Posted on 10/07/2022 9:03:11 AM PDT by Jacquerie
Two journalists with TFLEV decided to drive the Ford 150 Lightning EV truck from the lower 48 states to Alaska and learned some of the recharging challenges they would face.
Having made that drive from Pennsylvania to Fairbanks in 2013, I can tell you it certainly required some planning driving a gas-powered SUV, much less an electric truck.
They stopped at Carter Lake, outside of Loveland, Colorado, and rented a campsite. The site included a standard 120-volt outlet — Level 1 in EV parlance — as well as a larger 240-volt option used by recreational vehicles and fifth-wheel trailers to run air conditioners, refrigerators, etc.
What Tom and Andre found when they hooked into a standard 120 outlet, it would take them from Wednesday night until Monday morning — about 5 days — to get the truck fully charged, with their battery starting at 22 percent.
The pair then plugged into the 240 volt — Level 2. The result was much better, but it was still going to take about 14 hours to get to a full charge.
So finding a fast charging station or a Level 2 option is really the only realistic way to make a trip of any distance beyond the initial charge much less to Alaska.
Tom and Andre noted there is potentially an ethical dilemma to charging one’s EV truck at a campground.
“You have a big battery, a big vehicle and if every spot had an electric vehicle all drawing energy that the price of energy would go up,” Andre pointed out. The price of the camping space was only $35.
The gas-powered folks are in effect subsidizing the EV campers.
Depending on the charging station, “filling up” an EV Hummer, for example, can cost up to $100, Car and Driver reported in August.
(Excerpt) Read more at westernjournal.com ...
Buy 7 and use a different one every day of the week.
I predict the future of the Ford Lightning pickup truck.
Lightning rarely strikes a person and never strikes the same one twice.
Tech is way too new for me. When Air-Force-One travels to Japan on electric motors then I’ll consider taking another look.
Electric is fine, it’s the battery that sucks and there is no real solution in sight for the next 20 years.
If my 2010 F150 was an EV, I would already have taken the original battery pack to a Toxic Waste.
Welcome to the great outdoors.
Enjoy your stay
I imagine tacking might be a bit tricky when you first start.
“and never strikes the same one twice.”
False, I know one who has been struck three times. Though He is a bit dain bramaged. However, he does have a job unlike most moronials and generation zzzzzz these days.
The battery might take a long time to change but it makes for a very effective roadside flare.
On 120v. Why would you be surprised by this?
Just charging your car battery on a 120v plug from dead is a 2-4 hour process…
Charging batteries with enough energy to move a 2-3 ton vehicle 200-300 miles would take days.
This isn’t shocking, it’s simple math
And doesn’t using a “fast” charger dramatically reduce the battery life? And don’t those batteries cost around 30 grand?
Imagine an EV-only enthusiast loudly proclaiming: "But. But! It'd take forever to fill up a dually's tank if the filler hose was no bigger than a drinking straw!!! So there! ICE cars are stooopid!" Us ICE owners would laugh at them! That's why when I fill up my ICE pickup I use a larger fueling hose than a drinking straw. LOL
That's what it's like when ICE-only enthusiasts say, "But, it takes forever to charge an EV with a standard 120V outlet!". Us EV owners laugh at that. LOL That's why when I charge my EV at home I use one of my 240V outlets set anywhere from 20A to 40A. And since it's not a kWh hog like the Lightning, I get about 39 miles for every hour charged (when charging at the max I charge at home).
providing the outlet is one thing, but they should have a creditcard slot to pay for it...
Lol, and the hits keep coming...
Think what YOUR city would look like if people pulled into a gas station and had to wait 14 hours to 'fill up the tank'...
Did they have a gas powered vehicle come rescue them? 🙂
I’ve never seen a campground with electric that doesn’t have 240v 30a service. Cheap recharge as the price is per day, not based on consumption.
Tacking? I don’t even know what that means. I leave all sailing-related details to my first mate.
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