Towing with the new all electric F150 Lightning

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Retired JSO

FYI

Ford has been providing an adapter to F-150 Lightning electric pickup buyers that enables them to charge stranded Tesla vehicles.

I wonder if AAA trucks that provide jump starts to subscribers with dead batteries will be come F-150 Lightnings so they can also assist Tesla subscribers.

[fifer1812]

Originally Posted by GravelRider

This article popped up in my messaged this morning.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/ford-f150-lightning-electric-truck-towing-test/amp/

"You won't be as surprised to learn that the towing range of the electric F-150 is dismal. In MotorTrend testing, an F-150 Lightning Platinum saddled with a camper that nearly maxed out its 8,500-pound towing capacity couldn't even cover 100 miles."

Well this is a disappointing, albeit very expected, result. Doesn't look like RV towing with an EV is going to hit mainstream any time soon.

This doesn't surprise me. To make all electric vehicles usable we have a long way to go. I have an R-Pod 190 I would barely make it to a local campground.. plus that price tag! Not for the mere mortal.

[Rkloud9]

The F-150 lightning is a first generation light duty electric truck that offers a fascinating glimpse at what the future will bring. Yes, the towing range is limited, but the towing performance is outstanding, at least on TFT’s Ike Gauntlet (check it out on YouTube). The torque and power delivered outstanding hill climbing with a 10,000 lb. trailer, and the regenerative braking downhill added power back to the batteries and eliminated the need for any conventional braking all the way down an 8 mile hill, in some places an 8% grade (like a jake brake on steroids, with no sound!) The low center of gravity due to the battery placement gave the truck solid and steady road manners.

A LOT of money is being spent on charging infrastructure, and new developments in battery tech are in the headlines quite a bit these days. Whether we like it or not, BEV’s are the future… just look at the billions that GM, Ford, BMW, VW, and at least 10 Chinese and Korean brands are spending right now to make the conversion (and how much $$$ Tesla is making!) IMHO, no significant new investments will be made by any auto/truck companies in ICE technology. What we have now in gas and diesel engines is likely to be as good as it will ever get.

Change is difficult, but exciting!

[MevetS]

Originally Posted by PodGeek

What do Martians have to do with this?

Greenies are Dog Treats, not Martians. https://www.greenies.com/

The Martians myth is being circulated to dissuade the misinformed with misleading information !

[MR.M]

Time people started going back to square one . Lithium Battery construction and all that goes into making one pollutes more then a Gas Car . This is a gimmick that at this point and time will never replace oil . WE are a long long way off from viability of EV . For commuters ok, in city's where the brown cloud needs to dissipate fine . but to think this is going to take over. ha . not unless you give up all your travels and stay very very local . and the environment will not change . More damage is done cutting down the rain forests when it comes to climate change then getting rid of oil .

[larryscsi]

Install an Onan generator in the front of the Ford Lighting and maybe ya got something! LOL

[SmittyCorp]

https://fordauthority.com/2022/07/fo...phate-battery/
They are now using LiFePo batteries, so dirty mining of rare earths (no nickle or cobalt) and battery fires are somewhat significantly lower than with Li ion batteries. LiFePo are also lighter, so energy density isnt really a penalty, just make the battery a little larger.

The lightning won't replace ICE just yet, but that doesn't mean they are worthless.

[PodGeek]

[QUOTE=MevetS;2773120]Greenies are Dog Treats, not Martians. https://www.greenies.com//QUOTE]

That's not what Jim Bouton said.

[PodGeek]

I'm thinking that the upcoming RAMs might be the ticket for some:

...Ram is preparing a "portfolio of solutions" that include not only a full battery electric Ram in 2024, but also a range-extender plug-in hybrid that will use a combustion engine to keep charge in the battery, which will power motors that drive the wheels. The Ram lineup will also continue to develop its eTorque mild hybrids, as well as the conventional combustion-powered truck.

We first learned of the range extender that Stellantis executives referred to as the REPB, for "range electric paradigm breaker," last summer. We surmised it might refer to the pending Ram midsize pickup also in the works, but Koval tells us in Chicago that a range extender will in fact be part of the Ram 1500 family. Who knows, maybe both the 1500 and a new midsize offering are REPBs. After all, Stellantis says all vehicles in the Ram lineup will have a degree of electrification by 2025, so that future midsize pickup will have to find something....

...Research shows truck buyers are more open-minded to the idea of electrification but are not willing to compromise on the core attributes of a truck's utility and capability, like towing and hauling, Koval says....

https://www.motortrend.com/news/ram-...tender-hybrid/

[itat]

I imagine that battery technology will evolve rapidly in the next decade to improve storage capacity and charging times. I’m reading about solid state batteries possibly being the next generation battery technology.

Of course there are other technologies that could compete with battery power especially for large vehicles and construction equipment. I just retired from a position in facilities management at a large regional municipality where I talked to the fleet manager about their plans. He said they are looking at hydrogen-powered vehicles for equipment like tandem axle trucks, graders and excavators.

Right now, a hybrid pickup is as close as we’ll get to something other than an ICE vehicle.

[larryscsi]

I like renewable energy (Gas & Diesel) trucks for towing until something more economical and viable takes their place.

[Sunseeker16]

Originally Posted by srheug

The railroads actually are electrified. It is actually an electric motor, called traction motors, that all modern locomotives use to turn the wheels. Although, locomotives are more like hybrids, because they use a diesel engine that powers a generator to provide electric power for the traction motors.

Railroads are in the process of procuring an all electric plug in locomotive to use in railyards to classify cars and building outbound trains. They are not ready for cross country trains yet but it's the beginning. As battery technology developed who knows what next.

[Chuck_S]

Newburgh & South Shore (Cleveland, OH) just received a battery powered AMPS switcher. Information is scarce and I no longer drive by the NSR on a daily basis like I used to 5 years ago. I think they have all of 5 miles of main line (13 miles of track including yards and sidings) so it ain't going far from what I'm guessing is their main charging facility at Marcelline Yard. Operate during the day and charge -- by what means? -- at night is my guess.




-- Chuck

[Larry L]

The "greenies" are the ones saying EVs are efficient. Look at TOTAL life cycle of an EV from MINING for battery materials overseas, shipping, etc. to disposal at end of battery life then start the cycle again if EV is kept for over five years. Watch some TED Talks about the issue.

[Abrasive]

Steam is the future!

[tomkatb]

Our electric rate went up 141% this year. Announced today!

Brown outs are coming like in California.

Our government signed the bill to dramatically cut the tax incentive for most folks for buying electric cars. Guaranteed to lower inflation.

Most governments have discovered that electric cars pay no road taxes. Someone has to!

TED talks indicate today ev vehicles cost more per mile to operate. Pollute more.

What’s not to like!

[D W]

Behind every one of these charging stations, there's a 90% chance that a coal or natural gas fired power plant is feeding it. Let's not kid ourselves.

[itat]

Originally Posted by D W

Behind every one of these charging stations, there's a 90% chance that a coal or natural gas fired power plant is feeding it. Let's not kid ourselves.

Nope. Not where I live! Here in Ontario, Canada only 28% of our electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. 0% from coal. Here is the pie chart as of June 2022.

[GravelRider]

Originally Posted by D W

Behind every one of these charging stations, there's a 90% chance that a coal or natural gas fired power plant is feeding it. Let's not kid ourselves.

There's actually only a 60% chance that a fossil fuel burning power station is powering the charging station in the US, and lower in Canada, as posted above.

Regardless, even if 100% of power stations were fossil fuel burning, there is still MUCH less pollution from the small share that charging a battery takes compared to burning a tank of gas in a small ICE.

[lbrjet]

The trade off is there is MUCH more pollution and damage to the earth to build that EV. It takes time for the good to out weigh the bad.