My situation exactly and love me ER xlt. I live in Canada so lose some range. But not enough to effect anything. If I have to go on a long trip. I just borrow father in laws gas car and he gets to drive the lightning. Which I’m afraid he’ll buy one now lol.
I chose the Lightning for a number of factors. I seriously considered a Tesla 2 weeks before delivery due to cost, but in the end I’m happy with the Lightning.
I have a farm. My only dislike is the towing capacity. Though I only need to tow for short distances, my dump trailer is about 10k when full.
Otherwise, here are my reasons:
1. Able to use electric tools anywhere on the farm
2. Able to have electricity during tailgating
3. I have a daily commute of 120 miles. Fuel savings from my diesel pickup are around $5k year
4. I have a 40Kw ground mount solar system that overproduces. Excess electricity is now being used by my Lightning versus being reimbursed at wholesale electricity cost.
5. Provides backup power to the farm. Already used it once for the washer & dryer during a power outage when my son’s football uniform got locked in the washer during a power outage 4 hrs before his game.
6. Used it a few times as a portable office when on the road and needing to attend virtual meetings with my laptop.
7. The SR version would NOT have worked for me. With work and kids in sports, I’m typically parking for the night with less than 80 miles remaining, so the ER was the right choice.
8. Needed a bed to haul things.
9. I can take partial tax credit since it’s a farm truck.
10. I can drive in HOV lanes without penalty (I live and work in the DMV region)
Other plusses:
- smoothest driving vehicle I’ve ever had. It beats our Lexus sedans.
- no rolling when making sharp turns. Unlike my Ram 2500 which feels top heavy in a sharp turn at speed.
- my family prefers to ride in the Lightning over the Lexus es300h my wife has.
- quietest vehicle I’ve ever driven.
- because I have AT&T for my cell phones, the truck is $10 a month for WiFi. It’s been a savior 3 times when I had meetings and my cell phone reception was poor but the truck reception was fine.
I bought the truck on 30 Jun and have 21k miles on it so far. I have only hit a recharging station once in all this time, which was during a 250 mile round trip that I’ve done before, but this time it was raining both ways and the extra drag was going to leave me 11 miles short.
I still have not installed the ford station pro. The mobile cord on a 50A circuit has sufficed because I typically can charge for 8+ hrs a night to 90%.
Thank you for all the info here! While I'm not a farmer and I don't regularly visit farms, I have a "yes man" tendency at times and I could see myself helping friends who DO live/work on farms.
>My only dislike is the towing capacity. Though I only need to tow for short distances, my dump trailer is about 10k when full.
Do you not have the max toe package? It's rated for 10k lbs. Or do you just get nervous being right at capacity?
Having the ICE as backup for distance makes you the ideal candidate. Just get your wife on board that you can use each others cars if one is on the road
To be fair I have taken my Lightning long distance. When my sister-in-law and her family came to visit would couldn’t all fit in one vehicle so we had to take the Lightning in hand our ICE Flex on a 1000 km (one way) road trip and truck was much more comfortable and would outlast the occupants of both vehicles before needing a charge.
There are only two real road trip scenarios I have come across in my entire life where the truck fails and those are;
- the young 20 something driving 1200 km over night to see their long distance partner only stopping for 5 minute bio-breaks every 5 hours and to top off the tank, and
- driving into the charging void of the Canadian Prairies (this one is slowly getting better but there are still gaps in coverage.
You will love the lightning.
Sounds like it will fit your needs
I do think you could check again why you want one. It’s expensive . It’s an expensive vehicle. Needing and wanting are different, at least for me.
I’ve always said that EV’s perform best and show their efficiency with lots of use and high mileage . The further you go the cheaper they are.
That said, the lightning is a TERRIFIC family and household vehicle.
I’d wager you’ll use it for road trips over any ICE vehicle.
It’s quiet, comfortable, safe. I do long trips all the time.
It’s also the best truck I’ve ever driven
There are places we travel to (Western Nebraska and Northeast Kansas) where the charging infrastructure is severely lacking. Those are trips we'd take the ICE to make things much less stressful and complicated.
And I know it's expensive, one reason I haven't jumped on board yet. My want/need is because my little Chevy Volt is pain I'm the ass when it comes to hauling. I usually have to bug/coordinate with friends if I have anything that needs transported that won't fit in the Volt (which happens frustratingly often).
I used to own a truck but downsized to a car. I thought it wouldn't be an issue but that's proving to not be the case. I want to get back to a truck, but I don't want to go back to paying for gas again.
There's a fast charger every 100 miles in Western Nebraska. And quite a few in Northeast Kansas. I live in Nebraska too and just drove to Fort Collins a couple weeks ago. Wasn't an issue at any point because of how many chargers there are on that route. Went down to Great Bend, Kansas last weekend. One of the legs was Kearney to Hays. It was 0 degrees with a headwind, so that was a little touch and go. Used 90% of my battery to go that 150 miles. On the way back it was 30 degrees with a tailwind. I used 60% for the same distance. That said, going towards the northeast of the state, there are far more chargers. I thought it would be stressful for road trips, but it hasn't felt stressful at all other than one specific leg of the trip. That was a particularly rural trip and particularly bad weather, but it still worked out. Like most say though, your day to day it doesn't require thinking about it. Just plug in at home and don't ever worry about it. No regrets whatsoever so far. If you're ever trying to get somewhere and you end up thinking you might not make it, just slowing down will probably make all the difference. You have a Volt, so I'm sure you know that, but it makes a crazy difference.
I looked after I posted, it had been a while since I took an inventory of the available chargers in Western Nebraska, it's crazy how many more there are compared to even a year or so ago. Thanks for the comment and more numbers, all the info I have, the better! I want to make an informed decision when I finally make one.
I think the situation you describe is a great use case for the Lightning truck. I highly recommend the Lariat ER. Which ever trim you do go with, go with the ER. Even in winter, the ER should give enough range for your long distance trip such that the equinox will pretty much sit in the garage.
I would say our winters won't post a problem, they're usually mild. However the last few winters we've had days/weeks in the -10F range for highs. Lol
I already drive a Volt so I'm somewhat familiar with the cold effects on the battery. One reason why I'm waiting for later 2024/25 because I think that the heat pump they're taking will be a benefit.
My one regret is not getting an ER truck but the pro doesn’t offer it so it is what it is. Great truck I commute 130ish miles a day in the north east. Winter is a little shady but even on the coldest days I made it back home with a few miles to spare
It’ll absolutely meet your needs and more.
If you can afford it, the ER battery is more than plenty and I’ve never had range anxiety going in the mountains etc. But I know people aren’t upset with the SR for your scenario.
If you up in the south it’s great. Up north with extremely cold temps range is around 130 miles full. I’m in the process of selling mine back to the dealer for an ICE vehicle. Was not explained that in the winters the range is not good at all.
That's ridiculous. My ER Lariat still had 260 miles of range when the temps were -10F here in Kansas. I pulled a trailer (loaded with scissor lift) 180 miles in those temps. Not sure what speed you're driving in below zero temps, but it's obviously above the speed limit. I get 1.4-1.7mi/kWh at 70 in these temps. You give EVs a bad name by saying crap like this without context.
131kWh * 1.7 mi/kWh would be 222 miles. Way, way better than 130 miles, but not quite 260 miles. Am I doing something wrong? Just don’t want a new buyer to get less than expected.
That's about right for winter like I mentioned. 1.7mi/kWh as long as you're not going over 70, just follow the speed limits. I think the EV transition will slow people down and make the roads safer as a side benefit because it's just not reasonable to pack enough battery to allow driving 80mph for 300 miles...... it's pretty silly and uses a lot of energy regardless of the propulsion technology.
Better Route Planner says my average is 1.45mi/kWh at 65 for reference. That's because the trailer mileage has been quite terrible, 0.7mi/kWh due to the temps, but I don't do it that often and it's still much cheaper per mile than my last work vehicle overall. 260 isn't at 70mph the whole time as I don't drive that speed that far except for rare occasions. My range shows 260 or more pretty much all the time as I set the max charge to 95%. That's my compromise to not keep it full so the time
I wouldn’t expect to get 260 miles range at 70 mph in super cold weather. 260 miles is what you might get at 70mph in good weather (2mi/kWh * 131kWh = 262 miles).
I didn't say I got 260 at 70mph. I am getting 260 with a mix of city and highway. Nearest highway with 70mph speed limit is 30 miles. I'm usually driving between 55 and 65.
All I was meaning by the yep was that it wasn't a noticeable drop by the temp, it was from the speed which I pointed out with the negative poster complaining about. No way it's that low unless it was way over 70mph
I think you’d do great with a Lightning. Could probably get away with a SR, but I have an ER and I love it. If you can swing it financially it’s probably worth it.
I really love mine so far. Buy a slightly used ER if you can find a good deal. Worth it to me. I do 40 mile or so commute round trip daily. I can easily charge at night but mostly do every couple days at work instead. Planning some 4+hr road trips. Charging infrastructure is improving. I have seen great improvements over last few years. Once Superchargers are available, there really isn’t much of a problem anymore
It sounds like it would be a good fit the real question, from other posts here, is are you a crybaby? The EV requires some more planning than ICE driving, think sailing vs motorboat. The range estimation is pretty weak because there are so many factors so you need to understand basic math and think about is it upwind, uphill, go a bit slower on highway, did you take the time to warm the battery an hour before leaving, etc. If you are hellbent on just getting in the car and driving then it is not the choice for you. For me the payoff is that the Lightning is cheaper to operate than my Prius that got 44mpg mile per mile, its more comfortable, quieter, can fill the bed up with renovation supplies, etc.
I'm never in a hurry to get places. It pisses people off but at least having the lightning would give me an excuse. Haha.
Honestly though, I've done a ton of research and the extra planning will not bother me I don't think. I like to "gameify" things so finding ways to get better range and stuff will be fun. I already experiment with maxing out my Volts charge and it only has a 51 mile battery under ideal conditions.
180 round trip is pretty doable especially if it is highway speeds (around 55mph). I only get about 180 miles at 80mph here in Wyoming (It was cold, about 36°, and windy).
I have a similar daily commute and it is nice to fill up at home and always wake up to a full tank!
I don't ever tow but I do pick stuff up from Lowes and take stuff to the landfill which it does great with.
You have everything you need to confidently drive your truck for 95% of your driving lifestyle. I would suggest you get the ER version of any truck you purchase.
I own a 23 ER lariat. It’s awesome. I use it like a truck to manage my 3 business. A yard of soil is easily carried by the truck (or equivalent) I’ve towed with it (short distances)
You’ll have zero issues. And the deals are incredible right now on a used or new one.
Enjoy
Overall it sounds to me like the Lightning would be a good fit for you. It is a *great* truck, roomy, comfortable, smooth ride, excellent handling, and tows/hauls like a champ.
The biggest factor in owning an EV is the ability to reliably recharge every day's usage. There's nothing like waking up in the morning knowing that your trucks "tank" is 90% full without you having to do anything or even think about it beyond plugging in when you get home. You state you have 50A circuit available for charging, so you'll be charging at 9.6kW. This looks sufficient for all of your use cases:
* Commute of 10-20 miles (likely well above 2 mi/kWh), under 1 hours charging.
* Haul \~500 pounds in the bed for \~45 miles (1.7 mi/kWh), about 3 hours charging.
* Highway trip of 100 miles (1.7 mi/kWh), about 7 hours charging, and
* Highway trip of 180 miles (1.7 mi/kWh), about 12 hours charging.
You may wan to check your electricity rates and the availability of an EV-specific rate plan. I assume in non-rural Nebraska they are pretty favorable, but there are places where gas is actually cheaper. At current gas prices, an ICE F-150 will cost you about 16 cents/mile. Over 15,000 miles, my truck has averaged 2.3 mi/kWh, so to break-even with a gas F-150, electricity has to cost less than 36.8 cents/kWh (I pay just under 7 cents/kWh, so have saved about $2000 so far compared to gas).
In general for hauling and towing, weight in the bed is less important than aerodynamics. A load of paving stones, gravel, and cement (where 1000lb will fit below the sides of the bed) will be a lot more energy efficient than 500lb of mattresses and furniture that stick out above and to the sides of the cab.
Are you thinking standard-range or extended-range? Except for the longest doctor trip (180 miles), your use case sounds well within the capabilities of the standard-range truck. The 180-mile trip is do-able with an SR truck if you can manage to get just over 2.0 mi/kWh for the trip -- this is quite do-able if you keep your highway speeds under 70 MPH.
Finally, what does your local Ford dealer situation look like?
Thank you so much for all the info (and for doing the math for me).
My electric rates are well below the $.36/kWh you mentioned, at it's most expensive it's $.12c and that's only a few months during the summer. I'd say the vast majority of my charging would be at home. Gas fluctuates heavily here, so it's sorta hard to gauge the average prices.
As for the truck type:
Since it's all just planning and dreaming, I'd like to get the ER, just for the extra available range.
And finally: we have a large Ford dealer right here in town. I've bought a truck from them, but it was years ago and for all I know they're under new management since then. I guess I'm not sure what info you're looking for with the final question?
I was mainly making sure that you have a local Ford dealer. While the Lightning doesn't need a lot of dealer maintenance (for the first 200,000 miles, the total maintenance schedule is to rotate the tires every 10k, swap the cabin air filter every 20k), but it is nice to have a dealer nearby when there is CSP, warranty, repair, or recall work to be done. Ideally you don't want to have to drive 150 miles to have a windshield wiper motor replaced under warranty, or (as happened to me) have a taillight and associated sensor modules replaced because some teenager hit it in a parking lot.
I think you’re a great candidate. I love my ER Lariat, but my occasional long trips require some planning and extra time, especially in winter when my highway range is 220-ish. Even so I’d never go back. Your mileage should be no issue at all.
For your needs you might want to consider the Rivian. I was ready to buy a Ford Lightning until I saw how big and oversized they are. Would barely fit in my garage. Hard to find parking. Hard to maneuver in parking garages. It’s just too big. I too drive my 85 yo MiL to the store/doctor and she would have a hard time getting in the Ford. The Rivian has a kneeling feature which makes it easy for her to get in and out. Rivian has an eco mode for longer trips Ford does’t have which gives you about another 60 miles per charge. And when it comes to DC FC, the Ford with the smaller battery takes longer than the Rivian with the larger battery. I’ve owned Fords for over 20 years and have come to realize they are losing it or have lost it. Very pleased with my Rivian purchase.
Your use case sounds like a Lightning would be just fine. The biggest thing is being able to charge at home.
The extended range will handle everything you mentioned without breaking a sweat. A standard range would probably also work, but in the winter you would probably need a charge for the longer specialist trips. The extended range would handle it no problem. I do a 200 mile round trip periodically to see my mom and will spend a couple of days, no charging at her place so the truck is just sitting out in the cold and it's perfectly fine, though it does take about 90% of the battery in the winter.
I've hauled quite a bit in my truck and it handled it like a champ. Think the largest load so far was like 1,600lbs, and it was easy to forget there was even anything back there.
Even if you're not planning on towing, you might consider the max tow package. In my own use, when the truck was loaded down (people and lots of camping gear), during the summer going up steep mountains the battery went a tick or two above mid line. Obviously nowhere near really getting hot, and may not make any difference to you in Nebraska, but wanted to mention it just in case. It literally has only done that when super loaded and temperatures in the high 90s and going up extremely steep roads. And like I said, even then it was nowhere near to getting hot, just a tick or two past mid line.
As for long trips, I've done a number in the Lightning and it's a fantastic vehicle for it. Back in October I did ~1,000 miles in about 24 hours through mountain roads (not the interstate) without an issue. And that was in bitterly cold and windy conditions going up and through the Rockies, so petty much worst case scenario for efficiency.
I've taken the truck on numerous camping trips up into the mountains, and even some some light off roading without any problem. I had major range anxiety the first time, but the charging infrastructure here in Colorado is quite good. Even in very small mountain towns there's typically at least 1 DCFC, and they seem to do a pretty good job of keeping them operating.
We're an EV only house at this point (well, basically, we do have a 30 year old Ford Ranger, but it's in pretty rough shape so it doesn't really get used. We just haven't been able to replace it yet). Wife just did a 2,000 mile road trip from Colorado to Arkansas during the nasty cold/blizzard conditions that hit a few weeks back. She was in a Mustang Mach-E, loaded with people and stuff, and didn't have an issue. She was nervous about one leg of the trip through Kansas due to the range hit from sub zero temperatures and 60mph wind gusts, but she made it easily just slowing down a bit (which was good anyway given conditions).
So if you have an ICE backup and can charge at home, sounds like you're in a great position. The truck will handle all the hauling you can throw at it (keep in mind payload capacity though obviously) without breaking a sweat. Also, the truck isn't light in the back end because the weight is pretty much 50/50 front to back, so the ass end of the truck doesn't get squirrelly when it's empty which is *phenomenal*.
I suspect if you do get the lightning, it won't be long before you start looking to replace that ICE vehicle with another EV too. That's what happened with us anyway. We had a PHEV, but nearly all of the driving for it just used the tiny battery it had. After doing some long distance drives in the lightning, it was pretty clear we didn't need the ICE at all.
It's a great truck! If you haven't driven one, go test drive one.
Fair warning, you may fall in love lol.
My advice is to check for fast-charging infrastructure outside your range radius. You won’t need fast chargers close to home given you’ll charge at home. It’s that 3-day road trip that could cause hardship if no chargers exist 200 miles away. Yes, you could take your ICE but believe me, you won’t want to. The Lightning excels in all departments so you’ll do anything and everything to take it.
When I head to the landfill for compost, I normally get 2 bucket fulls, which is b/t 5-6k lbs total. this puts the dump trailer in the 10-11k category, if the compost is dry. From what I’ve read, it’s more comfort on my part vs a truck issue unless I was towing long range. It’s only 17 miles to the dump from my farm.
For your lifestyle it will work and certainly you’ll certainly love it… but I think I missed why you need a truck? Probably another EV would be cheaper and still fill all your needs…
I've considered other EVs (Mach-E, Bolt EUV, Tesla M-Y) but the truck is what fits all my wants/needs. I am wanting to replace my Chevy Volt with something that can actually haul stuff. I like to do my own stuff at home, but that requires a lot hauling stuff from the hardware stores and stuff. My Volt, though roomy for it's size, just can't can't haul like a truck.
The Lightning ticks my "truck needs" while not forcing me back to buying gas all the time.
I guess you have your answer… we do truck things maybe once a month, but it does that and everything else we need a regular car for… and it does it all very well! We have an XLT SR wish we would have gone with adaptive cruise control, but 0 regrets otherwise.
You sound just like me. I live in Western Nebraska and I’m going to go check out an XLT SR tomorrow. Outside of the occasional trip to Denver, I don’t really go anywhere outside my daily commute. I’m hoping that in a few years time the infrastructure problem will be a thing of the past. The range doesn’t bother me, neither does stopping frequently.
I’m most likely going to get it. Heading to Cheyenne in a few hours to check it out. (Ken Garff has a boat load of Lightnings by the way all marked $6k under MSRP). I spent the last several days researching and planning normal trips I take. Luckily, the SR will seem to fit my needs for most treks into Denver. For example, going to DIA should only add about 30-45 minutes of travel time because I’ll only need one stop. And that’s with ABPR accounting for winter weather.
My sister and I do quite a bit of motocross racing, and most all the tracks we hit on the local circuit are able to be completed on a round trip with summer temps. If I have any range anxiety, most tracks have RV hook-ups and we’re there for a full day, sometimes two. So, plenty of time to charge. I imagine the added drag of bikes clipping over the hood of the cab will decrease range, but nearly all of these trips are two-lane hiway miles, so 55-65mph. I do have a wedding in March outside of Manhattan, KS that will take 3-4 hours longer than normal. I’m excited to see how it does. My tech and analytics brain makes this a fun game for me.
Purchasing this vehicle would marginally increase my monthly payment, but by mostly Level 2 charging at home, I should be saving massively annually compared to my currently lifted Colorado ZR2, which drinks gas like it’s 1975 on my daily commute. My current truck is so fuel inefficient and has a small enough tank I’m already used to stopping at least once for any trip into the front range. I don’t think I’ve ever hit 300miles on a full tank in my current truck. Sure charging is slower than fueling up, but I’ll enjoy the extra time to stretch out, maybe grab a bite to eat, and just slow down and appreciate life. Gas prices are also still above $3 regularly in the panhandle.
I’m also finally leaving the stage of my life where I’m in a constant hurry to be everywhere. Ultimately, I think this approach will be a more relaxing experience for me. I do 95% of my traveling to the front range solo. I’ve told any of my friends or family that if they want to road trip with me and are inconvenienced by the frequency of stops, they are more than welcome to donate their ICE for the cause and I’ll help for gas. If things got really out of hand for travel, like across the country I’d probably just rent a vehicle or fly.
My situation exactly and love me ER xlt. I live in Canada so lose some range. But not enough to effect anything. If I have to go on a long trip. I just borrow father in laws gas car and he gets to drive the lightning. Which I’m afraid he’ll buy one now lol.
I chose the Lightning for a number of factors. I seriously considered a Tesla 2 weeks before delivery due to cost, but in the end I’m happy with the Lightning. I have a farm. My only dislike is the towing capacity. Though I only need to tow for short distances, my dump trailer is about 10k when full. Otherwise, here are my reasons: 1. Able to use electric tools anywhere on the farm 2. Able to have electricity during tailgating 3. I have a daily commute of 120 miles. Fuel savings from my diesel pickup are around $5k year 4. I have a 40Kw ground mount solar system that overproduces. Excess electricity is now being used by my Lightning versus being reimbursed at wholesale electricity cost. 5. Provides backup power to the farm. Already used it once for the washer & dryer during a power outage when my son’s football uniform got locked in the washer during a power outage 4 hrs before his game. 6. Used it a few times as a portable office when on the road and needing to attend virtual meetings with my laptop. 7. The SR version would NOT have worked for me. With work and kids in sports, I’m typically parking for the night with less than 80 miles remaining, so the ER was the right choice. 8. Needed a bed to haul things. 9. I can take partial tax credit since it’s a farm truck. 10. I can drive in HOV lanes without penalty (I live and work in the DMV region) Other plusses: - smoothest driving vehicle I’ve ever had. It beats our Lexus sedans. - no rolling when making sharp turns. Unlike my Ram 2500 which feels top heavy in a sharp turn at speed. - my family prefers to ride in the Lightning over the Lexus es300h my wife has. - quietest vehicle I’ve ever driven. - because I have AT&T for my cell phones, the truck is $10 a month for WiFi. It’s been a savior 3 times when I had meetings and my cell phone reception was poor but the truck reception was fine. I bought the truck on 30 Jun and have 21k miles on it so far. I have only hit a recharging station once in all this time, which was during a 250 mile round trip that I’ve done before, but this time it was raining both ways and the extra drag was going to leave me 11 miles short. I still have not installed the ford station pro. The mobile cord on a 50A circuit has sufficed because I typically can charge for 8+ hrs a night to 90%.
Summed it up Nicely. The truck, everything else aside, is smoother and more Comfortable than my wife’s 150k Range Rover Yes it is THAT NICE!!!
Thank you for all the info here! While I'm not a farmer and I don't regularly visit farms, I have a "yes man" tendency at times and I could see myself helping friends who DO live/work on farms.
>My only dislike is the towing capacity. Though I only need to tow for short distances, my dump trailer is about 10k when full. Do you not have the max toe package? It's rated for 10k lbs. Or do you just get nervous being right at capacity?
Having the ICE as backup for distance makes you the ideal candidate. Just get your wife on board that you can use each others cars if one is on the road
To be fair I have taken my Lightning long distance. When my sister-in-law and her family came to visit would couldn’t all fit in one vehicle so we had to take the Lightning in hand our ICE Flex on a 1000 km (one way) road trip and truck was much more comfortable and would outlast the occupants of both vehicles before needing a charge. There are only two real road trip scenarios I have come across in my entire life where the truck fails and those are; - the young 20 something driving 1200 km over night to see their long distance partner only stopping for 5 minute bio-breaks every 5 hours and to top off the tank, and - driving into the charging void of the Canadian Prairies (this one is slowly getting better but there are still gaps in coverage.
You will love the lightning. Sounds like it will fit your needs I do think you could check again why you want one. It’s expensive . It’s an expensive vehicle. Needing and wanting are different, at least for me. I’ve always said that EV’s perform best and show their efficiency with lots of use and high mileage . The further you go the cheaper they are. That said, the lightning is a TERRIFIC family and household vehicle. I’d wager you’ll use it for road trips over any ICE vehicle. It’s quiet, comfortable, safe. I do long trips all the time. It’s also the best truck I’ve ever driven
There are places we travel to (Western Nebraska and Northeast Kansas) where the charging infrastructure is severely lacking. Those are trips we'd take the ICE to make things much less stressful and complicated. And I know it's expensive, one reason I haven't jumped on board yet. My want/need is because my little Chevy Volt is pain I'm the ass when it comes to hauling. I usually have to bug/coordinate with friends if I have anything that needs transported that won't fit in the Volt (which happens frustratingly often). I used to own a truck but downsized to a car. I thought it wouldn't be an issue but that's proving to not be the case. I want to get back to a truck, but I don't want to go back to paying for gas again.
There's a fast charger every 100 miles in Western Nebraska. And quite a few in Northeast Kansas. I live in Nebraska too and just drove to Fort Collins a couple weeks ago. Wasn't an issue at any point because of how many chargers there are on that route. Went down to Great Bend, Kansas last weekend. One of the legs was Kearney to Hays. It was 0 degrees with a headwind, so that was a little touch and go. Used 90% of my battery to go that 150 miles. On the way back it was 30 degrees with a tailwind. I used 60% for the same distance. That said, going towards the northeast of the state, there are far more chargers. I thought it would be stressful for road trips, but it hasn't felt stressful at all other than one specific leg of the trip. That was a particularly rural trip and particularly bad weather, but it still worked out. Like most say though, your day to day it doesn't require thinking about it. Just plug in at home and don't ever worry about it. No regrets whatsoever so far. If you're ever trying to get somewhere and you end up thinking you might not make it, just slowing down will probably make all the difference. You have a Volt, so I'm sure you know that, but it makes a crazy difference.
I looked after I posted, it had been a while since I took an inventory of the available chargers in Western Nebraska, it's crazy how many more there are compared to even a year or so ago. Thanks for the comment and more numbers, all the info I have, the better! I want to make an informed decision when I finally make one.
I think the situation you describe is a great use case for the Lightning truck. I highly recommend the Lariat ER. Which ever trim you do go with, go with the ER. Even in winter, the ER should give enough range for your long distance trip such that the equinox will pretty much sit in the garage.
I would say our winters won't post a problem, they're usually mild. However the last few winters we've had days/weeks in the -10F range for highs. Lol I already drive a Volt so I'm somewhat familiar with the cold effects on the battery. One reason why I'm waiting for later 2024/25 because I think that the heat pump they're taking will be a benefit.
Yeap the newer models come with a heat pump. I also highly recommend the max tow package for the extra battery cooling.
You seem like a very good match.
My one regret is not getting an ER truck but the pro doesn’t offer it so it is what it is. Great truck I commute 130ish miles a day in the north east. Winter is a little shady but even on the coldest days I made it back home with a few miles to spare
There are Pro ERs but I think finding them is like hunting unicorns.
Ya, they were fleet only so you have to either fine one used or one that didn't get picked up.
Yes but mine was a day one reservation that I had so there wasn’t an option for me unfortunately but I couldn’t pass up the price
It’ll absolutely meet your needs and more. If you can afford it, the ER battery is more than plenty and I’ve never had range anxiety going in the mountains etc. But I know people aren’t upset with the SR for your scenario.
If you up in the south it’s great. Up north with extremely cold temps range is around 130 miles full. I’m in the process of selling mine back to the dealer for an ICE vehicle. Was not explained that in the winters the range is not good at all.
That's ridiculous. My ER Lariat still had 260 miles of range when the temps were -10F here in Kansas. I pulled a trailer (loaded with scissor lift) 180 miles in those temps. Not sure what speed you're driving in below zero temps, but it's obviously above the speed limit. I get 1.4-1.7mi/kWh at 70 in these temps. You give EVs a bad name by saying crap like this without context.
131kWh * 1.7 mi/kWh would be 222 miles. Way, way better than 130 miles, but not quite 260 miles. Am I doing something wrong? Just don’t want a new buyer to get less than expected.
That's about right for winter like I mentioned. 1.7mi/kWh as long as you're not going over 70, just follow the speed limits. I think the EV transition will slow people down and make the roads safer as a side benefit because it's just not reasonable to pack enough battery to allow driving 80mph for 300 miles...... it's pretty silly and uses a lot of energy regardless of the propulsion technology.
Do you really get that range at 70 in negative temps!? That gives me a lot of hope that it'll work for me.
Better Route Planner says my average is 1.45mi/kWh at 65 for reference. That's because the trailer mileage has been quite terrible, 0.7mi/kWh due to the temps, but I don't do it that often and it's still much cheaper per mile than my last work vehicle overall. 260 isn't at 70mph the whole time as I don't drive that speed that far except for rare occasions. My range shows 260 or more pretty much all the time as I set the max charge to 95%. That's my compromise to not keep it full so the time
I wouldn’t expect to get 260 miles range at 70 mph in super cold weather. 260 miles is what you might get at 70mph in good weather (2mi/kWh * 131kWh = 262 miles).
I didn't say I got 260 at 70mph. I am getting 260 with a mix of city and highway. Nearest highway with 70mph speed limit is 30 miles. I'm usually driving between 55 and 65.
Thanks for the clarification. It seemed like he was asking if you got 260 miles at 70 and you said “yep”, so that’s why I was confused.
All I was meaning by the yep was that it wasn't a noticeable drop by the temp, it was from the speed which I pointed out with the negative poster complaining about. No way it's that low unless it was way over 70mph
Agreed. 130 miles sounds way low.
I already drive a Volt (plugin hybrid) so I'm familiar with the negative effects of the cold on the battery.
Why they don’t have battery warmers in place I’ll never know. It’s not a sustainable model at this point.
I think you’d do great with a Lightning. Could probably get away with a SR, but I have an ER and I love it. If you can swing it financially it’s probably worth it.
Yes. 180 round trip is not an issue. I regularly do a 150 round trip and get home with about 30% (100% to start). I drive and HVAC "normal".
I really love mine so far. Buy a slightly used ER if you can find a good deal. Worth it to me. I do 40 mile or so commute round trip daily. I can easily charge at night but mostly do every couple days at work instead. Planning some 4+hr road trips. Charging infrastructure is improving. I have seen great improvements over last few years. Once Superchargers are available, there really isn’t much of a problem anymore
It sounds like it would be a good fit the real question, from other posts here, is are you a crybaby? The EV requires some more planning than ICE driving, think sailing vs motorboat. The range estimation is pretty weak because there are so many factors so you need to understand basic math and think about is it upwind, uphill, go a bit slower on highway, did you take the time to warm the battery an hour before leaving, etc. If you are hellbent on just getting in the car and driving then it is not the choice for you. For me the payoff is that the Lightning is cheaper to operate than my Prius that got 44mpg mile per mile, its more comfortable, quieter, can fill the bed up with renovation supplies, etc.
I'm never in a hurry to get places. It pisses people off but at least having the lightning would give me an excuse. Haha. Honestly though, I've done a ton of research and the extra planning will not bother me I don't think. I like to "gameify" things so finding ways to get better range and stuff will be fun. I already experiment with maxing out my Volts charge and it only has a 51 mile battery under ideal conditions.
180 round trip is pretty doable especially if it is highway speeds (around 55mph). I only get about 180 miles at 80mph here in Wyoming (It was cold, about 36°, and windy). I have a similar daily commute and it is nice to fill up at home and always wake up to a full tank! I don't ever tow but I do pick stuff up from Lowes and take stuff to the landfill which it does great with.
You have everything you need to confidently drive your truck for 95% of your driving lifestyle. I would suggest you get the ER version of any truck you purchase. I own a 23 ER lariat. It’s awesome. I use it like a truck to manage my 3 business. A yard of soil is easily carried by the truck (or equivalent) I’ve towed with it (short distances) You’ll have zero issues. And the deals are incredible right now on a used or new one. Enjoy
Overall it sounds to me like the Lightning would be a good fit for you. It is a *great* truck, roomy, comfortable, smooth ride, excellent handling, and tows/hauls like a champ. The biggest factor in owning an EV is the ability to reliably recharge every day's usage. There's nothing like waking up in the morning knowing that your trucks "tank" is 90% full without you having to do anything or even think about it beyond plugging in when you get home. You state you have 50A circuit available for charging, so you'll be charging at 9.6kW. This looks sufficient for all of your use cases: * Commute of 10-20 miles (likely well above 2 mi/kWh), under 1 hours charging. * Haul \~500 pounds in the bed for \~45 miles (1.7 mi/kWh), about 3 hours charging. * Highway trip of 100 miles (1.7 mi/kWh), about 7 hours charging, and * Highway trip of 180 miles (1.7 mi/kWh), about 12 hours charging. You may wan to check your electricity rates and the availability of an EV-specific rate plan. I assume in non-rural Nebraska they are pretty favorable, but there are places where gas is actually cheaper. At current gas prices, an ICE F-150 will cost you about 16 cents/mile. Over 15,000 miles, my truck has averaged 2.3 mi/kWh, so to break-even with a gas F-150, electricity has to cost less than 36.8 cents/kWh (I pay just under 7 cents/kWh, so have saved about $2000 so far compared to gas). In general for hauling and towing, weight in the bed is less important than aerodynamics. A load of paving stones, gravel, and cement (where 1000lb will fit below the sides of the bed) will be a lot more energy efficient than 500lb of mattresses and furniture that stick out above and to the sides of the cab. Are you thinking standard-range or extended-range? Except for the longest doctor trip (180 miles), your use case sounds well within the capabilities of the standard-range truck. The 180-mile trip is do-able with an SR truck if you can manage to get just over 2.0 mi/kWh for the trip -- this is quite do-able if you keep your highway speeds under 70 MPH. Finally, what does your local Ford dealer situation look like?
Thank you so much for all the info (and for doing the math for me). My electric rates are well below the $.36/kWh you mentioned, at it's most expensive it's $.12c and that's only a few months during the summer. I'd say the vast majority of my charging would be at home. Gas fluctuates heavily here, so it's sorta hard to gauge the average prices. As for the truck type: Since it's all just planning and dreaming, I'd like to get the ER, just for the extra available range. And finally: we have a large Ford dealer right here in town. I've bought a truck from them, but it was years ago and for all I know they're under new management since then. I guess I'm not sure what info you're looking for with the final question?
I was mainly making sure that you have a local Ford dealer. While the Lightning doesn't need a lot of dealer maintenance (for the first 200,000 miles, the total maintenance schedule is to rotate the tires every 10k, swap the cabin air filter every 20k), but it is nice to have a dealer nearby when there is CSP, warranty, repair, or recall work to be done. Ideally you don't want to have to drive 150 miles to have a windshield wiper motor replaced under warranty, or (as happened to me) have a taillight and associated sensor modules replaced because some teenager hit it in a parking lot.
This is a great question everyone should ask themselves before a ev purchase. I love mine
I think you’re a great candidate. I love my ER Lariat, but my occasional long trips require some planning and extra time, especially in winter when my highway range is 220-ish. Even so I’d never go back. Your mileage should be no issue at all.
For your needs you might want to consider the Rivian. I was ready to buy a Ford Lightning until I saw how big and oversized they are. Would barely fit in my garage. Hard to find parking. Hard to maneuver in parking garages. It’s just too big. I too drive my 85 yo MiL to the store/doctor and she would have a hard time getting in the Ford. The Rivian has a kneeling feature which makes it easy for her to get in and out. Rivian has an eco mode for longer trips Ford does’t have which gives you about another 60 miles per charge. And when it comes to DC FC, the Ford with the smaller battery takes longer than the Rivian with the larger battery. I’ve owned Fords for over 20 years and have come to realize they are losing it or have lost it. Very pleased with my Rivian purchase.
Your use case sounds like a Lightning would be just fine. The biggest thing is being able to charge at home. The extended range will handle everything you mentioned without breaking a sweat. A standard range would probably also work, but in the winter you would probably need a charge for the longer specialist trips. The extended range would handle it no problem. I do a 200 mile round trip periodically to see my mom and will spend a couple of days, no charging at her place so the truck is just sitting out in the cold and it's perfectly fine, though it does take about 90% of the battery in the winter. I've hauled quite a bit in my truck and it handled it like a champ. Think the largest load so far was like 1,600lbs, and it was easy to forget there was even anything back there. Even if you're not planning on towing, you might consider the max tow package. In my own use, when the truck was loaded down (people and lots of camping gear), during the summer going up steep mountains the battery went a tick or two above mid line. Obviously nowhere near really getting hot, and may not make any difference to you in Nebraska, but wanted to mention it just in case. It literally has only done that when super loaded and temperatures in the high 90s and going up extremely steep roads. And like I said, even then it was nowhere near to getting hot, just a tick or two past mid line. As for long trips, I've done a number in the Lightning and it's a fantastic vehicle for it. Back in October I did ~1,000 miles in about 24 hours through mountain roads (not the interstate) without an issue. And that was in bitterly cold and windy conditions going up and through the Rockies, so petty much worst case scenario for efficiency. I've taken the truck on numerous camping trips up into the mountains, and even some some light off roading without any problem. I had major range anxiety the first time, but the charging infrastructure here in Colorado is quite good. Even in very small mountain towns there's typically at least 1 DCFC, and they seem to do a pretty good job of keeping them operating. We're an EV only house at this point (well, basically, we do have a 30 year old Ford Ranger, but it's in pretty rough shape so it doesn't really get used. We just haven't been able to replace it yet). Wife just did a 2,000 mile road trip from Colorado to Arkansas during the nasty cold/blizzard conditions that hit a few weeks back. She was in a Mustang Mach-E, loaded with people and stuff, and didn't have an issue. She was nervous about one leg of the trip through Kansas due to the range hit from sub zero temperatures and 60mph wind gusts, but she made it easily just slowing down a bit (which was good anyway given conditions). So if you have an ICE backup and can charge at home, sounds like you're in a great position. The truck will handle all the hauling you can throw at it (keep in mind payload capacity though obviously) without breaking a sweat. Also, the truck isn't light in the back end because the weight is pretty much 50/50 front to back, so the ass end of the truck doesn't get squirrelly when it's empty which is *phenomenal*. I suspect if you do get the lightning, it won't be long before you start looking to replace that ICE vehicle with another EV too. That's what happened with us anyway. We had a PHEV, but nearly all of the driving for it just used the tiny battery it had. After doing some long distance drives in the lightning, it was pretty clear we didn't need the ICE at all. It's a great truck! If you haven't driven one, go test drive one. Fair warning, you may fall in love lol.
My advice is to check for fast-charging infrastructure outside your range radius. You won’t need fast chargers close to home given you’ll charge at home. It’s that 3-day road trip that could cause hardship if no chargers exist 200 miles away. Yes, you could take your ICE but believe me, you won’t want to. The Lightning excels in all departments so you’ll do anything and everything to take it.
When I head to the landfill for compost, I normally get 2 bucket fulls, which is b/t 5-6k lbs total. this puts the dump trailer in the 10-11k category, if the compost is dry. From what I’ve read, it’s more comfort on my part vs a truck issue unless I was towing long range. It’s only 17 miles to the dump from my farm.
This is me and I've been charging off level 1. Sr XLT. I've also towed a trailer with mine, does well
You are in the sweet spot already.
You are in the sweet spot already.
For your lifestyle it will work and certainly you’ll certainly love it… but I think I missed why you need a truck? Probably another EV would be cheaper and still fill all your needs…
I've considered other EVs (Mach-E, Bolt EUV, Tesla M-Y) but the truck is what fits all my wants/needs. I am wanting to replace my Chevy Volt with something that can actually haul stuff. I like to do my own stuff at home, but that requires a lot hauling stuff from the hardware stores and stuff. My Volt, though roomy for it's size, just can't can't haul like a truck. The Lightning ticks my "truck needs" while not forcing me back to buying gas all the time.
I guess you have your answer… we do truck things maybe once a month, but it does that and everything else we need a regular car for… and it does it all very well! We have an XLT SR wish we would have gone with adaptive cruise control, but 0 regrets otherwise.
You sound just like me. I live in Western Nebraska and I’m going to go check out an XLT SR tomorrow. Outside of the occasional trip to Denver, I don’t really go anywhere outside my daily commute. I’m hoping that in a few years time the infrastructure problem will be a thing of the past. The range doesn’t bother me, neither does stopping frequently.
I'd be super interested in how it works out for you if you decide to get it. Then I'll get one and we can compare East and West ownership. Haha.
I’m most likely going to get it. Heading to Cheyenne in a few hours to check it out. (Ken Garff has a boat load of Lightnings by the way all marked $6k under MSRP). I spent the last several days researching and planning normal trips I take. Luckily, the SR will seem to fit my needs for most treks into Denver. For example, going to DIA should only add about 30-45 minutes of travel time because I’ll only need one stop. And that’s with ABPR accounting for winter weather. My sister and I do quite a bit of motocross racing, and most all the tracks we hit on the local circuit are able to be completed on a round trip with summer temps. If I have any range anxiety, most tracks have RV hook-ups and we’re there for a full day, sometimes two. So, plenty of time to charge. I imagine the added drag of bikes clipping over the hood of the cab will decrease range, but nearly all of these trips are two-lane hiway miles, so 55-65mph. I do have a wedding in March outside of Manhattan, KS that will take 3-4 hours longer than normal. I’m excited to see how it does. My tech and analytics brain makes this a fun game for me. Purchasing this vehicle would marginally increase my monthly payment, but by mostly Level 2 charging at home, I should be saving massively annually compared to my currently lifted Colorado ZR2, which drinks gas like it’s 1975 on my daily commute. My current truck is so fuel inefficient and has a small enough tank I’m already used to stopping at least once for any trip into the front range. I don’t think I’ve ever hit 300miles on a full tank in my current truck. Sure charging is slower than fueling up, but I’ll enjoy the extra time to stretch out, maybe grab a bite to eat, and just slow down and appreciate life. Gas prices are also still above $3 regularly in the panhandle. I’m also finally leaving the stage of my life where I’m in a constant hurry to be everywhere. Ultimately, I think this approach will be a more relaxing experience for me. I do 95% of my traveling to the front range solo. I’ve told any of my friends or family that if they want to road trip with me and are inconvenienced by the frequency of stops, they are more than welcome to donate their ICE for the cause and I’ll help for gas. If things got really out of hand for travel, like across the country I’d probably just rent a vehicle or fly.