Electric Vehicle (EV) discussion thread

Posted by: Hepcat

Leaping into the future comes at a premium, phoof.

Not untrue, but we haven't gassed up in two months. Saving us about $1,000 in fuel across two cars (it replaces a i6 BMW X5 - that was filled up with premium fuel). The second car (which is paid off) is just sitting most of the time as I bike to work. We just use the pick up for every trip. My wife has free charging at work, and we now have the included charger set up at home, which we've only used to add 150kms of distance so far. I've financed it on a bi-weekly payment schedule, and one car payment a month is covered by total fuel and maintenance savings. Assuming that the chassis and batteries last 10 years, the savings in cost of operations contribute a significant amount of the total cost of ownership.

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: rnayel

Got a new EV today. I like it

Buddy at the dealership got me a Lightning test drive just for fun. That thing is ridiculous.

It's like driving one of those tic tac spaceships from the other thread.

That feeling wears off pretty quickly. After a couple of burn outs and pedal to the floor acceleration runs, you're not so tempted. It's just a very nice truck at this point, we've been using it for truck things and it excels.

Installed the winter tires on 18-inch rims this weekend as my wife took it to the interior for a short trip this week. It looks more like a regular pickup with grey Ford rims than it does a futuristic EV, funny how rims and tires change the look of a car. Tracking her progress on the ford app, she got to Hope from North Van using 19% charge, and then to Merritt in another 18%, charging in Merritt before hitting the HWY5 (coquihalla).

I'm assuming you aren't planning to use it for towing? That is a 'truck thing' that it most definitely does not excel at.

Posted by: shoreboy

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: rnayel

Got a new EV today. I like it

Buddy at the dealership got me a Lightning test drive just for fun. That thing is ridiculous.

It's like driving one of those tic tac spaceships from the other thread.

That feeling wears off pretty quickly. After a couple of burn outs and pedal to the floor acceleration runs, you're not so tempted. It's just a very nice truck at this point, we've been using it for truck things and it excels.

Installed the winter tires on 18-inch rims this weekend as my wife took it to the interior for a short trip this week. It looks more like a regular pickup with grey Ford rims than it does a futuristic EV, funny how rims and tires change the look of a car. Tracking her progress on the ford app, she got to Hope from North Van using 19% charge, and then to Merritt in another 18%, charging in Merritt before hitting the HWY5 (coquihalla).

I'm assuming you aren't planning to use it for towing? That is a 'truck thing' that it most definitely does not excel at.

Actually, I towed a trailer full of camping supplies and canoes for my kids' scout troupe a couple of weeks ago from Alice Lake and it wasn't bad at all. I hadn't brought it up just back. Granted it was mostly downhill mostly and not very far from North Van but acceleration was smooth and it handled the load very well.  For towing boats and campers to the sites around the lower mainland it's more than enough.  Plus, there is sufficient charging infrastructure that I wouldn't need to ever travel more than 150kms without being able to stop and recharge. Side note, I don't plan on towing a 3,500 kg camper to Nanavut with it, so it isn't a concern of mine.

I read in a test that it "only gets 90 miles range while towing". The test was at 70mph towing an un-aerodynamic 8,000lb trailer. Was worried, then remembered I don't own a remotely located horse ranch along the Autobahn.

I'd tow a 5000lb pound boat and trailer 7 miles each way at about 50mph. Figure could do that 16x in a row.

I live in the city, like most truck owners. Electric would be ideal.

I like that Ford truck.  You can even use it to charge other electric vehicles.

Pity that the compact to midsize trucks that most people actually need won't be available till 2087. Japanese models available spring 2091.

Ford leap frogged the full size market though.

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: shoreboy

Posted by: rnayel

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: rnayel

Got a new EV today. I like it

Buddy at the dealership got me a Lightning test drive just for fun. That thing is ridiculous.

It's like driving one of those tic tac spaceships from the other thread.

That feeling wears off pretty quickly. After a couple of burn outs and pedal to the floor acceleration runs, you're not so tempted. It's just a very nice truck at this point, we've been using it for truck things and it excels.

Installed the winter tires on 18-inch rims this weekend as my wife took it to the interior for a short trip this week. It looks more like a regular pickup with grey Ford rims than it does a futuristic EV, funny how rims and tires change the look of a car. Tracking her progress on the ford app, she got to Hope from North Van using 19% charge, and then to Merritt in another 18%, charging in Merritt before hitting the HWY5 (coquihalla).

I'm assuming you aren't planning to use it for towing? That is a 'truck thing' that it most definitely does not excel at.

Actually, I towed a trailer full of camping supplies and canoes for my kids' scout troupe a couple of weeks ago from Alice Lake and it wasn't bad at all. I hadn't brought it up just back. Granted it was mostly downhill mostly and not very far from North Van but acceleration was smooth and it handled the load very well.  For towing boats and campers to the sites around the lower mainland it's more than enough.  Plus, there is sufficient charging infrastructure that I wouldn't need to ever travel more than 150kms without being able to stop and recharge. Side note, I don't plan on towing a 3,500 kg camper to Nanavut with it, so it isn't a concern of mine.

While I agree that it does 'tow', it doesn't really replace the ICE version of the F150 in terms of towing larger loads longer distances. I agree that most people wont ever tow with an F150, but there are some that do and they actually need the range to make it feasible. Again, for the majority of F150 drivers, this will likely be a non-issue.

To your point @shoreboy, https://driving.ca/auto-news/news/ford-f-150-lightning-range-less-than-160-km-when-towing

Diesel remains the best option if you are towing heavy and towing often. The i6 Chevy/GMC diesel is pretty great for that application. I have two carpenter buddies who tow their workshops to site with them and are getting great mileage and performance out of their trucks.

I've been driving an EV for a couple years now.  The rare times I drive a combustion-engine vehicle I think several things:

1. whoah I forgot how cool a revving engine sounds

2. what happened to the torque?

3. man those brief lags for shifting gears is really not helping my acceleration

4. i have to use the brakes a lot more, i miss slowing down by letting off on the "go" pedal.

5. eww...I think I smell fossil fuel

6. will Formula E ever become as big as Formula 1?

Posted by: BC_Nuggets

I've been driving an EV for a couple years now.  The rare times I drive a combustion-engine vehicle I think several things:

1. whoah I forgot how cool a revving engine sounds

Ha.  I got to drive my buddy's EV for a week including a couple S2S journeys.  First thought back in my own car was:  "God Damn this thing is noisy."

Posted by: rnayel

To your point @shoreboy, https://driving.ca/auto-news/news/ford-f-150-lightning-range-less-than-160-km-when-towing

Diesel remains the best option if you are towing heavy and towing often. The i6 Chevy/GMC diesel is pretty great for that application. I have two carpenter buddies who tow their workshops to site with them and are getting great mileage and performance out of their trucks.

This is the poor towing test https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/ford-f150-lightning-electric-truck-towing-test/

Testing a truck at 70mph when the legal tow speed limit is 55mph, and at max weight and un-aerodynamic trailer to boot  seems like a bit of a bullshit test. 

This test also says it's not great at towing, but at it least it doesn't stink of disingenuous hackery:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.edmunds.com/amp/car-news/ev-tow-test-ford-lightning-ev-versus-the-world.html

I would think with computer/battery/drivetrain technology an EV's towing ability would eventually allow it to work better than even diesel.  You'd have more control over the application of the torque.  Combustion engines have a smaller window.

Mind you I'm no engineer or rocket surgeon.  I could be completely wrong on this.  ;)

Posted by: rnayel

Got a new EV today. I like it

Looks like lower tier models starting to trickle out the factory finally. I see there's a few XLT's available on lots. Vancouver... Washington has one. Up to this point it's pretty much only been luxury level Lariats.

How's that Lightning seven months in @rnayel?

It's been great, rolled 10K kms this morning on the drive back from church. The only downside to this truck is that I've shuttled more in the last 6 months than I had in the previous 6 years. It's just so practical. The truck has been great, it's a Lariat, honestly, I don't feel any significant trade-offs in luxury in comfort from the BMW X5 it replaced. The only thing that I miss are the soft close doors on the X5, those were peak luxury. Just shows how much effort Ford put into making the Lariat and the Platinum comfortable and upmarket.

I sized down to 18" factory rims for winter tires and the fuel economy hit was negligible. Driving around the city at 0 - +6C, range has been in the area of 435kms/charge. When the weather dips below 0, to -10, the range is in the area of 360kms/charge. Speed seems to be a bigger drag on range rather than kms driven. My father-in-law is in Langly, the drive out at 80kms hour uses about 10% of the battery from NV, the same drive at 120kms sucks 18%.