Motor Trend First Drive of F-150 Lightning

[HotRunrGuy]

8 hours ago, jpd80 said:

Both manufacturers supply smallish base fuel tanks, mostly because a lot of crew cabs sold are use more like cars with infrequent towing.

 

The latest Toyota Tundra Capstone "Cappuccino" commercial is an example of that,,,,

 

HRG

[Flying68]

10 hours ago, jpd80 said:

But that wasn’t the point of this test as TFL used the Lightning with a standard battery.

Actually the Lightning they own is a Lariet with the extended range battery.

 

And $0.45 per kW/h is ridiculous, but those charge stations and the power drops to supply them aren't cheap either, so someone has to pay for them.

[jpd80]

6 hours ago, Flying68 said:

Actually the Lightning they own is a Lariet with the extended range battery.

 

And $0.45 per kW/h is ridiculous, but those charge stations and the power drops to supply them aren't cheap either, so someone has to pay for them.

I see, the Lariat indeed has the long range battery but what confused me is that it didn’t start the test with the advertised 320 mile range before tow mode was selected, it was something like 282 or 40 miles less even before the test began. So yes, There’s  something wrong with either the battery or Ford’s range software….

 

however, I agree that towing normally reduces a pickup’s range to about a third so even with the full advertised range, the Lightning still wouldn’t make it to the destination without a charge. Even the 400 mile range of the Lightning EV wouldn’t quite get there….

Edited July 3, 2022 by jpd80

[slemke]

2 hours ago, jpd80 said:

I see, the Lariat indeed has the long range battery but what confused me is that it didn’t start the test with the advertised 320 mile range before tow mode was selected, it was something like 282 or 40 miles less even before the test began. So yes, There’s  something wrong with either the battery or Ford’s range software….

 

however, I agree that towing normally reduces a pickup’s range to about a third so even with the full advertised range, the Lightning still wouldn’t make it to the destination without a charge. Even the 400 mile range of the Lightning EV wouldn’t quite get there….

Epa range isn’t the same as real world.  The miles to empty on gas fords don’t match up with epa either.  It is based on driving history.  If the battery had degraded that much, TFL would have mentioned it.

 

TFL may have been using an optimistic 1/2 the range and found a fast charging station close to that.  How much the range drops when towing is highly dependent on the trailer.  A boat will decrease the range much less than an empty enclosed cargo trailer of similar weight.  
 

I’d like to see a follow up taking a boat to Andre’s favorite lake.

[rperez817]

Detroit News put out an article on Sunday summarizing the experiences of some of the earliest F-150 Lightning retail customers. What these early F-150 Lightning customers think of the electric truck (detroitnews.com)

 

Quote

Ford recorded its first Lightning sales in May. The Detroit News talked to three early customers about their experience.

Overall, they were happy with the truck and identified the Lightning's frunk as a standout feature, along with a fun driving experience, clean aesthetic, and work-truck capabilities. For some, however, access to public charging remains a concern — and they're keeping their options open as the electric truck space stands to grow considerably more crowded in the coming years.

 

Customer 1: Nicholas Schmidt of Michigan.

Quote

[Nicholas]Schmidt in May became the first retail customer in the country to take delivery of a Lightning. A Ford customer for most of his life, Schmidt has owned numerous trucks over the years but has been gradually switching his vehicles over to electric models. 

"I've been all-in on EVs for a long time, and then when we had our child three years ago, that was my moment to give up the two-seater BMW and get a family vehicle," Schmidt said. "So when that choice came up, we decided an EV was the right fit for us. It was a challenge in rural Michigan, to say the least, but we made it work. After that experience with the Tesla, I said whatever EV pickup truck came out first, we would buy."

 

Customer 2: Sergio Rodriguez of California.

Quote

Sergio Rodriguez took delivery of his all-electric F-150 Lightning in California on June 18 and then promptly took it on a cross-country road trip to Georgia.

With more than 3,000 miles already on his truck, Rodriguez, 41, is in "awe" of the experience so far: "I think it's a remarkable vehicle. It definitely covers everything that I've been looking for. I've been wanting something, as far as an electric vehicle, that was able to support and provide for everything that I do."

 

Customer 3: Dave Ostler of Illinois.

Quote

Dave Ostler, who runs an alarm company in Rockford, Ill., has enjoyed using the frunk to store expensive tools and parts he hauls for work. He also loves the driving experience, and is looking forward to saving an estimated $10,000 a year on fuel in exchange for an estimated $2,000 a year on electricity to charge his Lightning.

"It's pretty amazing. After two weeks, I've got maybe 1,500 miles on it," he said. "And it's been great. No issues, super-fast, drives like a sports car."

 

Here is Mr. Schmidt's assessment of public charging for F-150 Lightning. 

Quote

Schmidt, who also owns a Tesla, was frustrated by his charging options on a recent trip in northern Michigan.

"Definitely not as good of a charging network as Tesla has, and that's been a challenge with towing and going camping and stuff," he said. "It was touch-and-go. We had to double back to find a usable charger. A bunch of chargers weren't working. It was not a solid experience, to say the least."

And while he's gotten used to his Tesla automatically directing him to in-network charging points, he's found that navigating public charging in the Lightning requires more effort.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by rperez817

[rperez817]

Instrumented test of F-150 Lightning by Motor Trend, this one involves the Platinum trim. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum First Test: The Revolution Will Be Quick and Quiet (motortrend.com)

 

The hottest vehicle of 2022 is an electric truck that's practically indistinguishable from America's best-selling new vehicle, the gas-chugging Ford F-Series pickup.

That's the view from the outside, at least. Slide behind the wheel of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, though, and the transformation feels as monumental as the idea is simple. When you swap the gas bits for electric parts, a Ford F-150 finally feels like more than a supersized and motorized wheelbarrow. Electrifying this truck has imparted a sense of luxury-car isolation and sport-sedan intensity.

 

If Ford could deliver its entire backlog of orders in a single year—which it definitely cannot—the Lightning would be the fifth most popular vehicle in this country. At this point, Americans aren't waiting for EV technology to mature or the price to come down. They're simply waiting for the EVs they want to be built.

 

Test results.

0-60 MPH	4.0 sec
QUARTER MILE	12.7 sec @ 105.9 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	130 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.72 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	73/60/66 MPG-e

 

 

[rperez817]

Another instrumented test F-150 Lightning by Motor Trend, Lariat trim this time around. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat First Test: Now, That's a Fast Truck (motortrend.com)

 

There's a lot to like about this "lesser" Lightning. For starters, the Lariat is quicker than the loaded Platinum. More than its performance, the F-150 Lightning Lariat is plain great to drive. Its powertrain is effortlessly smooth (except for occasional front-motor torque steer under hard acceleration in low-traction situations), and it has gobs of power, providing nearly endless acceleration no matter your starting speed. The Lightning handles surprisingly well, too.

 

The Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat is a seriously compelling electric pickup truck without the fuss (or some of the finesse) of the R1T or Hummer EV pickup.

 

Test results.

0-60 MPH	3.8 sec
QUARTER MILE	12.4 sec @ 106.9 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	133 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.73 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	27.2 sec @ 0.63 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	78/63/70 mpg-e

 

 

[bzcat]

Sub 4 second 0-60 in a pickup truck. What a time we live in ?