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  • The F-150 Lightning returns as an EV work truck, not a performance truck

      • The F-150 Lightning returns as an EV work truck, not a performance truck

        Published on 05-20-2021 04:53 PM
        7 Comments Comments
        For enthusiasts this is disappointing as the marketing team at Ford won out. No doubt some genius raised his hand at a meeting and mentioned the Lightning name would be perfect for an EV Truck because of the electricity connection and received a standing ovation for the basic idea.


        The SVT Lightning represented a high performance truck that forever changed the performance scene. Specifically, the second generation model with a supercharged 5.4 liter V8. This basic V8 design went into the Ford GT after all and kicked off a power war with Ford launching the Terminator supercharged 4.6 liter V8 Mustang.

        This new Lightning is not changing the performance game. It's powerful, sure, with the standard Lightning producing 426 horsepower and the extended range version with 563 horsepower. You have 775 lb-ft of torque available in both.

        Obviously it needs to be charged but fast charging time seems reasonable:


        You get 230 miles range for standard and 300 for extended. It will tow too with the standard rated at 7000 pounds and extended 10000 pounds. What effect that has on the range will need to be tested.

        What do the two battery packs weigh? Good question. Only available as a SuperCrew 4-door it will not be light.

        With 0-60 in 4.5 seconds the truck moves almost a second quicker than the supercharged model it shares a name with but that supercharged model could be modified to run, well, whatever your bank account could handle. Today we have 2000+ horsepower examples and good luck with modifying the new Lightning.

        Ford could have built a cool new EV performance truck to honor the Lightning name but instead is diluting it. People buying this new EV truck won't care but enthusiasts have to wonder what a new Lightning could bring with the technology and engines Ford has at its disposal today. Would a standard cab all wheel drive F-150 with a Predator V8 and hybrid all wheel drive assist honor the Lightning name better? Yes indeed.

        The base model starts at $39,974 with prices going to $90,474 for the Platinum.


        This article was originally published in forum thread: The F-150 Lightning returns as an EV work truck, not a performance truck started by Sticky View original post
        Comments 7 Comments
        1. Stevenh's Avatar
          Stevenh - 05-20-2021, 05:28 PM
          41 minutes to charge at a fast charge station tells me ev's "still aren't quite there"... I couldn't imagine trying to cross country in one and having to stop for 40 minutes every 4 hours... Then hope there isn't a line of people waiting for their 40+ minute fill-up.
        1. Sticky's Avatar
          Sticky - 05-20-2021, 05:31 PM
          Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by Stevenh Click here to enlarge
          41 minutes to charge at a fast charge station tells me ev's "still aren't quite there"... I couldn't imagine trying to cross country in one and having to stop for 40 minutes every 4 hours... Then hope there isn't a line of people waiting for their 40+ minute fill-up.
          It's not terrible but not great either. Waiting 40 minutes makes a trip towing something problematic.
        1. ND75R's Avatar
          ND75R - 05-21-2021, 10:15 AM
          Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by Stevenh Click here to enlarge
          41 minutes to charge at a fast charge station tells me ev's "still aren't quite there"... I couldn't imagine trying to cross country in one and having to stop for 40 minutes every 4 hours... Then hope there isn't a line of people waiting for their 40+ minute fill-up.
          The problem with this is that in 5-10 years, you'll be sitting there for 40+ minutes and the guy behind you in line will need 5 minutes...The current gen EVs will become obsolete very quickly, I'd rather not own one.
        1. Stevenh's Avatar
          Stevenh - 05-21-2021, 10:33 AM
          Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by ND75R Click here to enlarge
          The problem with this is that in 5-10 years, you'll be sitting there for 40+ minutes and the guy behind you in line will need 5 minutes...The current gen EVs will become obsolete very quickly, I'd rather not own one.
          I was thinking through a similar issue last night... do all of today's electric vehicles become trash in 5 - 7 years when batteries have been improved and we have 2x+ range, 90% quicker charge times, etc? I'd have to imagine the resale will be TERRIBLE if there isn't a way to upgrade the battery... not to mention all the trash this new 'green' tech will generate.
        1. F16HTON's Avatar
          F16HTON - 05-22-2021, 08:38 PM
          Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by Stevenh Click here to enlarge
          I was thinking through a similar issue last night... do all of today's electric vehicles become trash in 5 - 7 years when batteries have been improved and we have 2x+ range, 90% quicker charge times, etc? I'd have to imagine the resale will be TERRIBLE if there isn't a way to upgrade the battery... not to mention all the trash this new 'green' tech will generate.
          All of these objections of your's are equally applicable to the ICE as well.

          Why would have someone bought any car throughout my lifetime when those vehicles would have become trash in 5-7 years with improvement in fuel economy, ride comfort, safety and performance?

          Why would anyone ever have wanted a 426 (7.0L) Hemi Challenger making 425 HP and getting approximately 5-7MPG? You only had a range of about 125 miles at best.

          Today's 6.4L V8 Scat pack Challenger makes 485HP and makes between 14-23MPG. That's more performance and 3X the fuel ecomony.

          My first car was a '65 GTO with a 421CI big block, 428 crank and Ram Air V heads making about 700BHP. It got 5MPH if I was lucky. The big 20 gallon tank would get me about 110 miles of range and it cost me $90-$100 to fill it up with race gas at $5.00 per gallon.

          Technology changes, it always will. That is why we are a modern society.
        1. Stevenh's Avatar
          Stevenh - 05-22-2021, 09:02 PM
          Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by F16HTON Click here to enlarge
          All of these objections of your's are equally applicable to the ICE as well.

          Why would have someone bought any car throughout my lifetime when those vehicles would have become trash in 5-7 years with improvement in fuel economy, ride comfort, safety and performance?

          Why would anyone ever have wanted a 426 (7.0L) Hemi Challenger making 425 HP and getting approximately 5-7MPG? You only had a range of about 125 miles at best.

          Today's 6.4L V8 Scat pack Challenger makes 485HP and makes between 14-23MPG. That's more performance and 3X the fuel ecomony.

          My first car was a '65 GTO with a 421CI big block, 428 crank and Ram Air V heads making about 700BHP. It got 5MPH if I was lucky. The big 20 gallon tank would get me about 110 miles of range and it cost me $90-$100 to fill it up with race gas at $5.00 per gallon.

          Technology changes, it always will. That is why we are a modern society.
          Technology moves at a much, much faster pace today. You're comparing 50+ years in advancement when everyone is fairly comfortable saying battery tech will evolve exponentially over the next decade.
        1. F16HTON's Avatar
          F16HTON - 05-22-2021, 09:10 PM
          IMO the automotive industry is so in bed with the current fuel industry. (It has been like this since the beginning of time) that they are not really currently willing to market EVs to their full potential.

          The concept of owning an electric vehicle and using renewable energy to power it goes hand-in-hand.

          An EV can essential be used as a back up battery for energy that is generated from solar, wind, or any other source that produces a DC current.

          In just a few short months, affordable consumer home charging solutions will become available which will allow an EV (such as my Porsche Taycan) to be charged at a rate of 1 mile per minute from solar power alone.

          Here is a link to a current product (dcbel r16): https://www.dcbel.energy/our-products/

          One of the biggest issues I currently see with how EVs are charged is that the current mindset is taking AC power (from the grid) and feeding it into the car at either 120V or 240V, then having the car convert that AC voltage to DC voltage (through the cars onboard charger).

          Alternatively, on cars that have DC caging capability (my eGolf and my Taycan do) then you must find a 400V DC charging unit (the network is growing rapidly), however those DC chargers take a boatload of 3 phase electricity and convert that to 400VDC to charge the vehicle. With this architecture you are still paying the man (Westinghouse/GE/Siemens) because they are the ones generating the power.

          A couple of paragraphs up I spoke of the current dcbel r16 which is a bidirectional unit (meaning that you have solar panels that generate DC voltage, and then the electricity is sent direct to the car, then the electricity from the car can be sent to your home. However, early next year we will see unidirectional systems that just just take the DC power from the sun and send it straight to the car. Those units are expected to retail for $1200.

          All of this stuff is exciting to me.