I laud your efforts to put the Lightning to the test; and if there's anyone who'll do it in a purely impartial manner, it's the folks at TFL! It seems clear that the Lightning is intended for use in the city; and it's nowhere near good enough to replace the ICE F-150. It offers a lot of convenience in the city, but the negatives of long-distance and/or off-road driving simply limit its range far too much to be a viable replacement. Ford should make a Hydrogen-ICE hybrid version of the Lightning. Now THAT would be a better option... just need more hydrogen stations across North America. 😋
David is the best! "It's like being at a 5 star hotel"-after purchasing stuff from Goodwill to make breakfast. I love his simplicity and the fact that he's like most normal people.
Agreed! With all the negative comments about the charging, scenes like this are great to remind everyone the positives of this vehicle. It ain’t ALL bad, lol!
@@gregoryf9299 Roman is correct in his analogy of the model T. Electric vehicles aren't going to be for everyone and unfortunately certain conditions will always have an impact like weather, weight, aerodynamics, and elevation.
@@fredhinck9685 They were getting about 2 miles of range per kWh. Using the stove/toaster/coffee machine for a handful of minutes is practically nothing. A toaster uses 0.9 kWh if you use it an entire hour, and he probably only used the toaster for 2 minutes. Plus, nothing would stop him from plugging back into the camp's electricity after breakfast (or just keeping it plugged in the whole time). And they didn't "leave out" that little tidbit: they pointed out in the video that huge amounts of power needed to move the truck's weight and especially overcome wind resistance dwarf the electricity used by fridge/toaster/stove/cofee maker.
I live in the north, I’ve lived in Fairbanks and I’ve driven to the Arctic Ocean. I drive the Alaska highway a few times a year. As cars have gotten better at driving longer I’ve seen gas stations close in between the “major” fuel stops. If people start taking these EV’s seriously for road trips, I could see the old stations be converted to EV charge stations, more little mom and pop restaurants attached to them. But it’s years away and I don’t know if that’s the real solution. Average speed on the highway is 60mph+, I typically go 110kph which is something in mph. Even the Motorhomes a aren’t going 50mph. These EV’s are not even close to being useful up here and these guys are doing a great job of showing why. This is the best EV series I’ve seen. You guys are great!
Well, truthfully, we're talking about an old style F-150 with a battery jammed into it, right? Same aerodynamics, which is basically a brick, right? And shit battery energy density. That's why TESLA will rule the day.
@@djbowler3333 Because the cyber truck is going to be so much better in the same situation right? I know you’re a Tesla fan boy apparently but I don’t know if you’ve actually taken a look at quality control because Tesla has the worst quality control and worst customer satisfaction with service so take that with a grain of salt.
@@virgilmccain8087 I love it when people say "never." Few principles in life are worth the sacrifices one makes to be that rigid. The universe has a funny way of making fools of people who say it
What you see as years away and impossible others see an a small hill... Just think the first flight was in 1903 and not less than 20 years they were being used to dogfight in the skies across an ocean.
Electric vehicles might be one of the most painful ways to travel that far north! I can't even imagine how awful of a trip this would be if it wasn't summertime! Great work (and patience) guys!
EV's will be perfect for the welfare crowd, they have nothing but time on their hands and nothing else to do but watch the charging needle creep along! ;D
@@davec.3198 Yup, part of the "let them eat cake" crowd in a gov't run by liberals. I recall it "ended extremely badly" for the last ones to say those words!! ;D LOL
@@ronschlorff7089 I wonder how a welfare or fixed middle or low income class can afford a $55,000 new car? If someone buys a used EV how long the warranty is good for to replace the $12,000 battery with labor cost. The cost of disposal of the old unusable battery. Plus the cost of insurance not only for the EV but if it causes a fire and burns down your house or where it is parked when unused?
I laughed when he said "come back next week, while we'll still be charging." Honestly, it's not practical for that type of trip (or towing, or anything truly long distance), but man, that is an adventure and has to be fun trying to get up there with that rig. I could see that being a fun road trip with a spouse, or an older kid or a hunting buddy kind of thing. Looking forward to the next episode (yall probably still charging).
The further north you go the fewer satellites you can link with making it difficult for some GPS devices to give an accurate position or heading. Great video and experiment. As an Alaskan who has traveled the Haul Road many times, I am loving this. I want to see the video on the clean up and repairs. That road eats vehicles.
My daughter tease’s me about my f250 diesel all the time, she owns a Tesla, but my truck has the 48 gallon tank and it’s range not towing is 900 miles she would have to charge a minimum of 2 times to match that and more likely 3 times. Electric is nice but the technology is not there yet, I bought my diesel to tow and get 500 miles In range pulling a 30’ travel trailer.
Now show the crew relaxing and cruising comfortably in the hybrid while you stress out about weight, aero, speed, remaining charge, next place to charge, do we have the right adapter to charge, how long will it take to charge, etc, etc...
Great video series. You probably know by now but that plug you didn't have an adapter for was a NEMA 6-50 (50 amp rating) or commonly known as a Welder outlet. Should definitely have an adapter for that when your traveling through more industrial areas.
I will be really curious to know what the F150 hybrid fuel economy was on this trip also. I'm thinking that would be the sweet spot. Best of both worlds.
I doubt it's anything spectacular. My hybrid does phenomenal in traffic, below 55mph, downhill, or level ground. I can get north of 25mpg. Normal highway driving or hitting hillcountry I'm getting just below 20mpg.
hybrids are bs. as are ev,s. there a scam, by the greens.. why build a whole new infrastructure, when we have one allready.. lpg, is the way to go, but its the price of lpg, here in aus we sell it over seas.[ o/s], for 10c lt, we pay $1 lt, for it. it needs high compression & timeing advance changed. my bronco 82, 351c, been on lpg for 20 yrs. uses 28 lt 100. its good till lpg costs more than half gas.[ petrol],. pumps out oxygen.. no new infrastructure.. ev,s are a scam.. i also have a s/duty, diesel. 02, 4.2tdi, mwm, brazilian, you never had them in u.s.
Interesting series -- but you still started the video talking about driving 3500 miles from Boulder to Deadhorse. Ignoring the 1500 or whatever miles you skip by taking a ferry. You sort-of mention it later, but for people who are not familiar with the Alaskan highway they would not realize you skipped a major percentage of the difficult drive.
Go to 6:26 in the video he spells it out pretty clearly...he even says "we kinda cheated". Given they "admitted" exactly what/why they did what they did...I'm not holding the "3500 miles" against them. I think the majority of people get it.
They also skipped the driving from Haines to Fairbanks, for inexplicable reasons... That's a really beautiful drive... Or did I miss a video somewhere? (And they also seemed to gloss over that somehow the Lightning got to Sacramento for a drive to Seattle area, so why show the Boulder to Alaska map over the Alaska Highway up through Alberta/BC?)
@@cbatiau2528 They obviously had a very limited time with a limited crew to show you every aspect of a very long drive. The truck went from Boulder to Purdue Bay Alaska...sounds like 3500 miles to me. In one of the videos, they mentioned that one of their guys brought the truck up to Sacramento where it was met by Andre. They ain't the Discovery Channel nor are they National Geographic. Their main mission was to get the truck up there, film some of it, and then talk about it in future videos/podcasts.
@@cbatiau2528 and @mboiko I also noticed that there was no mention of the Haines to Fairbanks part of the trip. I understand they have limited crew and time, but their official point here is to show how successful they are at driving the Lightning to the northern tip of Alaska. In the video segment in Fairbanks they could have taken a few minutes to talk about the trip from Haines to Fairbanks and talk about how easy or difficult it was to find places to charge. That is a remote area and I bet it was difficult -- like the whole rest of the Alaska Highway that they skipped because it would be too hard to charge. I like TFL and their people. But this EV-to-Alaska thing seems like pretending that it is not very hard, to push an EV agenda.
When I worked for GM at one of there R&D centers in Torrance CA. Were we actually designed and built a lot of the electronics, Inveters and Bds units for the EV1. I remember going to meetings and even back then GM goals were to design batteries. That could do at least five miles per Kilowatt. And this was when they were still using lead acid Batteries with a range of about Eighty miles. Driving like you had an egg under your foot. As we had ten of them for the engineers and managers to drive. But because they were literally lead foots with them fifty miles was about it. And one of my favorite jobs was I got to take them home on the weekends and unfortunately drive them gently to get the range back up to Eighty. So they could drive them like maniacs again. 🙄. Then they started putting in nickel metal batteries which got the the up to about one hundred and fifty miles driving very gingerly. But of course they still drove them hard .thus bringing the range down to about Eighty miles if lucky. At least I got a free Manga charger installed at home. Back then Gm was pushing a induction paddle charger. Which I also had a lot to do with. Helping the engineer's design and actually building the first few hundred paddles. I was just an engineering Technician. Sadly those were the fondest days working there. As soon all the top engineers mostly from Hughes Aircraft. Were leaving or retiring. And of course they replaced practically all of them with work Visa employees from mostly China 🙄. Oh the story's I could tell would blow your mind. Especially when they took and destroyed 98% of them after all the leases were up. And the STUPIDITY of GM's brass .DECISION to go straight to Hydrogen fuel cells. While Toyota was just selling the first generation Prius. All of us were just shaking our heads going the the hell hole in the ground thease bigwigs were doing. At least a few figured it out and we started working on the Volt about two years after that.😒.
Interesting series. Glad you did it. It certainly lets me know there is no way an EV has any place in my future, in the near term anyway. I lack the patience for charging and the tolerance for the stress and complexity of ownership.
Lorentz, what ole Dan is trying to tell you in his adorably belittling fashion is that he thinks anyone that is not a fanboy of EV’s is stupid. What he isn’t smart enough to realize is that he is suffering from a bad case of TDD (tiny dikk disease).
I could make it work as a "play toy", I already had a car converted to e85 fuel and saught that out on trips for 120k miles until I moved and lost access to any pumps within 300+ miles. Only thing that infuriates me is public charging... Like how many friggin apps would I need to sign up for to cover all the public chargers... Tapping a credit card is fine, but I can't stand apps.
@@djbowler3333 Sure, the situations are comparable if you turn off your brain and disregard all context and current events in our society compared to the original introduction of the car. You know, for someone who seems to be into EVs so much, you sure behave like you huff a whole lot of gasoline in your spare time.
I was thinking the same thing. I'd want the common adapters, then all the rest of the uncommon plugs with a section of SOOW 8/2 so I could wire whatever. But that's the plug I have in my garage for my welder (and came on every welder I've used) and have adapted to run an EVSE before.
Kudos for taking this on to showcase the effort currently required to use an electric vehicle outside of an urban area. It makes one want to polish up their pitch when approaching a local business. "Brother, can you spare a 240v outlet?".
It shows currently how leftists want to lower our standard of living. CNN found out 2 EVs will cost you 4 times your electric bill and they said Americans need to turn off their AC. Yea that’ll work in Arizona, New Mexico etc
That’s why Tesla’s come with adapters, because in the beginning there were only RV parks and dryer outlets if you wanted to charge faster than the wall outlet. Now it’s getting better faster and faster. In a year or two batteries will go 20% further and chargers will be every 50 miles instead of 100
@@kenmcclow8963 battery technology will not improve more than a few percent. If this was so great, where is the semi? It’s what 5 years late? Where is the truck?
The best quote in the video was "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Sadly there is a lot if validity to that statement. Definitely a cool trip and challenge to complete it. This still reinforces the Lightening's nickname the ABC truck. "Always Be Chargin'".
True, but to be fair, this is a less than ideal use case for this mission. We have had 100 years to optimize Hydrocarbon fuel delivery systems. Installing electric chargers is 20X easier than delivering a liquid fuel. Just as we stopped using coal because it was no longer economical or efficient, liquid fuels are going to be limited, IMO, to certain limited applications while electric cars can handle the majority of our daily use cases.
@@BehroozShariati yes and no. It's not like mechanical and electrical technology stepped back 100 years to build this truck. A huge majority of this truck takes advantage of the same gains ICE engines did over that time. I get your point about the electrical grid though. I just hope they can figure out a way to increase the range, find battery materials that aren't so devastating to extract from the planet, and get them off coal because that doesn't move the ball forward.
@@coachvonyo Lots of research in battery tech is already happening and, more importantly, is being funded by the same VC and investors who were backing Oil before. The current limitation, IMO, is checking speed, not so much range. If we could recharge a 200-mile car in 10 minutes, we would stop worrying about range .
Thank-you TFL Trucks. Alaska is such a beatiful place! Please, please do this adventure with future eletric trucks. We love the adventure and meeting the people you meet along the way as well.
@@andysupple4838 maybe, what’s the battery life, controllers, extras in the bellhousing, and the west and tear with a hybrid? What’s the costs going to be in the future to fix this extra stuff?
@@JAMESWUERTELE hybrids has decades of Data showing how reliable the concept is. Now this is a ford not a Toyota or Honda so factor in fords own reliability lol
Hopefully in the next 5 years there will be better battery technology and a pickup truck that has the range of current gas/diesel pickups. I'm talking towing range!!! Like that guy from Alaska, "I'm not tempted at all"!!
I really enjoy this series! It shows how we’re just not ready to go all electric … just yet. A comment in the video was this Ford truck is like a model T in terms of development of the technology. Not exactly the same comparison. The mode T was the first affordable, mass produced car costing about 6k in todays dollars, not 90k like the one in the video. The Model T got about 20 mpg … so it had much better range! When we figure out how to go 350 miles on a 15 minute charge for about 15k purchase price … THAT will be the Model T of electric cars. Until then I would call the F-150 Lightning the Duesenberg of electric cars.
Thanks for the series! Fantastic info, info that shows me an E-truck is not in my near future. No way could I justify the cost, distance or work capacity of an E-truck for my needs.
I agree with you in that aspect, but i think that this truck was designed more for those who stay local and don't need to tow or haul very heavy loads. I think that what they need to do if they're trying to stay towards this green future is phase out all gasoline trucks, but keep diesel as an option for those who need to tow or haul long distances, at least until they can figure out a way to make batteries more efficient for long distance work. The reason i say keep diesel around is because it burns cleaner than gasoline and is designed for long distance, as well as towing and hauling, which is what trucks were originally designed to do
Yes, this proves nothing is ever a complete failure. This, vid touting an EV truck, I guess that was their goal, shows a lot of us the opposite message with their information presented here. To quote above, it's: "info that shows me an E-truck is not in my near future".! ;D
@@coytus94 That's a terrible idea. What about the many people who need more towing and range then an EV truck can provide but can't afford the extra cost of a diesel? Those people would have no viable option and would be up sh!t creek
@@robertryan7204 lol the only problem is the battery mate batteries with 5x the capacity for the same space will be released eventually who is going to shun 800km towing and 3500km cruising?
At Coldfoot, the building you plugged into, I believed, was supplied with 3-phase power. So instead of getting 240 volts, from one phase hot to hot, you get 204 to 208 volts bridging between the hot sides of two of the phases. The hot side of one of the phases to ground is still 120 volts, I believe.
Yep, that's definitely a 208 rather than a 240 (very common in larger buildings with 3 phase, as you said). It's still 120 from either hot phase to ground, but the two phases aren't 180 degrees out of sync the way they are on a center tapped home setup (which is what lets you get exactly twice the voltage phase to phase vs phase to ground), they're 120 degrees out of sync because it's 2 hot lines out of the overall 3 phase setup. Thus, instead of the two sine waves mirroring each other, one is lagging the other by a third of a period, giving 208v (nominal) from phase to phase.
My first thought was voltage drop between their adapters and the extension cord. Given the cliffhanger at the end, I’m wondering if they popped the breaker.
That fairing has minimal impact. You should have worked with 4wheelcampers to create dovetail fairings. Most of the drag isn't when the truck hits the air in front, but the vaccum that's created at the back when the flow detaches from the truck and ends up being turbulent.
Gents, I'm liking the trek but sad 😞you skipped the best part of the journey through Canada. I've been to Prudhoe Bay many times for work, and during some cool times at below -40° (C or F - it doesn't matter) it's just F'n cold! The trucks on the slope never get turned off in the winter. I'm looking forward to the rest of your journey. Thanks.
Exactly! Electric is Not viable unless it is commuting within an urban area Mon-Fri. The greenies& the left are in a fantasy, hybrid is the way to go in my opinion.
@@kyle-ri5mz and with 1.1M subscribers for TFLTruck vs about 80k for TFLEV, I’m betting many, many people agree with you. The EV thing is mildly interesting but it could be a channel killer if they keep harping… I was hoping for a travel series with an EV as side kick. Seems they’ve gotten it backwards. Some PR training, and abstinence 😂, from moderators wouldn’t go astray either.
I have a Powerboost. When it comes to sheer work-power, I would agree. But I am trading it in for a Lightning in October. It is all about use-case, and goals. For my use-case, it will work, and for my goals of greener footprint, it will be even better. As to your other question on Powerboosts, on my 4300 mile month-long camping trip, my overall average was 20.0 MPG. That is with a GoFast Camper and 16 gallon water tank and camping gear, figure 650 lbs total, and me driving a mix of some Freeways, mostly state highways and , county roads, and mild overlanding trails.
Considering the truck normally gets 2.0 kpm when empty on hard paved roads I don't feel like 1.8 kpm on gravel roads with a fully loaded bed and a camper on the back is near as dismal as you make it out to be.
@@alanrickett2537 That's kind of the point. Pulling even a light trailer is very energy intensive. But you get a lot more range using gas vs EV. Also much easier to refuel and you can take extra gas with yiu. Also EVs severely impacted by cold weather.
@@rfjohns1 some EVs are Impacted by cold weather, EVs are not the answer to all questions but most pickup never tow and of those that do it's not large loads long distances, and if that's what you need a pick up is the wrong tool anyway
When I was a kid combining one summer in the Willamette Valley OR, my bosses father would get on the combine with me and just talk. The big adventure in his life was him and two of his friends driving a Model T to Seattle to pick up his brother who was coming back from the Great War on a troop ship. The trip took four days each way. Anything like the modern highways were virtually nonexistent at that time. You could have done the trip on a horse almost as fast. They did not know where they could get gas and had to pack gas with them. Every river crossing was a ferry. They pioneered the way. Just like you guys are doing now.
Can’t imagine anyone else crazy enough to try this trip!!! My hat off to the crew at TFL, Dave has made a great addition to the TFL family, he’s one of those men that can do anything, love the whole bunch, but I’d have taken Dave too, with my survival skills lock me in a Lowes with a Kroger next door, leave me 3 days and you’d come back to find dead man with a dented can of tuna in the floor. Great Show👍👍👍
@cba tiau Sounds interesting, but I _really_ hope they ALL won't be relying on the kindness of locals to provide them with charging, since that's the kind of thing that'll piss them off and set the whole movement back.
@@h8GW The ability to charge them at minus 20 to 60 degrees below 0. To drive these roads while letting semi-trucks and emergency vehicles pass. Not only in Alaska as in ICE Road Truckers. Also in blizzards in the lower 48 states and in the heat of 90 to 100 degrees.
I ran into the same problem not having the right connector but you can actually just slightly bend the 2 lower prongs and it works just fine! Lol, I was yelling at the screen like "Come on, just bend it""🤣. Love what y'all doing! 👍🏼
I would love to see you guys go back in the winter to test how the batteries react to such cold weather and how much running the heater in the cabin affects the range since that’s a lot of heat needed to get the cabin comfortable below zero
Nikki at Transport Evolved put a tonneau cover on her Lightning and sees 2.3 to 2.8, so I think that a lot of drag is coming from the sides of the camper where it projects out into the wind. EV’s with heat pumps don’t lose as much range to cold as resistance heaters. Gas trucks also lose range in cold and people often have to plug in a block heater or the gas vehicle just won’t start. I have lived in places where it has been 40 below, but it’s not always, or even often that cold, so the range hit isn’t that bad most of the time
Right i live in canada and if I don't plug my truck in it won't start at -45 when I have to go frame a house we use anti freeze in our airlines for our air tools so whats the difference if you have an ev you still need to plug in at least you can set the ev to warm up at a certain time so it nice and toasty when you get in and you dont have to freeze filling it up so meny nay sayers out here cant do this cant do that sucks at this sucks at that but most haven't been in an environment that cold let alone work in it on a daily basis in the winter
Wow what an adventure... Alaska holds a special place in my heart. I was stationed at then Fort Richardson with duty in Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. Washington state is where I call home for now and this is a really cool thing that TFL channel is doing. Thanks for all you're doing for the rest of us would probably wish for.. Great job guys‼️
"This truck is like the Model T. Give it time..." Well, the first record of an electric vehicle was somewhere around 1890? I think that means that they've had a longer opportunity to succeed than the Model T (1908).
Gee, maybe becuse lithium ion batteries didn't exist back then. It's like Howard stark in the MCU. The thoery is there, the technology just hasn't caught up yet.
and EVs at a time were more popular than ICE. The better advertisement and more money for ICE made EVs disappear. For gas there are many more industries involved than electric, more people to cash out and in fact, the range wasn't even an issue at all
@@pauliusvindzigelskis2224 superior tech, made ice top, ev is still lagging behind the times no matter what propaganda you listen to. the exhaust comes from the power plant ,therefore i dont have to feel guilty.
Well they have been working on battery technology and chemistry for over three Decades now for electric vehicles. So at this rate I'll be long dead before they can compete with a gasoline car. Heck they haven't even been able to match a Big rig mileage yet.and that's a fully loaded one 😒. Oh sure you can get bigger battery packs to give you more range. But then the battery pack almost weighs as much as an economy car. And the cost to replace it cost more than a nice economy car. Heck a friend of mine had a Toyota Corolla that I put over 250k on it in ten years . One water pump two timing belts, witch I helped him replace for a case of beer or a couple Dodger tickets and three sets of tires. Cars still going as he sold it to a neighbor from what he tells me.
This is BRILLIANTLY produced. Huge fan. I have an R1T scheduled for Nov/Dec, and I've really learned so much from your channel re: EVs. Thank you so much.
Those outlets at the Yukon River Camp were 120v, but they at least were 20 amp (rather than 15 amp). That would charge at up to 1.9 kW. You subsequently showed the charging and you were at 43%. So if you were starting at 43%-ish, had the largest capacity Lightning, and we’re charging at 1.9 kW, it could take you 38 hours of charging to get to 100%. That’s admittedly not great, but it’s not the five days suggested in the video. :-) BUT, most people don’t need to get to 100% most of the time, so it’s worth noting the difference between a 15a and 20a outlet, and having the correct adaptor, if doing charging from regular wall outlets! :-) It doesn’t sound like much, but a 20a outlet can provide as much as 33% more juice.
Also, many times with multiple outlets on a pedestal they are wired to multiple hots. This way they can deliver more power than just 20 amp at 120v to the pedestal with only one more wire (two hot, one neutral and one ground). With the right adapter you can plug into two of the outlets and get 20 amp at 240v (or 208v likely there).
@@Sylvan_dB True, I actually have an adaptor that will let me charge off of two outlets simultaneously so long as they are A) not grounded and B) on different phases of the panel. Having an adaptor like that (and a long heavy-duty extension cord in case one of the outlets is far away from the first one) could be a huge asset for charging in rural areas. :)
What I love about this series - it is realistic - EV’s are sometimes pumped up, ignoring the downsides. Let’s face it, Oil and Gas made an inhospitable planet, hospitable. They will be around for a long , long time.
I legitimately use this channel to put me to sleep nightly,its great for monotone voices and no loud action,very substitute teacher sounding with an over used amount of word salads for that eyes closed boring story telling.I appreciate it,I really do.
Fascinating video! Let me say I believe both guys are tough and brilliant, but they have very different personalities. Roman sets goals and achieving that goal is the only thing that matters. The Visionary. He can’t be bothered with the inconveniences and petty difficulties along the way. David lives in the present, he takes everything in, he takes it in stride and gets to work. The Pragmatist. Ronan will be at his happiest having accomplished first what no one has ever done and David will be proud having fought a tough battle using his wits and ingenuity to win a grueling battle. These two personalities were the key to every successful pioneering journey
I hope to travel that highway before it gets fully paved, I love how the dirt looks on the trucks. Loving the journey so far guys. I hope you can do that trip again when the Silverado EV comes out.
If a road only ever had to be paved once, then it would have gotten paved 50 years ago; with the conditions that road faces, it would need to be repaired 4 times a year just to keep it safe, and the cost to pave it during the worst times of year would be astronomical. We will have flying trucks before that road becomes tarmac.
@@Cloud30000 completely agree. I think it's hard to really understand just how expansive that part of the world is if you haven't been there. Both how long the road is, and how difficult it is to maintain highways on top of that type of geology with the seasonal changes. I actually think that the alcan highway might be better off as a well maintained gravel road. The condition of the asphalt on those sections between white horse and tok is brutal for towing and hauling. My solution for those roads would be something along the lines of a automated road grader group that would simply travel up and down year-round and continually regrade those roads to keep them in good shape. And possibly they would be something like 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. every night and the roads might close during those hours or something would be done to make sure everyone knows about it to keep it safe.
so the moral of the story is if you're going to buy an electric truck, make sure you also buy a Gas truck with an inverter and a driver to follow you everywhere you go. that's saving the planet!.
Now that’s got to be the answer. Buy a electric one and a gas one. Drive one five miles walk back and then drive the other one ten miles walk back repeat 🔁 This way you don’t need the second person. Happy driving.
Thanks for the great video series. I'm in Texas and I considered looking into this particular truck, but I drive on highways where the speed limit is 80mph. If you get a chance in the future, could you do a test at higher highway speeds to show the economy and range. Keep up the great work and videos.
You guys a like Lewis and Clark! Forging into the wilderness. Really appreciate what you guys are doing, in showing the ignorant of what these EV's limitations are. If they couldnt figure that out on their own.
I would really say the f150 lightning isn't the model T, it more so has to deal with battery technology and batteries existed long before the electric cars did. So its really more so that batteries will always have limitations that gasoline won't. For example if their are no gas stations y can always bring gas cans with you.
Epic journey/adventure, but the best line: 'Come back next week, where we'll still be here charging', got my best smile. Kudo's for doing the trip; fore-worn others that it's not ready for prime time yet, but that's why it is an adventure and not a proof of concept.
To be fair, this is about the worse case scenario for it, driving to the most remote places on the continent. For most others, it would be a fine alternative.
This has to be the hardest trip one could make in an EV, and while it was a challenge, you guys still were able to make the trip, so Kudos to the whole team.
@@alextimer8055 are you aware of the topography? It's inhabited enough so they have some power, compared to Siberia or something. But the geography is pretty serious. Obviously they aren't going to the top of a mountain, but it's a interesting test
Thinking that EV's are going to replace gasoline cars by 2035 is like a toddler thinking he's going to build an actual city using Linkin logs and tinker toys. Mark my words, it's an accurate analogy.
Three years ago I took a Model S Tesla to Tuktoyuktuk in Canada. I can feel the elation you had upon arriving. I salute you and I thank you, the world needs people like you.(And Me)
Good decision. My opinion elctric is not Viable unless it's a car living below the 35th parallel & in an urban area with a short commute. Electric is a utopian idea of greenies & leftist lemmings who are ignorant seeing past the "feel good" decision.
That 3 prong 70 amp plug is a welder plug .I have a few of them .most are on a 60 amp breaker. The second cable you used if that was a dryer receptacle it should have been a 30 amp breaker,somehow you managed to pull 38 amps off it… thank god that worked .
That's funny cliffhanger to leave us on. We all know how capable ICE vehicles are, but doing this trip in an EV is entertaining. So many dramatic moments can happen lol. Can't wait for next week's episode.
I have a keen idea for the way back to the lower 48. You two could double up on a electric mini bike and ride to "Aspin" Colorado from Dead Horse Alaska.
Driving across Alaska? Not practical. But driving to work and buying groceries, like 80% of truck owners are doing? It's the ideal truck for the lower 48.
Great job guys. You really pushed the limit of the truck and that’s cool. I drove from the east coast of Florida to Anchorage in February 2015 in a Ford Focus ST. I had Tire Rack ship some Blizzaks to a shop in Seattle and drove the Alcan in the ice and snow. It was awesome. I had the same problem with ice and mud building up inside the wheels that you guys did. I had to turn around near Whitehorse and hit a car wash due to the vibration it created. Other than that I had zero issues and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Three years later I did the whole drive in reverse back to Florida in an F-150. Good times.
You kept saying that the weight wasn't that big a deal, which is true on the flat, but not in the mountains. It wasn't until about 28:20 that you finally acknowledge that weight is a huge deal going up hill. Dragging all that weight up a hill kills EV range. And my experiene is that you get almost nothing back on the downhill, unless you are willing to go even slower going down so that you'll get some of it back (but still not much). Weight has been the killer for us when we renting EVs to see if we can make them work (we can't, for all the reasons you show on this series). Don't ignore the effect of weight on EV range.
I was so ready to go purchase this new Ford lightning truck the future of trucks yeah right after watching this video and everything all done since y'all bought the truck in Chicago I have been very disappointed this truck is no good I'm not impressed because you can cook breakfast either thanks fellas your hard work has sure saved me 50 plus thousand dollars on an electric breakfast cooker unbelievable how useless this truck is
The truck is not useless it has a purpose. It may not fit your life style but I think it fits most people. It would fit mine but its to big and I already have an ev that suits me
@@dname9394 I'm sitting around right now because it's the weekend and I want to relax. I can tell you I don't miss the smell of gas stations or diesel or oil or gear oil
@@chrishansel9324 what was your last vehicles because I have a 96 f250 I would not trade for anything I stay on top my stuff I am a contractor I will park on million dollar homes driveway and I don't have to worry about it all week it's called maintenances I also have a 05 1500 HD 1 small oil hose leak and I will jump in either truck drive from Louisiana to any corner of the country
It depends on what “real work” is. Personally, I don’t need to drive to Alaska every day. Charge over night, drive 30-50 miles to a work site. Do work. Drive back and plug it into your home charger. Ready for the next morning. Seems pretty simple to me.
@@theseb1979 except if you really do need your truck for work and then it breaks down (because they do break down) you have to schedule an appointment with the dealer and who knows how long that's going to take. In an ice truck you can sometimes get it fixed at the jobsite yourself.
@@theseb1979 Yup, simple! We have monsoons here now in AZ, big electrical storms, power off yesterday. No charge no work, I guess, if I had an EV. But no prob for my old Ranger 4x4. Yup, it's pretty "simple to me" too!! :D
You don't have to plan anymore. For those with Tesla, the onboard computer takes care of all the planning for you. For those with non-Tesla EV's, A Better Route Planner app does it all for you. This is clearly a very very worst case scenario.
@@joemcdonough7509 heaven forbid you're free to think or use free will or go when you please. Do as you're told, and pay for it. There are cons to everything, gas, battery, hydriden or trains. Having to listen to a centralized app to make a 300 mile trip in a pickup is enough to kill it for me. Great pod cars for city commuting from a modern home with a 200amp modern box, and a place to properly install your $300 dedicated dryer plug. One reason the trucks keep getting promised, but not built...is because despite the wishful thinking...they are city office drone and secretary cars.
@@STho205 And I'm here to point out that your anecdotal opinion on EV route planning is not shared by the majority. Many more love it and use it. And trucks are not being promised, they are being built and delivered. Ford, Rivian, and Chevy soon to come.
@@joemcdonough7509 yep there's an app: To tell you where to drive To tell you where to fuel When to drive, when to stop To tell you where to shop To tell you where to stay To tell you who to date To tell you whether you swing straight, queer or both To manage your porn life To manage your coffee order To manage your junk food order To manage your drugs To manage your music To manage your TVstream To manage your gum and peanut purchases To manage trips to the grocery store To manage your finances To constantly draw down your paycheck every minute of every day And they know EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, which somehow surprises you. Yet you don't see that as strange or foreboding. I can tell it has mushed your brain already, since you don't know what anecdotal means.
This makes you appreciate our current trucks. This truck works best left untouched, and in ideal conditions. Our gas/diesel trucks you can lift them, add larger rims and tires, stuff them full of gear and people, throw a trailer on the back and still make it up north without ever stopping once…. Electric will get there, it’s just not here yet….
you telling me that your truck do 3500 miles. Electric vehicles have less range because the have batteries, once battery energy capacity equals gal tank energy you will be able to go twice as far as an ICE vehicle.
@@roddycreswell8613 One would be talking 4x the current battery capacity to compete with gas when it comes to towing and hauling. Even if someone created the battery, think of the logistics of charging that hot mess.
I think ppl in the comments are missing the point. Electric vehicles will never make it with the amount of stuff you're talking about hauling. Plus if you're watching this how many times did the have to adjust their speed just to get the mileage just to make it. Plus how long are they taking to charge. It takes possibly 5-10 mins to fill up with gas. Plus how many adapters did they buy to make charging work. Those adapters are not cheap. Electric is just not there yet. Imagine trying to do this with a family with kids. You will have to have at least a month off just to enjoy a week of vacation. Takes two weeks to get to and from destination in planning, charging, and waiting.
This points out exactly how most of Canada is with regards to charging issues when you leave the major cities. EV’s have long ways to go until they are practical for most people, as the range and charge time has to be drastically improved on. I do many 500mile + trips pulling a 8,000lb load in the summer, so for me EV’s are extremely useless. Perhaps one day the technology will be there. Great video.
If you tow a trailer with a 20 Kw Diesel generator and a tank holding 1000 gallons of fuel it will be no problem. Diesel is available almost anywhere there is a road.
Thanks TFLT for doing this. It’s a neat truck.. and if you’re a upper middle class person in a moderate climate in the suburbs, it’s probably worth it. But as a replacement for gas anytime in the near future, I’m just not seeing it. Only time I ever got range anxiety in my gas truck was in the Steese Highway between Fairbanks and Circle at -10F in February. Hundreds of miles with no stops. I got enough to worry about while driving and taking trips that doesn’t include planning the entire trip around 240v outlets.
Yeah, electric vehicles work much better in the lower 48. I live in PA and have a Rivian and there's no part of the state rural or otherwise that I can't reach comfortably with how available fast charging is here.
Great video! What I take from this is the combustion engine came to the rescue! Lets take an EV, but follow with a gasoline truck "just in case" and you ended up needing the gas truck. All I needed to see.
So you guys skipped almost the entire Alaska highway? That starts in Dawson Creek BC which is mile zero, I use to live close to there. The series should be called ferry to Alaska, not amps to Alaska. Had you actually driven it would have been more interesting, and a challenge. C'mon guys!
Hopefully tfl does an informational video on the different types of adapters and plugs that are out there in the world and what you can and can't plug into. I think they found out that you cannot plug a 40 amp charger into a 30 amp dryer outlet. It's too bad ford doesn't allow you to pick the amperage you want from the touch screen.
Yep, it is too bad, I love Ford, but I wish they wouldn't dumb down their charging information and capabilities. Selecting amps in one amp increments can be incredibly useful and even provide some additional safety in certain scenarios. Even the Tesla never lets you go over the EVSE advertisement, but it does let you turn things down.
The EV was very popular 120 years ago, Mrs Benz had one. Because of slow charging and limited range Mr Benz invented the modern automobile with internal combustion engines.
I love Fairbanks - glad to see one of my favorite group of guys experience it too. Love this video series guys! Be safe, Bring David back to Tumbleweed!
I live in Reno, Nevada and there are lots of EVs here. I recently took a vacation to far eastern Nevada and western Utah where i saw exactly zero EVS. I am not sure if it is the price of the EVS or the lack of charging stations, but EVs are a no-go in far out rural areas at this point in time.
It's really the charger/range problem. Since they can't tow they're not practical for truck duty in places people use trucks for truck things. I think the passenger cars could make a lot of sense if people tried them in rural America. But it's a tough sell if repairs take months (Tesla) and there's no service infrastructure.
Loving the Alaskan scenery! … The Ford Lightning, on this trek, really spells out the true meaning of energy conservation. The EV grid has a long way to go, as well as the battery tech. … Loved the themed music for the production. 😎🍷🛻
Would love to see all about how the Hybrid truck performed. Our 2006 Ford Hybrid SUV is still humming along, getting very good MPG and in "golf cart" mode (all electric) in neighborhood and stop-and-go traffic.
More proof hybrids are a better option. You can capture braking in the battery and use the electric for low speed where it works best. So you get the 2 things electric does best and still go anywhere at any time without camping at chargers for half your trip. Oh, and they also cost less and don't carry as much weight.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Here’s The Behind The Scenes Story Of How We Drove to Dead Horse: ruclips.net/video/SQ2tWvTC6s8/видео.html
I think you should email Rivian with location suggestions for their adventure network.
@@fjalics yes good idea
I laud your efforts to put the Lightning to the test; and if there's anyone who'll do it in a purely impartial manner, it's the folks at TFL!
It seems clear that the Lightning is intended for use in the city; and it's nowhere near good enough to replace the ICE F-150. It offers a lot of convenience in the city, but the negatives of long-distance and/or off-road driving simply limit its range far too much to be a viable replacement.
Ford should make a Hydrogen-ICE hybrid version of the Lightning. Now THAT would be a better option... just need more hydrogen stations across North America. 😋
I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. EVs are a ridiculous concept at 40 below...
@@Andrew-vj8tv Yep. I'd like to see this test repeated in January!
I know you're spinning the Ford hybrid as the "Chase Truck" but we all know it's really the "Defibrillator". 🤣😂🤣
😉
need to feature this truck in a Snickers commercial--"Not Going Anywhere for Awhile?"
🤣
YES!!!😆😆😆
@Helicopter Dad! he could have done that with a regular truck and the fancy camper’s battery, no?
So, when going on a camping trip we always carry extra fuel, so in an EV do you carry an extra set of batteries. Inquiring minds want to know. :D
😂 😂 Epic!
David is the best!
"It's like being at a 5 star hotel"-after purchasing stuff from Goodwill to make breakfast. I love his simplicity and the fact that he's like most normal people.
Agreed! With all the negative comments about the charging, scenes like this are great to remind everyone the positives of this vehicle. It ain’t ALL bad, lol!
Probably used up 30 miles of range making breakfast. Kinda left out that little tidbit of info.
@@gregoryf9299 Roman is correct in his analogy of the model T. Electric vehicles aren't going to be for everyone and unfortunately certain conditions will always have an impact like weather, weight, aerodynamics, and elevation.
I couldn't agree more. Every word has intention. Nicely presented.
@@fredhinck9685 They were getting about 2 miles of range per kWh. Using the stove/toaster/coffee machine for a handful of minutes is practically nothing. A toaster uses 0.9 kWh if you use it an entire hour, and he probably only used the toaster for 2 minutes. Plus, nothing would stop him from plugging back into the camp's electricity after breakfast (or just keeping it plugged in the whole time). And they didn't "leave out" that little tidbit: they pointed out in the video that huge amounts of power needed to move the truck's weight and especially overcome wind resistance dwarf the electricity used by fridge/toaster/stove/cofee maker.
I live in the north, I’ve lived in Fairbanks and I’ve driven to the Arctic Ocean. I drive the Alaska highway a few times a year. As cars have gotten better at driving longer I’ve seen gas stations close in between the “major” fuel stops. If people start taking these EV’s seriously for road trips, I could see the old stations be converted to EV charge stations, more little mom and pop restaurants attached to them. But it’s years away and I don’t know if that’s the real solution. Average speed on the highway is 60mph+, I typically go 110kph which is something in mph. Even the Motorhomes a aren’t going 50mph. These EV’s are not even close to being useful up here and these guys are doing a great job of showing why. This is the best EV series I’ve seen. You guys are great!
Well, truthfully, we're talking about an old style F-150 with a battery jammed into it, right? Same aerodynamics, which is basically a brick, right? And shit battery energy density. That's why TESLA will rule the day.
What a pos I will never buy one
@@djbowler3333 Because the cyber truck is going to be so much better in the same situation right? I know you’re a Tesla fan boy apparently but I don’t know if you’ve actually taken a look at quality control because Tesla has the worst quality control and worst customer satisfaction with service so take that with a grain of salt.
@@virgilmccain8087 I love it when people say "never." Few principles in life are worth the sacrifices one makes to be that rigid. The universe has a funny way of making fools of people who say it
What you see as years away and impossible others see an a small hill... Just think the first flight was in 1903 and not less than 20 years they were being used to dogfight in the skies across an ocean.
Electric vehicles might be one of the most painful ways to travel that far north! I can't even imagine how awful of a trip this would be if it wasn't summertime!
Great work (and patience) guys!
Who actually travels that far north and doesn't fly?
BS to EV's
They're just not built for long trips. City or local driving I'm sure they're great but that's about it.
I almost died laughing at "we will see you next week when we are still here charging"
EV's will be perfect for the welfare crowd, they have nothing but time on their hands and nothing else to do but watch the charging needle creep along! ;D
Anyone that has plenty of time on their hands. That excludes the vast majority of people
@@ronschlorff7089 Ironic that EV's are owned by upper class and we need subsidies on everything so they can pay less for the car.
@@davec.3198 Yup, part of the "let them eat cake" crowd in a gov't run by liberals. I recall it "ended extremely badly" for the last ones to say those words!! ;D LOL
@@ronschlorff7089 I wonder how a welfare or fixed middle or low income class can afford a $55,000 new car? If someone buys a used EV how long the warranty is good for to replace the $12,000 battery with labor cost. The cost of disposal of the old unusable battery. Plus the cost of insurance not only for the EV but if it causes a fire and burns down your house or where it is parked when unused?
I very much like the comparison with the Model T. That exactly it. And if nobody tries, we will never get a step further. Well done, guys.
I laughed when he said "come back next week, while we'll still be charging."
Honestly, it's not practical for that type of trip (or towing, or anything truly long distance), but man, that is an adventure and has to be fun trying to get up there with that rig. I could see that being a fun road trip with a spouse, or an older kid or a hunting buddy kind of thing. Looking forward to the next episode (yall probably still charging).
The further north you go the fewer satellites you can link with making it difficult for some GPS devices to give an accurate position or heading. Great video and experiment. As an Alaskan who has traveled the Haul Road many times, I am loving this. I want to see the video on the clean up and repairs. That road eats vehicles.
The range anxiety is real. Great freaking job guys.
The scenery is absolutely beautiful. Great job by the entire team. This series is a joy to watch.
It certainly is a cautionary tale.
The scenery is beautiful outside of the dumps created by humans, like these villages and the oil dump of a town at Prudhoe Bay ...
@@cbatiau2528 Soon to have old used EV batteries.
My daughter tease’s me about my f250 diesel all the time, she owns a Tesla, but my truck has the 48 gallon tank and it’s range not towing is 900 miles she would have to charge a minimum of 2 times to match that and more likely 3 times. Electric is nice but the technology is not there yet, I bought my diesel to tow and get 500 miles In range pulling a 30’ travel trailer.
Yup, you said it all in the first sentence: EV's are for girls, no matter the sex!! LOL ;D
Now show the crew relaxing and cruising comfortably in the hybrid while you stress out about weight, aero, speed, remaining charge, next place to charge, do we have the right adapter to charge, how long will it take to charge, etc, etc...
Great video series. You probably know by now but that plug you didn't have an adapter for was a NEMA 6-50 (50 amp rating) or commonly known as a Welder outlet. Should definitely have an adapter for that when your traveling through more industrial areas.
Imagine if you actually had to work or be at a destination! Thank you for a great adventure.
I will be really curious to know what the F150 hybrid fuel economy was on this trip also. I'm thinking that would be the sweet spot. Best of both worlds.
I doubt it's anything spectacular. My hybrid does phenomenal in traffic, below 55mph, downhill, or level ground. I can get north of 25mpg. Normal highway driving or hitting hillcountry I'm getting just below 20mpg.
I would rather go 600 miles on one tank of gas and a 5 min fill up any day over 200 miles per charge with 2 hours
hybrids are bs. as are ev,s. there a scam, by the greens.. why build a whole new infrastructure, when we have one allready.. lpg, is the way to go, but its the price of lpg, here in aus we sell it over seas.[ o/s], for 10c lt, we pay $1 lt, for it. it needs high compression & timeing advance changed. my bronco 82, 351c, been on lpg for 20 yrs. uses 28 lt 100. its good till lpg costs more than half gas.[ petrol],. pumps out oxygen.. no new infrastructure.. ev,s are a scam.. i also have a s/duty, diesel. 02, 4.2tdi, mwm, brazilian, you never had them in u.s.
I wish they made the powerboost a plug in hybrid
@@rudyramirez4623 so useless. Lol
Interesting series -- but you still started the video talking about driving 3500 miles from Boulder to Deadhorse. Ignoring the 1500 or whatever miles you skip by taking a ferry. You sort-of mention it later, but for people who are not familiar with the Alaskan highway they would not realize you skipped a major percentage of the difficult drive.
Just one unexpected event - a bridge being washed out and it resulted in spending thousands for a ferry ride.
Go to 6:26 in the video he spells it out pretty clearly...he even says "we kinda cheated". Given they "admitted" exactly what/why they did what they did...I'm not holding the "3500 miles" against them. I think the majority of people get it.
They also skipped the driving from Haines to Fairbanks, for inexplicable reasons... That's a really beautiful drive... Or did I miss a video somewhere? (And they also seemed to gloss over that somehow the Lightning got to Sacramento for a drive to Seattle area, so why show the Boulder to Alaska map over the Alaska Highway up through Alberta/BC?)
@@cbatiau2528 They obviously had a very limited time with a limited crew to show you every aspect of a very long drive. The truck went from Boulder to Purdue Bay Alaska...sounds like 3500 miles to me. In one of the videos, they mentioned that one of their guys brought the truck up to Sacramento where it was met by Andre. They ain't the Discovery Channel nor are they National Geographic. Their main mission was to get the truck up there, film some of it, and then talk about it in future videos/podcasts.
@@cbatiau2528 and @mboiko I also noticed that there was no mention of the Haines to Fairbanks part of the trip. I understand they have limited crew and time, but their official point here is to show how successful they are at driving the Lightning to the northern tip of Alaska. In the video segment in Fairbanks they could have taken a few minutes to talk about the trip from Haines to Fairbanks and talk about how easy or difficult it was to find places to charge. That is a remote area and I bet it was difficult -- like the whole rest of the Alaska Highway that they skipped because it would be too hard to charge.
I like TFL and their people. But this EV-to-Alaska thing seems like pretending that it is not very hard, to push an EV agenda.
When I worked for GM at one of there R&D centers in Torrance CA. Were we actually designed and built a lot of the electronics, Inveters and Bds units for the EV1. I remember going to meetings and even back then GM goals were to design batteries. That could do at least five miles per Kilowatt. And this was when they were still using lead acid Batteries with a range of about Eighty miles. Driving like you had an egg under your foot. As we had ten of them for the engineers and managers to drive. But because they were literally lead foots with them fifty miles was about it. And one of my favorite jobs was I got to take them home on the weekends and unfortunately drive them gently to get the range back up to Eighty. So they could drive them like maniacs again. 🙄. Then they started putting in nickel metal batteries which got the the up to about one hundred and fifty miles driving very gingerly. But of course they still drove them hard .thus bringing the range down to about Eighty miles if lucky. At least I got a free Manga charger installed at home. Back then Gm was pushing a induction paddle charger. Which I also had a lot to do with. Helping the engineer's design and actually building the first few hundred paddles. I was just an engineering Technician. Sadly those were the fondest days working there. As soon all the top engineers mostly from Hughes Aircraft. Were leaving or retiring. And of course they replaced practically all of them with work Visa employees from mostly China 🙄. Oh the story's I could tell would blow your mind. Especially when they took and destroyed 98% of them after all the leases were up. And the STUPIDITY of GM's brass .DECISION to go straight to Hydrogen fuel cells. While Toyota was just selling the first generation Prius. All of us were just shaking our heads going the the hell hole in the ground thease bigwigs were doing. At least a few figured it out and we started working on the Volt about two years after that.😒.
Five miles per Kilowatts! What vocational school did you go to.😉🙂😊💯👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent comment & observation & input of "elctric vehicles".
Immigration will destroy this country
Interesting series. Glad you did it. It certainly lets me know there is no way an EV has any place in my future, in the near term anyway. I lack the patience for charging and the tolerance for the stress and complexity of ownership.
I like my horse. It's dependable. Who is this Henry Ford fellow, anyway? Lol
Lorentz, what ole Dan is trying to tell you in his adorably belittling fashion is that he thinks anyone that is not a fanboy of EV’s is stupid.
What he isn’t smart enough to realize is that he is suffering from a bad case of TDD (tiny dikk disease).
I like my horse… really not practical for pick up trucks at this time. Unless you have unlimited time to sit around and charge.
I could make it work as a "play toy", I already had a car converted to e85 fuel and saught that out on trips for 120k miles until I moved and lost access to any pumps within 300+ miles.
Only thing that infuriates me is public charging... Like how many friggin apps would I need to sign up for to cover all the public chargers... Tapping a credit card is fine, but I can't stand apps.
@@djbowler3333 Sure, the situations are comparable if you turn off your brain and disregard all context and current events in our society compared to the original introduction of the car. You know, for someone who seems to be into EVs so much, you sure behave like you huff a whole lot of gasoline in your spare time.
The NEMA 6-50 is one of the most common heavy duty welder plugs in modern construction; I can't believe you guys didn't have an adapter.
I was thinking the same thing. I'd want the common adapters, then all the rest of the uncommon plugs with a section of SOOW 8/2 so I could wire whatever. But that's the plug I have in my garage for my welder (and came on every welder I've used) and have adapted to run an EVSE before.
You mustn’t have watched more than a couple episodes of this channel. Normal for them;)
So glad I got the basic V8. Love your channel, and thank you for the great scenery!
Kudos for taking this on to showcase the effort currently required to use an electric vehicle outside of an urban area. It makes one want to polish up their pitch when approaching a local business. "Brother, can you spare a 240v outlet?".
It shows currently how leftists want to lower our standard of living. CNN found out 2 EVs will cost you 4 times your electric bill and they said Americans need to turn off their AC. Yea that’ll work in Arizona, New Mexico etc
@Defective Degenerate Cool, back to the future!
That’s why Tesla’s come with adapters, because in the beginning there were only RV parks and dryer outlets if you wanted to charge faster than the wall outlet. Now it’s getting better faster and faster. In a year or two batteries will go 20% further and chargers will be every 50 miles instead of 100
@Defective Degenerate that is going to take a long while
@@kenmcclow8963 battery technology will not improve more than a few percent. If this was so great, where is the semi? It’s what 5 years late? Where is the truck?
The best quote in the video was "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Sadly there is a lot if validity to that statement. Definitely a cool trip and challenge to complete it. This still reinforces the Lightening's nickname the ABC truck. "Always Be Chargin'".
True, but to be fair, this is a less than ideal use case for this mission. We have had 100 years to optimize Hydrocarbon fuel delivery systems. Installing electric chargers is 20X easier than delivering a liquid fuel. Just as we stopped using coal because it was no longer economical or efficient, liquid fuels are going to be limited, IMO, to certain limited applications while electric cars can handle the majority of our daily use cases.
@@BehroozShariati haha we stopped using coal because the hippies in Washington forced us too…china and India are opening coal plants everyday
F-150 Lightning? I say F-150 Light..Bud/Bud Light, F-150/F-150 Light.
@@BehroozShariati yes and no. It's not like mechanical and electrical technology stepped back 100 years to build this truck. A huge majority of this truck takes advantage of the same gains ICE engines did over that time. I get your point about the electrical grid though. I just hope they can figure out a way to increase the range, find battery materials that aren't so devastating to extract from the planet, and get them off coal because that doesn't move the ball forward.
@@coachvonyo Lots of research in battery tech is already happening and, more importantly, is being funded by the same VC and investors who were backing Oil before. The current limitation, IMO, is checking speed, not so much range. If we could recharge a 200-mile car in 10 minutes, we would stop worrying about range .
Thank-you TFL Trucks. Alaska is such a beatiful place! Please, please do this adventure with future eletric trucks. We love the adventure and meeting the people you meet along the way as well.
Also in the dead of winter in Alaska at 30 or more below 0 degrees. The adventure as shown on Ice Road Truckers.
That tour guide was great. I love people like that. Just friendly and excited to talk to new people.
Love that David was a part of this!
I'd rather have a crew cab F-150 4x4 with the 5.0. Say whatever else you want about it, it'll get where I'm going with minimal refueling time.
I’ll take a gas truck in a form of a Toyota myself.
I have really enjoyed this series, even though I had already cancelled my Lightning and bought a powerboost after the 1st video lol
You made a smart decision
@@andysupple4838 maybe, what’s the battery life, controllers, extras in the bellhousing, and the west and tear with a hybrid? What’s the costs going to be in the future to fix this extra stuff?
@@JAMESWUERTELE hybrids has decades of Data showing how reliable the concept is.
Now this is a ford not a Toyota or Honda so factor in fords own reliability lol
@@Swissk31300BO I’ll bet you consider your Prius a real beast eh?
Dude they resell for like 20k to 30k depending on the Trim when did you order, I get mine in a 2 weeks plan on selling it for 25k over.
Hopefully in the next 5 years there will be better battery technology and a pickup truck that has the range of current gas/diesel pickups. I'm talking towing range!!! Like that guy from Alaska, "I'm not tempted at all"!!
This series is as entertaining as the expedition overland videos. Keep up this type of content! Thanks for all of your hard work!
I really enjoy this series! It shows how we’re just not ready to go all electric … just yet. A comment in the video was this Ford truck is like a model T in terms of development of the technology. Not exactly the same comparison. The mode T was the first affordable, mass produced car costing about 6k in todays dollars, not 90k like the one in the video. The Model T got about 20 mpg … so it had much better range! When we figure out how to go 350 miles on a 15 minute charge for about 15k purchase price … THAT will be the Model T of electric cars. Until then I would call the F-150 Lightning the Duesenberg of electric cars.
You are spot on in your analogy! 👍
More like Hindenburg
A $90, 000 vehicle with vastly reduced range and utility. A real bargain
@@rexwolfe1069 🔥🔥🔥
Exactly. The Model T reference is way off.
Thanks for the series! Fantastic info, info that shows me an E-truck is not in my near future. No way could I justify the cost, distance or work capacity of an E-truck for my needs.
That is really what comes out of this the e truck is basically glorified urban transport with some utility
I agree with you in that aspect, but i think that this truck was designed more for those who stay local and don't need to tow or haul very heavy loads. I think that what they need to do if they're trying to stay towards this green future is phase out all gasoline trucks, but keep diesel as an option for those who need to tow or haul long distances, at least until they can figure out a way to make batteries more efficient for long distance work. The reason i say keep diesel around is because it burns cleaner than gasoline and is designed for long distance, as well as towing and hauling, which is what trucks were originally designed to do
Yes, this proves nothing is ever a complete failure. This, vid touting an EV truck, I guess that was their goal, shows a lot of us the opposite message with their information presented here. To quote above, it's: "info that shows me an E-truck is not in my near future".! ;D
@@coytus94 That's a terrible idea. What about the many people who need more towing and range then an EV truck can provide but can't afford the extra cost of a diesel? Those people would have no viable option and would be up sh!t creek
@@robertryan7204 lol the only problem is the battery mate
batteries with 5x the capacity for the same space will be released eventually who is going to shun 800km towing and 3500km cruising?
At Coldfoot, the building you plugged into, I believed, was supplied with 3-phase power. So instead of getting 240 volts, from one phase hot to hot, you get 204 to 208 volts bridging between the hot sides of two of the phases. The hot side of one of the phases to ground is still 120 volts, I believe.
Yep, that's definitely a 208 rather than a 240 (very common in larger buildings with 3 phase, as you said). It's still 120 from either hot phase to ground, but the two phases aren't 180 degrees out of sync the way they are on a center tapped home setup (which is what lets you get exactly twice the voltage phase to phase vs phase to ground), they're 120 degrees out of sync because it's 2 hot lines out of the overall 3 phase setup. Thus, instead of the two sine waves mirroring each other, one is lagging the other by a third of a period, giving 208v (nominal) from phase to phase.
My first thought was voltage drop between their adapters and the extension cord. Given the cliffhanger at the end, I’m wondering if they popped the breaker.
That fairing has minimal impact. You should have worked with 4wheelcampers to create dovetail fairings. Most of the drag isn't when the truck hits the air in front, but the vaccum that's created at the back when the flow detaches from the truck and ends up being turbulent.
Most 18 wheelers quit using the Dovetail because they aren't worth what you think they are
Our country has so many beautiful places!! Great video!!
Gents, I'm liking the trek but sad 😞you skipped the best part of the journey through Canada. I've been to Prudhoe Bay many times for work, and during some cool times at below -40° (C or F - it doesn't matter) it's just F'n cold! The trucks on the slope never get turned off in the winter. I'm looking forward to the rest of your journey. Thanks.
The more I watch this, the more I don’t want a ford lightning😂 but I’m glad they’re doing these vids!
Exactly! Electric is Not viable unless it is commuting within an urban area Mon-Fri. The greenies& the left are in a fantasy, hybrid is the way to go in my opinion.
I'm more interested in the powerboost, I wanna see its mpg and how it did on this trip because the powerboost is the serious, more practical truck.
agreed. The powerboost is the most exciting truck in this video.
@@kyle-ri5mz and with 1.1M subscribers for TFLTruck vs about 80k for TFLEV, I’m betting many, many people agree with you.
The EV thing is mildly interesting but it could be a channel killer if they keep harping… I was hoping for a travel series with an EV as side kick. Seems they’ve gotten it backwards.
Some PR training, and abstinence 😂, from moderators wouldn’t go astray either.
I have a Powerboost. When it comes to sheer work-power, I would agree. But I am trading it in for a Lightning in October. It is all about use-case, and goals. For my use-case, it will work, and for my goals of greener footprint, it will be even better.
As to your other question on Powerboosts, on my 4300 mile month-long camping trip, my overall average was 20.0 MPG. That is with a GoFast Camper and 16 gallon water tank and camping gear, figure 650 lbs total, and me driving a mix of some Freeways, mostly state highways and , county roads, and mild overlanding trails.
Considering the truck normally gets 2.0 kpm when empty on hard paved roads I don't feel like 1.8 kpm on gravel roads with a fully loaded bed and a camper on the back is near as dismal as you make it out to be.
Shh they are being all top gear
Yes, it's just basically always dismal
@@rfjohns1 just like your miles per gallon
@@alanrickett2537 That's kind of the point. Pulling even a light trailer is very energy intensive. But you get a lot more range using gas vs EV. Also much easier to refuel and you can take extra gas with yiu. Also EVs severely impacted by cold weather.
@@rfjohns1 some EVs are Impacted by cold weather, EVs are not the answer to all questions but most pickup never tow and of those that do it's not large loads long distances, and if that's what you need a pick up is the wrong tool anyway
When I was a kid combining one summer in the Willamette Valley OR, my bosses father would get on the combine with me and just talk. The big adventure in his life was him and two of his friends driving a Model T to Seattle to pick up his brother who was coming back from the Great War on a troop ship. The trip took four days each way. Anything like the modern highways were virtually nonexistent at that time. You could have done the trip on a horse almost as fast. They did not know where they could get gas and had to pack gas with them. Every river crossing was a ferry. They pioneered the way. Just like you guys are doing now.
Can’t imagine anyone else crazy enough to try this trip!!! My hat off to the crew at TFL, Dave has made a great addition to the TFL family, he’s one of those men that can do anything, love the whole bunch, but I’d have taken Dave too, with my survival skills lock me in a Lowes with a Kroger next door, leave me 3 days and you’d come back to find dead man with a dented can of tuna in the floor. Great Show👍👍👍
As he said in another video, there's a whole caravan of EVs set to do the Prudhoe Bay trip this coming month!
@cba tiau Sounds interesting, but I _really_ hope they ALL won't be relying on the kindness of locals to provide them with charging, since that's the kind of thing that'll piss them off and set the whole movement back.
@Poppy Neese Not too many people are crazy enough to pay $7000 to ferry a couple of trucks to Alaska.
@@h8GW The ability to charge them at minus 20 to 60 degrees below 0. To drive these roads while letting semi-trucks and emergency vehicles pass. Not only in Alaska as in ICE Road Truckers. Also in blizzards in the lower 48 states and in the heat of 90 to 100 degrees.
The adapter you were missing is NEMA 6-50, commonly referred to as a "welder adapter".
I bought a package from Tesla that included 7 or so adapters including the 6-50. I use the 14-50 at home
Great example of oil for America is so so important
I ran into the same problem not having the right connector but you can actually just slightly bend the 2 lower prongs and it works just fine! Lol, I was yelling at the screen like "Come on, just bend it""🤣. Love what y'all doing! 👍🏼
I would love to see you guys go back in the winter to test how the batteries react to such cold weather and how much running the heater in the cabin affects the range since that’s a lot of heat needed to get the cabin comfortable below zero
That’s the plan
Nikki at Transport Evolved put a tonneau cover on her Lightning and sees 2.3 to 2.8, so I think that a lot of drag is coming from the sides of the camper where it projects out into the wind.
EV’s with heat pumps don’t lose as much range to cold as resistance heaters. Gas trucks also lose range in cold and people often have to plug in a block heater or the gas vehicle just won’t start. I have lived in places where it has been 40 below, but it’s not always, or even often that cold, so the range hit isn’t that bad most of the time
Right i live in canada and if I don't plug my truck in it won't start at -45 when I have to go frame a house we use anti freeze in our airlines for our air tools so whats the difference if you have an ev you still need to plug in at least you can set the ev to warm up at a certain time so it nice and toasty when you get in and you dont have to freeze filling it up so meny nay sayers out here cant do this cant do that sucks at this sucks at that but most haven't been in an environment that cold let alone work in it on a daily basis in the winter
Wow what an adventure...
Alaska holds a special place in my heart. I was stationed at then Fort Richardson with duty in Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK. Washington state is where I call home for now and this is a really cool thing that TFL channel is doing. Thanks for all you're doing for the rest of us would probably wish for.. Great job guys‼️
"This truck is like the Model T. Give it time..."
Well, the first record of an electric vehicle was somewhere around 1890? I think that means that they've had a longer opportunity to succeed than the Model T (1908).
Most people now do not know this.
Gee, maybe becuse lithium ion batteries didn't exist back then. It's like Howard stark in the MCU. The thoery is there, the technology just hasn't caught up yet.
and EVs at a time were more popular than ICE. The better advertisement and more money for ICE made EVs disappear. For gas there are many more industries involved than electric, more people to cash out
and in fact, the range wasn't even an issue at all
@@pauliusvindzigelskis2224 superior tech, made ice top, ev is still lagging behind the times no matter what propaganda you listen to. the exhaust comes from the power plant ,therefore i dont have to feel guilty.
Well they have been working on battery technology and chemistry for over three Decades now for electric vehicles. So at this rate I'll be long dead before they can compete with a gasoline car. Heck they haven't even been able to match a Big rig mileage yet.and that's a fully loaded one 😒. Oh sure you can get bigger battery packs to give you more range. But then the battery pack almost weighs as much as an economy car. And the cost to replace it cost more than a nice economy car. Heck a friend of mine had a Toyota Corolla that I put over 250k on it in ten years . One water pump two timing belts, witch I helped him replace for a case of beer or a couple Dodger tickets and three sets of tires. Cars still going as he sold it to a neighbor from what he tells me.
This is BRILLIANTLY produced. Huge fan. I have an R1T scheduled for Nov/Dec, and I've really learned so much from your channel re: EVs. Thank you so much.
Those outlets at the Yukon River Camp were 120v, but they at least were 20 amp (rather than 15 amp). That would charge at up to 1.9 kW. You subsequently showed the charging and you were at 43%. So if you were starting at 43%-ish, had the largest capacity Lightning, and we’re charging at 1.9 kW, it could take you 38 hours of charging to get to 100%. That’s admittedly not great, but it’s not the five days suggested in the video. :-) BUT, most people don’t need to get to 100% most of the time, so it’s worth noting the difference between a 15a and 20a outlet, and having the correct adaptor, if doing charging from regular wall outlets! :-) It doesn’t sound like much, but a 20a outlet can provide as much as 33% more juice.
Also, many times with multiple outlets on a pedestal they are wired to multiple hots. This way they can deliver more power than just 20 amp at 120v to the pedestal with only one more wire (two hot, one neutral and one ground). With the right adapter you can plug into two of the outlets and get 20 amp at 240v (or 208v likely there).
@@Sylvan_dB True, I actually have an adaptor that will let me charge off of two outlets simultaneously so long as they are A) not grounded and B) on different phases of the panel. Having an adaptor like that (and a long heavy-duty extension cord in case one of the outlets is far away from the first one) could be a huge asset for charging in rural areas. :)
What I love about this series - it is realistic - EV’s are sometimes pumped up, ignoring the downsides. Let’s face it, Oil and Gas made an inhospitable planet, hospitable. They will be around for a long , long time.
And yet the shift to EV is due to oil and gas making a hospitable plant inhospitable.
@@obstacleman Don’t drink the KoolAid - Without Oil and Gas - you are dead… period.
@@pilotleader LOL 😂
@@obstacleman Looks like the drink of choice is stornger than KoolAid 😂
The utopian fantasy La La land of the greenies & lefTARDs has been destroyed.🤔
Love the challenge, keep it up! thanks
Love the challenge from a technical view point but EVs in remote county….
They have a very long way to go!!!
You guys will be seen as pioneers for years to come, outstanding work!👏👏👏
Yup, speaking of "pioneers", looks like a Conestoga wagon would do better on this trip, maybe towing a nice chuck wagon for some good eats! ;D LOL
I legitimately use this channel to put me to sleep nightly,its great for monotone voices and no loud action,very substitute teacher sounding with an over used amount of word salads for that eyes closed boring story telling.I appreciate it,I really do.
It might be corrected lower in the comments, but Tok is pronounced with the long "O" like in Toke.
Fascinating video! Let me say I believe both guys are tough and brilliant, but they have very different personalities. Roman sets goals and achieving that goal is the only thing that matters. The Visionary. He can’t be bothered with the inconveniences and petty difficulties along the way. David lives in the present, he takes everything in, he takes it in stride and gets to work. The Pragmatist. Ronan will be at his happiest having accomplished first what no one has ever done and David will be proud having fought a tough battle using his wits and ingenuity to win a grueling battle. These two personalities were the key to every successful pioneering journey
I hope to travel that highway before it gets fully paved, I love how the dirt looks on the trucks. Loving the journey so far guys. I hope you can do that trip again when the Silverado EV comes out.
No chance of the Dalton being paved in the next 100 years so plenty of time to head up here!
@@mikeandkerryak well that’s good news to hear.
i think my grampa took the 62 bel air there on a road trip in the 70s
If a road only ever had to be paved once, then it would have gotten paved 50 years ago; with the conditions that road faces, it would need to be repaired 4 times a year just to keep it safe, and the cost to pave it during the worst times of year would be astronomical. We will have flying trucks before that road becomes tarmac.
@@Cloud30000 completely agree. I think it's hard to really understand just how expansive that part of the world is if you haven't been there. Both how long the road is, and how difficult it is to maintain highways on top of that type of geology with the seasonal changes. I actually think that the alcan highway might be better off as a well maintained gravel road. The condition of the asphalt on those sections between white horse and tok is brutal for towing and hauling. My solution for those roads would be something along the lines of a automated road grader group that would simply travel up and down year-round and continually regrade those roads to keep them in good shape. And possibly they would be something like 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. every night and the roads might close during those hours or something would be done to make sure everyone knows about it to keep it safe.
That totally did it for me thank you guys for experiencing the pain for us viewers!! ✌🏼
Outstanding positive attitude of both you guys /all you guys
so the moral of the story is if you're going to buy an electric truck, make sure you also buy a Gas truck with an inverter and a driver to follow you everywhere you go. that's saving the planet!.
Now that’s got to be the answer.
Buy a electric one and a gas one.
Drive one five miles walk back and then drive the other one ten miles walk back repeat 🔁 This way you don’t need the second person.
Happy driving.
Thanks for the great video series. I'm in Texas and I considered looking into this particular truck, but I drive on highways where the speed limit is 80mph. If you get a chance in the future, could you do a test at higher highway speeds to show the economy and range. Keep up the great work and videos.
Check back on their playlist. They have done a large amount of comparative economy runs including towing and standard transit runs in this truck.
It SUCKS! Nuff said!
None of it was at a posted 80MPH.
@@1225KPH it would not make it if that's the case
The equivalent of around 14 to 20 miles per gallon. 😐
What isn’t coming through is the absolute fatigue that you guys have to be going through. Great series. A must watch.
You guys a like Lewis and Clark! Forging into the wilderness. Really appreciate what you guys are doing, in showing the ignorant of what these EV's limitations are. If they couldnt figure that out on their own.
Dinosaur juice is what's powering the electricity sparky...unless you windmills in that part of the country
I would really say the f150 lightning isn't the model T, it more so has to deal with battery technology and batteries existed long before the electric cars did. So its really more so that batteries will always have limitations that gasoline won't. For example if their are no gas stations y can always bring gas cans with you.
Epic journey/adventure, but the best line: 'Come back next week, where we'll still be here charging', got my best smile. Kudo's for doing the trip; fore-worn others that it's not ready for prime time yet, but that's why it is an adventure and not a proof of concept.
To be fair, this is about the worse case scenario for it, driving to the most remote places on the continent. For most others, it would be a fine alternative.
“Come back next week when we’re still charging”. 🤣 Roman is a true Prophet!
This has to be the hardest trip one could make in an EV, and while it was a challenge, you guys still were able to make the trip, so Kudos to the whole team.
Hardest trip? Really? You’ve never been outside the USA have you. 🤣
@@alextimer8055 are you aware of the topography? It's inhabited enough so they have some power, compared to Siberia or something. But the geography is pretty serious. Obviously they aren't going to the top of a mountain, but it's a interesting test
Imagine if this trip was during winter...I don't want to even think about it.
Hardest?! I can take all three of my trucks in the garage on this journey right now. One F-350 diesel (1997) and 2 4Runners.
@@alextimer8055 well they are Americans on RUclips with probably 95% American base….so yeah OP is correct.
Thinking that EV's are going to replace gasoline cars by 2035 is like a toddler thinking he's going to build an actual city using Linkin logs and tinker toys.
Mark my words, it's an accurate analogy.
Three years ago I took a Model S Tesla to Tuktoyuktuk in Canada. I can feel the elation you had upon arriving.
I salute you and I thank you, the world needs people like you.(And Me)
Well this series is great for convincing me not to get a full EV for any long distances. Very informative 👏 👌
Good decision. My opinion elctric is not Viable unless it's a car living below the 35th parallel & in an urban area with a short commute. Electric is a utopian idea of greenies & leftist lemmings who are ignorant seeing past the "feel good" decision.
I want to know how the powerboost did.....hopefully you guys kept track and do an episode on it.
Two 120 legs can be combined to 240v. Just need to find the two 20A receptacles on separate legs and make your own combiner box.
That 3 prong 70 amp plug is a welder plug .I have a few of them .most are on a 60 amp breaker. The second cable you used if that was a dryer receptacle it should have been a 30 amp breaker,somehow you managed to pull 38 amps off it… thank god that worked .
That's funny cliffhanger to leave us on. We all know how capable ICE vehicles are, but doing this trip in an EV is entertaining. So many dramatic moments can happen lol. Can't wait for next week's episode.
I have a keen idea for the way back to the lower 48. You two could double up on a electric mini bike and ride to "Aspin" Colorado from Dead Horse Alaska.
I appreciate you guys showing how impractical these evs really are keep up the good work
Exactly! Not viable.
Driving across Alaska? Not practical. But driving to work and buying groceries, like 80% of truck owners are doing? It's the ideal truck for the lower 48.
Great job guys. You really pushed the limit of the truck and that’s cool. I drove from the east coast of Florida to Anchorage in February 2015 in a Ford Focus ST. I had Tire Rack ship some Blizzaks to a shop in Seattle and drove the Alcan in the ice and snow. It was awesome. I had the same problem with ice and mud building up inside the wheels that you guys did. I had to turn around near Whitehorse and hit a car wash due to the vibration it created. Other than that I had zero issues and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Three years later I did the whole drive in reverse back to Florida in an F-150. Good times.
You kept saying that the weight wasn't that big a deal, which is true on the flat, but not in the mountains. It wasn't until about 28:20 that you finally acknowledge that weight is a huge deal going up hill. Dragging all that weight up a hill kills EV range. And my experiene is that you get almost nothing back on the downhill, unless you are willing to go even slower going down so that you'll get some of it back (but still not much). Weight has been the killer for us when we renting EVs to see if we can make them work (we can't, for all the reasons you show on this series).
Don't ignore the effect of weight on EV range.
I was so ready to go purchase this new Ford lightning truck the future of trucks yeah right after watching this video and everything all done since y'all bought the truck in Chicago I have been very disappointed this truck is no good I'm not impressed because you can cook breakfast either thanks fellas your hard work has sure saved me 50 plus thousand dollars on an electric breakfast cooker unbelievable how useless this truck is
“An electric breakfast cooker”. 😂
The truck is not useless it has a purpose. It may not fit your life style but I think it fits most people. It would fit mine but its to big and I already have an ev that suits me
@@chrishansel9324 the only people whos lives this fits are people who dont do anything and sit around home all year
@@dname9394 I'm sitting around right now because it's the weekend and I want to relax. I can tell you I don't miss the smell of gas stations or diesel or oil or gear oil
@@chrishansel9324 what was your last vehicles because I have a 96 f250 I would not trade for anything I stay on top my stuff I am a contractor I will park on million dollar homes driveway and I don't have to worry about it all week it's called maintenances I also have a 05 1500 HD 1 small oil hose leak and I will jump in either truck drive from Louisiana to any corner of the country
Great video. I’m not convinced that the lightning is a viable option for real work. Seems like a great option for a dime store cowboy.
Perfect for hauling bags of Mulch in the Suburbs. F-150 Suburban may have been a better name if Chevy wasn't already using it.
It depends on what “real work” is. Personally, I don’t need to drive to Alaska every day. Charge over night, drive 30-50 miles to a work site. Do work. Drive back and plug it into your home charger. Ready for the next morning. Seems pretty simple to me.
@@theseb1979 except if you really do need your truck for work and then it breaks down (because they do break down) you have to schedule an appointment with the dealer and who knows how long that's going to take. In an ice truck you can sometimes get it fixed at the jobsite yourself.
@@theseb1979 Yup, simple! We have monsoons here now in AZ, big electrical storms, power off yesterday. No charge no work, I guess, if I had an EV. But no prob for my old Ranger 4x4. Yup, it's pretty "simple to me" too!! :D
@@theseb1979 That's true, usually a true work truck almost never leaves the town it is in and they often go back to a depot at the end of the day.
Great video but Andre had one job and that was to get all the different adapter plugs and the one y'all needed he didn't get 🤣
I took the ferry from Bellingham to Juneau this past weekend. Such an amazing trip. Highly recommend it for anyone traveling to Alaska.
I cannot believe I spent 40 minutes watching a video of a couple of guys driving a truck. This is amazing guys! Keep it coming :D
Love the idea of the electric truck. But I would hate driving around planning everything about charging and can I make it/how long do I have to wait
You don't have to plan anymore. For those with Tesla, the onboard computer takes care of all the planning for you.
For those with non-Tesla EV's, A Better Route Planner app does it all for you.
This is clearly a very very worst case scenario.
@@joemcdonough7509 heaven forbid you're free to think or use free will or go when you please. Do as you're told, and pay for it.
There are cons to everything, gas, battery, hydriden or trains. Having to listen to a centralized app to make a 300 mile trip in a pickup is enough to kill it for me.
Great pod cars for city commuting from a modern home with a 200amp modern box, and a place to properly install your $300 dedicated dryer plug. One reason the trucks keep getting promised, but not built...is because despite the wishful thinking...they are city office drone and secretary cars.
@@STho205 And I'm here to point out that your anecdotal opinion on EV route planning is not shared by the majority. Many more love it and use it.
And trucks are not being promised, they are being built and delivered. Ford, Rivian, and Chevy soon to come.
@@joemcdonough7509 yep there's an app:
To tell you where to drive
To tell you where to fuel
When to drive, when to stop
To tell you where to shop
To tell you where to stay
To tell you who to date
To tell you whether you swing straight, queer or both
To manage your porn life
To manage your coffee order
To manage your junk food order
To manage your drugs
To manage your music
To manage your TVstream
To manage your gum and peanut purchases
To manage trips to the grocery store
To manage your finances
To constantly draw down your paycheck every minute of every day
And they know EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, which somehow surprises you.
Yet you don't see that as strange or foreboding.
I can tell it has mushed your brain already, since you don't know what anecdotal means.
@@joemcdonough7509 literally most common comment on all these videos is how much of a pita it is to constantly worry about charge.
This makes you appreciate our current trucks. This truck works best left untouched, and in ideal conditions. Our gas/diesel trucks you can lift them, add larger rims and tires, stuff them full of gear and people, throw a trailer on the back and still make it up north without ever stopping once…. Electric will get there, it’s just not here yet….
you telling me that your truck do 3500 miles. Electric vehicles have less range because the have batteries, once battery energy capacity equals gal tank energy you will be able to go twice as far as an ICE vehicle.
Chris Hansel, where will this take place? Fantasyland?🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
@@roddycreswell8613 One would be talking 4x the current battery capacity to compete with gas when it comes to towing and hauling. Even if someone created the battery, think of the logistics of charging that hot mess.
I think ppl in the comments are missing the point. Electric vehicles will never make it with the amount of stuff you're talking about hauling. Plus if you're watching this how many times did the have to adjust their speed just to get the mileage just to make it. Plus how long are they taking to charge. It takes possibly 5-10 mins to fill up with gas. Plus how many adapters did they buy to make charging work. Those adapters are not cheap. Electric is just not there yet. Imagine trying to do this with a family with kids. You will have to have at least a month off just to enjoy a week of vacation. Takes two weeks to get to and from destination in planning, charging, and waiting.
@@roddycreswell8613 Long live the internal combustion engine!!
This points out exactly how most of Canada is with regards to charging issues when you leave the major cities. EV’s have long ways to go until they are practical for most people, as the range and charge time has to be drastically improved on. I do many 500mile + trips pulling a 8,000lb load in the summer, so for me EV’s are extremely useless. Perhaps one day the technology will be there. Great video.
If you tow a trailer with a 20 Kw Diesel generator and a tank holding 1000 gallons of fuel it will be no problem. Diesel is available almost anywhere there is a road.
For cold climates the hybrid is the better solution. For most people in the usa the EV would be fine.
@@johnstreet819 lmao. Could you imagine actually having to do that…
@@sanisidrocr yes, a plug in hybrid would be ideal.
Australia is worse. Not too many EV Chargers across the Simpson desert.
Thanks TFLT for doing this. It’s a neat truck.. and if you’re a upper middle class person in a moderate climate in the suburbs, it’s probably worth it. But as a replacement for gas anytime in the near future, I’m just not seeing it. Only time I ever got range anxiety in my gas truck was in the Steese Highway between Fairbanks and Circle at -10F in February. Hundreds of miles with no stops. I got enough to worry about while driving and taking trips that doesn’t include planning the entire trip around 240v outlets.
Yeah, electric vehicles work much better in the lower 48. I live in PA and have a Rivian and there's no part of the state rural or otherwise that I can't reach comfortably with how available fast charging is here.
You are damn lucky that you didn't try this during January in Alaska and got stuck out in the wilderness .
Great video! What I take from this is the combustion engine came to the rescue! Lets take an EV, but follow with a gasoline truck "just in case" and you ended up needing the gas truck. All I needed to see.
So you guys skipped almost the entire Alaska highway? That starts in Dawson Creek BC which is mile zero, I use to live close to there. The series should be called ferry to Alaska, not amps to Alaska. Had you actually driven it would have been more interesting, and a challenge. C'mon guys!
You need to be fully vaxed or "up to date" on your boosters to enter Canada. I think they're on #5. They probably aren't "fully vaxed"
There aren't no chargers and there was major land slide closing that highway..
Exactly.
@@MoctezumasRevenge1 That’s not the point. In fact, it’s no where near the point.
@@nmelkhunter1 can you reach the landslide blocking the highway in Canada if you're not allowed to enter Canada?
Hopefully tfl does an informational video on the different types of adapters and plugs that are out there in the world and what you can and can't plug into. I think they found out that you cannot plug a 40 amp charger into a 30 amp dryer outlet. It's too bad ford doesn't allow you to pick the amperage you want from the touch screen.
There are some amperage selectable chargers
Yep, it is too bad, I love Ford, but I wish they wouldn't dumb down their charging information and capabilities. Selecting amps in one amp increments can be incredibly useful and even provide some additional safety in certain scenarios. Even the Tesla never lets you go over the EVSE advertisement, but it does let you turn things down.
This whole thing is absurd
The EV was very popular 120 years ago, Mrs Benz had one. Because of slow charging and limited range Mr Benz invented the modern automobile with internal combustion engines.
The electric appliances plugged in to make breakfast = GOLD!
I love Fairbanks - glad to see one of my favorite group of guys experience it too. Love this video series guys! Be safe,
Bring David back to Tumbleweed!
I live in Reno, Nevada and there are lots of EVs here. I recently took a vacation to far eastern Nevada and western Utah where i saw exactly zero EVS. I am not sure if it is the price of the EVS or the lack of charging stations, but EVs are a no-go in far out rural areas at this point in time.
It's really the charger/range problem. Since they can't tow they're not practical for truck duty in places people use trucks for truck things. I think the passenger cars could make a lot of sense if people tried them in rural America. But it's a tough sell if repairs take months (Tesla) and there's no service infrastructure.
Loving the Alaskan scenery! … The Ford Lightning, on this trek, really spells out the true meaning of energy conservation. The EV grid has a long way to go, as well as the battery tech. … Loved the themed music for the production. 😎🍷🛻
Unfortunately they are selling them now
@@robertryan7204 yeah there are suckers born Avery minute buying them.
Would love to see all about how the Hybrid truck performed.
Our 2006 Ford Hybrid SUV is still humming along, getting very good MPG and in "golf cart" mode (all electric) in neighborhood and stop-and-go traffic.
More proof hybrids are a better option. You can capture braking in the battery and use the electric for low speed where it works best. So you get the 2 things electric does best and still go anywhere at any time without camping at chargers for half your trip. Oh, and they also cost less and don't carry as much weight.