After A Week, Here's My Final Thoughts on Ford F-150 Lightning
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
- Just one week ago, Tim Esterdahl got his hands on a Ford F-150 Lightning. Throughout the week, he showed videos on charging, installing a charging, road tripping, etc... Now here are his final thoughts on the fully electric Ford Lightning.
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I completely agree with this mindset. It's about finding the right tool for the job! As long as you are honest and know what your needs for a vehicle are, then you're a smart vehicle owner that doesn't need a heavy duty truck to tow once a year!
so true... I'm picking up my Lightning next week, and I only bought it because I go to hardware stores, tow a boat a fairly short distance, and the interior room still allows me to play uber for friends and family when I have to. I also plan on getting solar panels for the house... seems like the correct tool for my job. still have gas vehicles for long distances if needed.
Good job explaining this electric f150 so much people are lost on electric vehicles
Useless for a work truck
@@timferguson593 Correction: Useless for the specific work that you do with your truck. I require a work truck and this truck fits my needs absolutely perfect. I need to haul stuff, but I'm not hauling concrete. I need to be able to tow, but I'm not towing a 40' camper or livestock trailer. Gas stations are always way out of my way, so starting everyday with a full "tank" at home would be far more convenient that finding a gas station every other day. I guess that kind of makes it sound like this is a perfect work truck, doesn't it. I suppose it's all relative to what a person needs.
@@Thanos88888 your assuming it can fully charge overnight which in most cases it will not. The lightning fizzles a few hours into a normal work day, 1500lb tow and it only goes 90 miles how sad.
This video will be great to re-watch in 5 to 10 years. I think you are right on Tim.
Maybe 30-40 years or so would probably be better
I went from a 5.0 13 super crew 4x4 to the Lightning and I love it. I don’t tow cross country. I have driven PHX to Sea and PHX to ABQ.
Great video Tim. That's exactly what I tell others as well. My wife and I drive a Mach E and Lightning because it works for us. We're a bit older now and not in a hurry in life. When we road trip we take our time to get to our destination. The EVs work for us. My lightning tows my body to all 3 lakes that I use. It will tow my boat 155 miles without needing a charge. The farthest lake I go to is only 60 miles away. I don't criticize other people and others shouldn't criticize those on the other side of the aisle. Mostly I get great comments for my vehicles, but every once in awhile I'll get the gas bucket heard that has to interject his unruly opinion on me.
I was pretty late in preordering this truck so I've been waiting for over a year and no opportunity to even touch one, much less buy it. Then I got absurdly lucky! I popped in the other day and the guy I was talking to said he new about a pre-owned that was only used for a month and then sold back for a profit. We were talking and trying to work out a deal when someone walked up and said the guy doing the preorder backed out. Apparently there was a guy that went through the whole process of preordering and they had his truck ready and were getting prepared to ship it into town. He changed his mind last minute and decided not to pay for it. I happened to be in the right place, at the right time. I immediately spoke up and said I'd buy it if they gave me a better deal on my trade in. I've paid for it and it'll be in town right before Christmas.
Excellent series Tim, thoroughly enjoyed these episodes and learned a bunch. I agree with your assessment, these vehicles are barely passed their infancy and technology will continue to improve. Time will tell if this will change the automotive industry as a whole in the coming years.
Yup. I'm that person you described. I'll keep it for 3 or 4 years, sell it or trade it in for better technology. This is the nature of the car biz from day one, as you described. I'm 65, do most of my driving metro in my area. When I go out of state I fly and uber/rent. I'm not going from Texas to Cali in this vehicle. I'm FLYING to Cali and renting/uber. This works perfect for me. And I just got mine today. Excited, but I knew what I was getting. I don't have unrealistic expectations. This is a vehicle to use with about a 300 mile range or less round trip.. might need one quick charge or 20 minutes depending what you do there. IF you're doing more than that or even that consistently, this is not the vehicle for you. But if you're working that 120 mile both way or less range then...ok. NOT that you can't do more range....I'm talking about your habits and needs and what you drive CONSISTANLY. Again, perfect for me. Vehicles are about YOUR ...SPECIFIC....needs. ANY vehicle. I put about 400 miles a month on a vehicle. I need a pickup but no 'INDUSTRIAL' level truck. This works for me. Buy what works for YOU !!
Well said, for all talking points. … But that F-150 Lightning torque is the BEST! 😎🍷🛻
I would 110% get the lightning for local everything. And I live in a rural area. For towing long distance, I'll keep my 5.7 Hemi Dodge. But seriously, I haven't had tow ANYTHING a long distance until I was 45 years old and a Dad and running a boy scout troop. From here out, yeah sure I'll pick towing over current E-range. But seriously, I spent 30 YEARS of my driving life not needing to tow anything heavy very far on a regular basis. 20 years ago, I towed a car across the country. I could have used a rental truck. Everything else for my trucks has been mountain bikes, furniture in the back, or a flatbed trailer across town. Big whup. It's only recently that I needed real towing ability to go a long way - pulling a RV and gear to mountain bike races all over Texas, NM, Arizona, Louisiana, and Colorado. That came with age and kids. The Lightning is PERFECT for younger truck buyers that don't own a boat or RV yet. Until then, you don't tow anything major for any real reason for any real distance. If you own a business that tows heavy stuff, then it's most likely around town where your business is, and then electric makes even more sense. If I wasn't a dad and pulling and RV once a month, I'd get an electric truck for my commute into town to work and carrying crap around town or bikes to the local mtb ranch on the regular and LOVE it, saving $$$ all day long with the fastest truck on earth, AWD, and the simplicity of electric motors FTW.
Excellent review. Appreciate the intellect behind it, and how you conveyed your opinion! Excellent job
You supercharge at 45 cents/kwhr and get an extra 100 miles of range for $20, you could also spend $20 on gas at $4/gallon with 5 gallons for a car that gets 20 mpg for 100 miles of range. There's no home charging at my ghetto.
It's actually good that people are buying these over-priced 'look-at-me' vehicles. It helps to move the technology forward.
Amazing that you can have final thoughts after a week. That's like deciding not to eat at a restaurant before you've read a single main dish.
Agree with Tim. I’ve had my Lightning Pro for 3 months and 8000 miles. Fantastic vehicle, but not of everyone. Charging at home fuel cost is less then a new Toyota Prius per mile
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I have two Evs here in CA and this review makes DC fast charging sound much easier and convenient than it actually is.
This video is 100% awesomeness. Couldn’t have said it better. I love my Lightning and it’s not for some others.
Love your take. NOT a direct replacement for an ICE vehicle. The problem I see is: they are being marketed as direct replacements.
Interesting and honest assesment. I think we all need to realize though that this may be as good as it will get for BEV's in the foreseeable future. To increase energy density and decrease charging times batteries will require differnt chemistry and construction, and so far no replacement has been successfully put into production.
That is the absolute BEST explanation for the doubters. Not the haters who will always refuse (think Demolition Man), but the ones who think it's being forced on them.
Think back 15 years ago and where technology was. Do people really want the iPhone 1?? No! It sucked compared to today's models. And there were plenty that would never go Apple or give up their flip phones. But here we are - all using smartphones as if they've always been this way. I remember the bag phone! If that was the "future" - most people were a hard pass.
Perfectly said. It's not an us vs them scenario. It's not for me and my needs but for lots of people it is and that's great! Let's all just take a step back and chill. Different strokes for different folks.
Agree 200% of your comment. However, when government starts to mendate EV, the argument is totally different.
@@chijouwang3432 agreed. The government has no business dictating what any must purchase or what the private sector can offer its customer base.
Hi Tim,
You hit this out of the park explaining this.
Probably the best 15 minute summary on the current state of EVs, how they fit or don’t fit everyone’s needs and a great explanation of what is likely coming in the future. YES, Fast chargers are for road trips!!!!
It’s a halo vehicle that says here is what we can do. It ends up being a test bed for the future because of the relatively low volume. In previous years ford used to do this with Lincolns to vet out new tech before rolling to the rest of the fleet. A full battery EV fleet is not the future but it can certainly be an option for certain use cases.
The model T of the EV era was actually when the EV1 was released in 1996. It was actually amazing considering it was actually made in 1993! Think of that for a second. Basically 30yrs ago. Very interesting what happened to the EV1. Some very deep pockets in very high places snuffed that out.
Impressive for lead acid batteries as well!!
Model T - best...articulation...ever. 1,040 RTI.
The first EV’s were produced in the 1890’s also the last time they had a market share. There is a reason steam and EV’s lost their stranglehold on the market! Range and ability to power. Same issue then as today.
I think of this as more for someone who occasionally does homeowner projects and occasionally brings a board home from Home Depot or Lowes. It would suit the person (and we all know a few) that drive a full size truck just because they like them, not that they really need them.
No matter what you say, there is not enough copper for wire, lithium for batteries, or wind and solar power generation to replace Internal combustion engines, ever.
Tons of great points in their piece. The only two things I would disagree with the thought that hydrogen has any future and that the F-150 Lightning will look ancient in 10 years. Hydrogen has made almost no progress in a decade and nothing is pointing to it doing so. We're MUCH more likely to end up with 300 mile range trucks with a small generator than hydrogen trucks. As for looking ancient, it will certainly look like a 10 year old truck but by no means hopelessly old. Newer trucks will charge a LOT faster and be a bit more efficient but for daily use it will age better than a 10 year old gas F-150.
Agreed, I hauled firewood last trip about 150 miles round trip. Cost me nothing (I have solar). Range was not an issue, efficiency interestingly enough was better, coming back with the load I was losing altitude (coming down) so my range was more than going there empty.
It is a great truck for a lot of people. I dont tow more than 100 miles, but it is a better truck in many ways too. You can not feel the weight, its crazy that when loaded, you feel nothing is there.
I'm picking up my lariat extended range today! So excited, I tow a sxs every weekend, less than 80 miles in 1 direction. I hope this is a good replacement for my 21 GMC 1500 diesel.... sounds like you like it!
Finally a realistic view of EVs vs Gas vehicles. It will take longer than the Fanboys shout about. It truly is a process....over a number of years. Very well said. Thanks Tim.
Good one Tim. EV's are great for city and as a novelty vehicle. My biggest complain is the extremely high prices. Someday I will own a EV and love it.
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I think EV’s have their uses and I wouldn’t mind having one. Just not for my main form of transportation.
I’ll NEVER own an electric vehicle.
ICE ICE BABY all….the…way.
@@keithrankin6113 when I have money I can throw away and want to pretend I'm doing something good for the environment, I'll ignore facts and pretend away.
This is a common sense review I have one now for 3 weeks I do not tow nor do I drive more than 200 miles on a normal day. It is a comfortable truck with a great ride and addictive acceleration i charge it to 90% at nighttime and wake up with 280 miles of range every day. I do not think I’m saving the world but it is a nice fun truck to drive
I'd love to know how it handles having a truck-camper on the back. I suspect it will reduce the range by a lot, but I've not seen anyone measure that yet.
Great video, excellent logic.
I am not a current truck owner due to the fact i rarely truly need one(plenty of times i wished i could have picked something up and couldn't)
Poor daily gas mileage commuting or running around town make it unaffordable. This truck is perfect for so many people. It can do any local(50mile) job there is.
And you can get a gas rental with all the fuel savings when you want that long road trip
I've had four or five of them over the years but don't currently own one either. If I'm doing a home project and need something to haul things with, I rent a pickup at U-haul or a truck at Home Depot.
I agree 100%, Tim. Excellent thoughts.
Gas went up 75 cents in one Day! I guess it is time to go hybrid not all electric until we have more charging outlets
Where did gas go up .75 cents in one day??
Great Video
I have been driving EVs for 11 years and and I can tell you, the technology and infrastructure has already improved leaps and bounds from where it was. I can also tell you that I rarely charge away from home. I just did 200 miles on Highway one oh one and one in the bay area and got 2.4 miles per kWh. I got home with 40% of the battery left plugged it and charged of 70% and I’m ready to go today.
I’m also a truck person. When I started my journey to drive a fuel efficient vehicles I gave up my truck I’ve been waiting for the day I could drive an electric truck ever since and now I am.
I’m not sure why you think it isn’t capable and can’t beat gas. It’s literally the quickest truck Ford has ever built and it gets 80 miles per gallon equivalent. Price any comparable gas powered vehicle and see how much you are going to pay for it. Y
ou’re not going to tow a “massive trailer” with a comparable half ton truck either. I don’t. I use my 2500 HD. People who drive the crew cab short box F150 in the configuration you’re sitting in probably don’t tow massive trailers for long distances.
I absolutely need to do love my Lightning.
If I had a dollar for every time someone said “oh just have lunch when you charge” I’d have at least 655 dollars. It’s so Annoying!!! How often do ppl eat lunch at the gas station? It’s just so silly. How much eating do you need to do for cry in out loud? Horrible. Most ppl I know on a road-trip stop for fuel and grab a quick bite to eat ON the road not by the side of it lol
That is just making up an excuse for having to stop and charge a vehicle..lt is a terrible inconvenience and they know it..
@@charlesjackson1700 of course!
The timing usually works out that way because even with EVs you're still driving for hours at a time, so if you start off at 8 in the morning and drive for 4 hours and have to stop and charge for 20 minutes at Noon why not have a nice lunch instead of eating in the car while driving? It's more enjoyable and relaxing.
I disagree this is not a replacement for an ICE F-150. The vast majority of truck owners don't haul trailers with their trucks. Trucks have become replacements for cars and are used simply for commuting and occasional trips to Home Depot.
I have a couple of questions Tim.
I'm interested in an F-150 as a farm truck. Features I really like are the ability to
use it as a generator when the power to our barns and home is out;
use it to run welding equipment or a remote pump;
320 mi range with extended batteries are more than enough;
I can easily plug in to my 220V welding outlets (or possibly our off-peak line) for cheap fuel;
I only need to pull over-the-road for a maximum of 100 mi round trip which should be do-able
it has high torque for a 1/2 ton
Questions:
I need a lot of torque, especially for pulling a 10,000 lb trailer out of a soft hay field with ruts and small hills. This usage strains a normal 1/2 ton and really requires a diesel 3/4 or 1 ton. How do the electric motors handle hard starting at a torque that has to be at or over the torque limits? Where are the stress points?
I'm also concerned about winter use. I can preheat the cab while it is plugged in, but using the heat seems to cut the range in half. Is Ford thinking about adding a propane or gas aux heater?
Any help in answering these questions will be appreciated.
Interesting questions. I'm honestly not sure how electric motors do under that much load. The truck is rated for it, so I know it's been tested. And if it has been tested, then Ford stands behind it. Right now, long-term reliability is really unknown so, again, hard to wager.
I can say no on the auxiliary heater. EVs use heat pumps and other electric heaters to heat the cabin up quickly. Range drop for winter is going to be an interesting question. If you saw the road trip video I put out, you'd see how fast range drops even with some wind and elevation changes.
Let me know what you end up doing. That's an interesting use case for the truck.
How do you feel about paying Ford to be a member of their R&D Department
I’m smack dab in the middle. Think it works for some, doesn’t for others, is expensive, can save some money, maybe costly to replace batteries, might last longer than most consumers expect. This is still the first iteration, so really they can always go up from here.
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Very good down to earth point of view. Thank You!
Great video Tim! Appreciate you being real about it!
Why are some of the manufacturers making statements that they will only make EVs by specific years? If this doesn’t work for all cases how can they make that statement? GM for example has said they will be strictly electric only.
I'm 56 and won't own one in my lifetime...We won't have the infrastructure we need for all to drive EV's for at least 50 years and by then we'll most likely be on to something else...I'm also not down with the charge time...
Very good assessment. Majority of PU owners refuse to admit that their driving use 95% of the time is "around town" with an empty bed travelling to & from work... Their 5% of road trip (fully loaded) is a challenge that they might make what: 2-3X a year? The 5% use is the stopgap/heel digging in/ inconvenience based on inexperience that stops folks from even considering it.
I drive an EV 98% of the time. However, I have a GMC 3500 Dually for that 2%. So basically I pay $300 Insurance & $150 Registration/Inspection (per year) for a weeks worth of use PER year for the "convenience" of needing to haul. The GMC is paid for & costs me more to maintain at this point for the convenience. This not including the $.40 (40 cents) per mile in fuel cost.
If I could "rent" the use of the 3500 Diesel Dually for the week or two out of the year, I would dump the GMC & just stay with an EV.
Your assessment is very good, but I’m one of the folks that holds great store in road-trip capabilities. I’m willing to pay extra to have convenient road trips.
My current vehicle of choice is the Silverado 3.0 diesel. Excellent road vehicle !!
Government registration and insurance is such a scam for those of us who need a speciality vehicle a few times a year. You can only drive one at a time. YoU should be able to move a plate and insurance to different vehicles as you drive them, or it should follow the person. What. A. World
You have done an excellent job on this video. Very informative. TY.
Nothing like being a slave to the debt when you spend 90000 dollars for transportation to get back and forth from your job. Your working for transportation to go to work and back. Makes zero sense.
Nicely put sir. I’ve been driving around and abusing one of those original Nissan Leaf’s you mentioned and I’ve squeezed every last one off usability from it to point were it barely runs any more. That car has done me well. Now I’m in process and hopefully about to acquire a 2022 xlt variant of this one. Better than most I know through years of experience the benefits and draw backs of an EV and I can’t wait fit the truck. And like you said right tool for the right job and for most of what I need/want this truck is perfect
Tim you did a great job On the series with this truck you really open my eyes and got me there looking at the electric truck in a different light very good job my friend.
It all depends on your use case. If you use your truck for less than 200 miles, and don’t tow, and just haul, it is a great vehicle if you have a house where you can charge it at home.
This is how I feel about the tesla semi, its not a truck for the established trucker, its a truck for companies, and companies care about the bottom line.
They are only going to get more exspensive
Hydrogen is as likely as Dawn dish soap...to $$$. Why the need to go fast in a pickup truck? $96000 is nuts for a truck that for all intents and purposes can only go fast. Why not buy a Prius if you want to at least be practical? The infrastructure won't support everyone and their dog that needs a big, fast EV truck... unless you get 20 free solar panels with it. Also, just to make the battery you have to strip-mine the equivalent of a small parking lot (in China). We cannot mine the heavy metals here in the states (not that a tree-hugger would want to).
I had a reservation for a lighting F-150 and I canceled my order after the first price increase. Now the price point has escalated to high 90's vs 67K i paid for a fully loaded Tundra ICE. Can't pencil out the math even at 5.00 gallon gas for an electric truck to remotely work.
I’d love to pick up the base pro model. Almost all of my daily trips are 20 min there, and 20 min back.
What is a Forebumfity? Is that an attempt at "Ford F-150"? It like your being charged by the word.
Decades ago, my parents had a big car (used every day) because they had to tow a caravan twice a year, for our vacations in France (where we live) and neighbor countries. I drive a Tesla model 3 and we are going to hotels for vacations, all over Europe. And for camping, so not so often, we are using this thing called a tent. And if I want to move very big stuff, once or twice a year, I rent a suitable vehicle for a ridiculously low price, even if my car can two. BTW, the charging time of my Tesla, and of this F-150, is just 4 seconds, the time to plug, off course at home, but also at fast chargers since most of the time the vehicle is ready to continue before me. To conclude, I understand that one can need a truck for work, but most people do not need to two things on long distance on a regular basis, and if they do maybe they should think again, maybe your boat can be stored close to the lake, or rented when you need one where ever you go. Finally, I think most youtubers miss the point, ie that we must stop or at least dramatically reduce CO2 emissions. So we urgently need small and efficient EV cars. So off course if you *really* need a truck you can get one, but it must be electric, even if you then have to adapt to it. I understand that CO2 emissions are political is the USA in 2022, but it is ridiculous since the science is crystal clear and the damage is huge for our children.
CO2 is an odorless/colorless gas that is vital to ALL plant life on earth. The earth is actually greener over the past 40 yrs b/c of CO2. After you inhale oxygen, we/you, exhale CO2. Next, a bunch of climate nuts will want you to hold your breath for an hour a day. We are carbon based life forms.
Too scary to buy that in Edmonton. No superchargers north of here and -30c in winter
My plan in the next two years is to buy a Chevy Bolt for every day commuting and a base Maverick for road trips up to northern Michigan for kayaking, camping, mountain biking and occasionally to move a bunch of mulch and plants, furniture, and tailgating. As a city/suburban person who recreates outside, this seems to fulfill all my needs AND comes in cheaper than this truck. I tell you what though, once these full size trucks catch up in a few key areas and the price comes down (there is a new way of doing lithium batteries that will likely be hitting the market in 2-3 years) and the infrastructure is developed, this might be the only vehicle I ever need.
Why don’t you just use the Maverick? No need to buy the Bolt, unless you have another family member that needs to have a car (which you didn’t mention).
I like this video a lot. I hope that the critics will actually watch and listen. You have a bunch of points I didn’t think of. Good talking points for the people who repeat the Fox News channel scare tactics.
This EVs are made for this throwaway Society, there is no way you can keep these kind of vehicles for a 30+ years, 200k, 300k without needing to replace the battery, good luck finding it then or a shop to program the new one . And so for, like most of us who appreciate your money this will never work, the use Is very limited. This electric vehicle are for the person that charges there phone every few months, 50k,80k miles? Time to throw away
Most people in Texas drive their pick up trucks to work and back every day and occasionally use them for hauling something on the weekends. Evis are great commuter vehicles for in town. They also make great in town work trucks. If I had another 20 years in my career I would certainly buy an E transit van as I only usually drive 50 to 70 miles a day. It would certainly beat the 11 miles to the gallon I’m getting in my E350 super cargo van.
Man I live and work in Texas born and raised here, work oilfield, u name it. Live in the country work in the city and I drive my ev daily 140-190 miles almost daily. Never miss my gas truck. Now if I have to tow something 4 hours away I will drive my gas truck. That’s it. Other than that it stays parked. The money I save on fuel alone almost pays for my note. I charge it when I get in the evening. Wake up to a full tank. Works out to about 50$ month in electric bill increase. Stay will fuel I don’t care, just my two cents.
Until graphene batteries are common place EVs are a joke.
I am leaning toward Hydrogen Fuel cells as the future instead of battery EVs. Like the Toyota Mirai or the Hyundai Nexo. They don't put load on the electricity grid or produce pollution. The only issue there is the current lack of H fueling stations.
Agreed. Hydrogen is expensive currently.. But eventually they’ll make it cheaper, and you can make H anywhere - close to demand centers. Solves the battery minerals/mining issues
Finally, a levelheaded human being who told it like it is without favoring one side or the other. Told it like it is and to the point for everyone.
The Ford Model T were first built in 1908. In 1909 a new Model T cost $850 (and went no more than 10 to 12 miles on a full tank of gas), but by 1924 the price had gone down to only $260 (and would go more than 10 times as far on one tankful). That's down to less than a 1/3 the price in only 15 years, and ten times the range over that time. And that's after including all the inflation of the the first World War and the 1920's. Yet these people commenting against the Lightning don't realize that by 2035 the Lightning is going to cost around 1/3 of what it costs today, even after the inflation of all that time, and will go well over 1,000 miles on a single charge.
Why would F-150 Lightnings (or EVs overall) cost so much less than today? Because they are so much cheaper to manufacture and build than ICE once full manufacturing and materials sourcing ramps up, just like LCD TVs are so much cheaper to produce than the old CRT TVs (picture Tube) were. Remember the first 50" thin flat screen TVs of the early 2000's costing over $25,000? How much do they cost now? Around $200 at Walmart? And that's even after all the inflation of the last 20 years. Doesn't make sense, does it. They are 10 times as good yet cost more than 10 times less. Yet it's a fact.
Why will the Lightning go so much farther so quickly? Because lithium sulfur batteries have just gone into production. Or better stated, the first factory to start mass producing them, Lyten, just broke ground in San Jose, California. They achieved an energy density of over 500 Wh/kg, working for/with the US Military (a very tough customer) which is roughly twice the highest NCA or NCM batteries (around 250 Wh/kg), used today can get. And they stated they are now getting them to 3X the current highest energy density. Drexel University in Philadelphia already achieved more than that, 800 Wh/kg, and their Lithium-Sulfur batteries are still going even after 4,000 full stress cycles with very little degradation. And keep in mind that Lithium/Sulfur batteries have the potential of 1,600 Wh/kg. Or over 5X the highest energy density batteries used today.
Therefore, a Ford-150 Lightning that gets around 300 miles in one charge today, will go 900 miles in just a few short years. And will go over 1,500 miles when the full energy density of Lithium-Sulfur is achieved. So 900 miles without towing equates to roughly anywhere between 300 to 400 miles towing a full towing load, depending on the aerodynamics of the load. Or 1,500 miles without towing would go around 600 miles with a full towing load. And did I mention that Lithium-Sulfur weigh a 1/3 that of the current NCA/NCM batteries? So a current Lighting with the same battery weight today that goes for over 300 miles will go over 900 miles with the same battery weight and size. And Did I mention they will cost much, much less (even if only around 20% to a 1/3 less at the very beginning of manufacturing) because they don't use any of the very expensive Nickel or super expensive Cobalt? While sulfur is everywhere and very cheap.
And don't let me get started on all the other types of batteries being worked on now. I think the above is just a taste of what's to come by 2035. By then, it won't be regulations, or the supposed well-meaning of mankind, that kill ICE vehicles, it will simply be financial and technology. Just like the cost and technology of the Model T killed the horse and buggy.
Excellent point of view!
Everyone who is thinking about an EV should watch this video. Best Real World observations on EV's today I have heard.
Spot on and well said, especially on how long you actually DC charge vs. perception of it. I bought my Tesla for performance reasons, and then road trip it just because I can. Hydrogen will not the future, it will be far too expensive if its carbon free, bio diesel is more likely for zero atmospheric emissions - bio diesel will be very expensive too, but still cheaper than hydrogen.
You’re living in a dream world if you think in ten years we’ll achieve a doubling of energy density in batteries.
Fully agree. Thank you for your honest opinion which many are not saying.
The problem is, it is not the model T. Electric cars have been around for 40+ years, Sun City is full of them. The lightning is just about as good as you are going to get with current battery technology. They might be able to squeeze out another 10-15%, but that's about it. It's not that they did not know about the range issues, that has been the major problem for decades, they simply can't do anything about it. Oh, and, prohibitions have been tried 1000 times, they never work.
Here we are not even 1-1/2 years later and you can charge your Lightening at Tesla Super Chargers. Battery technology continues to improve and in a few years we will have Lightenings going 600+ miles on a charge. A 80 kWh solid state battery will weigh 333 lbs compared to 1,000 lbs now with our current batteries. Imagine having a 240 kWh battery pack that only weighs 1,000 lbs.
You are right Tim, its the future. I just saw that the newer (and cheaper) LFP batteries, that Ford is using now and Tesla has been using for a while now, have been tweaked to have more energy density than the tradition lithium ion batteries. Just an example of how battery tech is quickly advancing.
Great assessment. I have a Mach-e and tell my anti-EV friends the same thing. It's not for everyone and its not for every "job"-- no one is making you buy it. I jokingly tell them that 100 years ago, there was a farmer telling someone he would never buy an automobile because his horse was just fine and didn't cost anything. EV and Hydrogen are the future--a couple of decades from now. Of course, there are so many false rumors out there it's hard to break through the noise. BTW the Mach-e is the nicest car I've ever driven--Love it!
I've watched videos of testing electric cars, the only problom none of them mentioned, is what about our power infrastructure. Instead of spending money on better electric cars, let's spend more money on the infrastructure first. Can you imagine in the future when let's say 60% of this nation is driven electric cars, imagine the waiting time then at the charging station.
Good for the city - don't see them out here in ranch and farm country where a pickup is used very differently than in the city. Battery tech has a long way to go yet.
I’m actually starting to see them more in the country. Not a lot, but here and there.
Your comments are spot on. You share the true benefits and the downsides. I purchased a 2022 F150 Hybrid because I own a truck to tow my 7000# camping trailer on road trips. I would probably not own a truck if I did not need one. So, for me, the hybrid makes more sense as a towing vehicle and a daily driver. It is all about how you are going to use it.
I do agree this truck isn't for the working man or the hauling man who wants a vehicle he can keep for many years and hand down to his kids.
This vehicle is for a Cadillac man who throws away a vehicle every 3 years.
The problem is people who buy used vehicles and have less money won't be able to re purchase.
To each his own.
90k experiment! Definitely a truck for a risk taking customer. No thanks!
Ford built Escapes from 2013 to at least 2018 with the 4 doors hitting between front and back doors at the raised lip on door. I told them in September of 2012 when they first came out and they did nothing. Told them a simple update on the CAD system robot door install would fix this. They painted my doors 5 times with no gapping fix. I then moved my rear doors backwards myself to prevent the hitting. Car had about 12 recalls. The Mexican battery failed twice. The seat belt was replaced once because was not retracting firm creating a safety issue. I now have a Mazda CX5 GT Sport and love it. Built and engineered extremely well. Ford is crap in comparison. Done with Ford for life.
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Whoever told Ford to make a truck that is electric and expensive should be cancelled
Have they changed much though? I have not seen a huge advancement in batteries. Also there is no grid to accommodate them.
Depends on how far back you look. Lithium Ion was a huge leap forward for batteries. Since then it has been evolutionary changes in power density, cost, and charge cycles, but these improvements have still been real and substantial.
If I'm forced into an electric truck I will hard wire my gas generator into the battery and run my genny as I go down the road. I'll add a little transmission fluid to the gas for a little mosquito controll.
Solid take on this. I own one and I really feel like people are missing out on the MASSIVE utility this thing has and I am also learning that folks massively overestimate how much they actually do with their vehicle. I hauled a truck with 5 people and a full frunk down to DC and back twice in 1 day on a single charge. 98% of people travel much less than that.
Good honest review. But I don’t think the advancement in battery/ electric motor technology will evolve much more than what it currently is. 1927-> 2022 in ICE is far more of a leap then you’ll see for EVs. That has to do with weight.
But I looove your take on this. I love that you say 'today' things are not golden but soon it will be. I've been watching battery advancements and if you plot a modest growth in this... it won't be long and buying ICE vehicles is a dumb move.
You're right buddy, it's not for everybody and it's not for truck guys or foretelling and another comment it already looks ancient because it was technology and because they just shoved battery and electric motors in a regular F-150
You make way too much sense Tim. The Lightning is going to work fantastic for us and I can't wait.... Really enjoying all your videos lately.....
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If I put a 7K generator in the bed of the truck will it charge as I drive?
Nope. Wouldn't even be worth the effort.
With the battery replacement around 100,000 miles at $35,000, it hits scrap / junk status then. Who would buy at that price then?
Seems it's only cheaper to fill up the truck with "juice" because you only get 50 miles worth. Gotta fill up 5.times to go one tankful.
Gee thanks for sharing your thoughts because there’s so many people just bad talking the F150 Lightning for no reason at all,just like yourself I switched from F150 Hybrid I got my truck on Thanksgiving and everything works just fine for me I got Tesla’s Solar Panels and I’m so happy that I don’t have to spend $100/$120 on gas every week EV’s evolution will be just like Cellphones I remember the day’s when I used carry 2/3 Batteries and a charger I think that by 2025 most EV Truck’s will do 500 miles no problem.
The F150 Lightning plus a new battery is more than I paid for my house. I never want one. EV's are not the answer (at least at the moment).
WOW! So much of what you're saying makes sense. This is what I've been thinking. I think I'll be up for ordering early next year. I think they are going to be seriously reducing battery size and great increasing range and charging time, for a lower price (adjusting for inflation). I just don't know which ICE truck to get. Tundra was an easy pick , , , before. That's off the list now! Ford or Ram?
Good job explaining this electric f150 so much people are lost on electric vehicles
Great review! Very balanced and realistic which is refreshing to see.
If you commute, get a EV sedan.
If you need a truck (haul weight or tow) get gas or diesel.
If you are traveling, a rental specific to the trip is hard to beat.
Getting a EV truck to commute...is simply face palm.
Who got 300 miles, and when did that happen? Never seen it