BEV lifestyle continues, AND I am covered for longer roadtrips to areas that, sadly entering 2026 still do not have good charging options. It would also completely free you from fast charging.

As it sits, the truck is great for 95% of our use, but those edge cases are where it loses its luster.

Check out Martins solution.

 

[DarkL1ghtn1ng]

Check out Martins solution.

Will that even make it to market now?

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