Posted on 05/21/2021 11:16:37 AM PDT by thegagline
Range typically occupies an outsized chunk of the conversation on any new EV. But, in the case of the F-150 Lightning, which has the bestselling pickup's usual healthy scoop of towing and hauling capabilities, things get more complicated.
Ford is claiming that the range figures for its electric pickup will come in at 230 miles and 300 miles, depending on whether the standard-range (which we estimate can hold 115.0 kWh) or extended-range battery pack (150.0 kWh, same caveat) is beneath the bed. Those are EPA predictions, specifically EPA combined figures, in lightly loaded conditions. *** Although the Lightning is aided by the aerodynamic effects of its flat underbody, when running at real highway speeds there's no tricking the air molecules, and a bluff truck is going to suffer. In our highway range testing, which we conduct at a steady 75 mph, we typically see a range number that's about 20 percent below the EPA figure. Using that same bogey, which is probably generous in the case of a full-size pickup, would put the Lightning in the 180-to-240-mile zone for what you might achieve on a road trip.
In a recent towing test with another EV, lugging a 3859-pound boat at 70 mph chopped its range in half compared to our lightly loaded highway range test that we conduct at 75 mph. Applying these results to the F-150 means that towing a modest trailer would put the highway range at roughly 115 to 150 miles, depending on the pack. Towing anywhere near the 10,000-pound maximum rating on XLT and Lariat models (with the maximum trailer tow package and extended-range battery) at highway speeds, we believe you'd be hard pressed to exceed double-digit miles. We'd take that bet, in fact. ***
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
Just carry a generator in the back.
There will be a new service created:
Mobile Power Units, Diesel driven generators of course, that will travel up and down the Interstates recharging your EV for a slight ‘fee’..................
Diesel powered..................
Duh! Solar panels on the roof. Hello! Or a sail mounted in the bed. How about towing a 5th shell? Pedo joe says them suckers are fast.
So far out in the countryside a Gomer Pyle type will come out in a tow truck with a gas can in hand but find out the electric vehicle will need all night at a certified compatible charging station to go anywhere. Golllllly. And Shazaaam.
I bet nobody at C&D tows at the max.
if true, it’s basically for the tesla toy crowd. not a working truck.
They'll need a battery the size of an 18 wheeler to jump start it.
Just buy a regular F-150.
Car and Driver is way off. I’m betting 50 miles.
You got to remember that a F150 is not sleek and efficient like a Tesla. You got to remember that a boat or an RV is a huge block on wheels and a lot heavier than 2 tons. I ask you. What good is it having a truck that can tow 10,000 pounds when you only get 200 to 300 miles of range not towing anything?
Just exactly what are you going to do when your EV truck peters out halfway between your house and the lake?
For a working truck, a hybrid makes a lot more sense. No range issues, and you happen to have a handy built-in generator.
Maybe next they'll tell us what effect towing at max capacity has on the F-150's EPA mileage rating for the gas and diesel engined trucks..
You generator? You are breaking the law! The Second Law of Thermodynamics.
The shortage of electronic components hasn’t slowed the assembly line one bit. There is a photo of thousands of Ford pickups waiting on chips in order to be made operable. There will soon be an absolute glut of 2020 “new” pickups on the market as they continue to build them.
kinda like RATS touting how much money will come in when they raise taxes, again...
And that will be a quick express charge good enough to get to the little town ahead where the car drifts to a slow stop. The only repair place is the one in National Lampoon Vacation where he will pay a fortune and get ripped off by the mechanic/owner/sheriff who spits tobacco juice near his shoes. America.
I wouldn’t need a Lightning for towing or any other reason, but limited range is my main problem with any electric vehicle. My work commutes have always been longer than average. When I travel, I like to go on long road trips. I don’t like the idea of running out of juice where there is no place to charge, or wasting time recharging it. I am also not confident that we are anywhere close to what we need in infrastructure to support EVs. Of course, by the time we reach the government-mandated zero-emission utopia, (or the SHTF), I will be about ready to retire from driving.
Electric vehicles are being pushed into usages far beyond the capability of current battery technology. Not that the govt or the eco-wackos care. If they want something it has to be possible and anyone who says “Nay” is labelled evil.
Can you hook your truck up to the generator in your camper?
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