Some observations after a week of ownership

So I have had trucks in the past (chevy and dodge but never ford), but I have been driving a Prius for the last 10 years due to commuting. I wanted to switch back to a truck for a while but balked at the idea of paying so much in gas. It just so happened that I was watching for electric trucks for a while and right when I was starting to get serious about buying a new vehicle the Lightning became available for registration. So good timing there. That being said I have a few concerns/recommendations and observations that I noticed that I just wanted to put out there.

Vehicle : Lariat EV with max tow and tow technology packages.

1. I kept hearing about power but I didn't really understand. I know now what that means. I had never even been in an electric let alone driven one until this one and it is truly different in terms of acceleration. Yes there's the power but it's also the lack of the shifting of gears that is so different. NOT complaining just an observation driving it for the first time.
2. The acceleration is smoooooth.
3. The lack of information at the dealership level on these is a little frustrating. Both in the ordering and in the ownership process. I've been relegated to relying on this forum (thank god for this forum) and reddit for any up to date information. I know that Ford is looking to switch to a direct to owner model of ordering, but having someone who might know where some features might be is something that I kinda wish Ford would have done a better job of communicating with the dealerships. (For instance it took searching on old F150 forums to find out that the front 120v outlet for my dash cam turns off after a period of time so i don't have to unplug it every day.)
4. GIMMEH PET MODE. plz kk thx. My dogs want to come with me to the store.
5. The instrument cluster really is lack luster. yes we have the critical pieces of information on the left and right but the area in the middle is so poorly done. (minus the navigation popping up when being used). There's the Driver assistance mode that shows which lane lines are active but you could have easily put more information in that particular screen or allowed for better customization. My mom's 6 year old Buick that has the blind spot sensors show it on her instrument cluster and that would be an amazing thing to have on that specific window as well. There's things like trip 1, 2, and current trip, pitch and roll, and other situational screens but the Driver Assistance information screen should be a lot more flushed out and more useful than it is.
6. While I appreciate the quick return buttons on the infotainment screen, it would be nice to be able to setup 1-5 Quick buttons. In my case I have to bring up the cameras to cram my giant beast into the garage and it would be nice to be able to have saved favorite buttons that will bring that up or car play or radio. It's not a huge thing, just a quality of life request.
7. The braking coach is a very helpful feature if it is enabled, especially at first. It helps you learn to brake to maximize your energy reclamation.
8. Somehow my mom turned on 1 pedal driving when i was in the store and it freaked me out (I thought that there was a problem with the brakes). If you don't know what this is, the name pretty much says it all. If you push on the gas it speeds up and as you release the gas instead of just coasting, it will actually start to apply the brake depending on how much you release. If you take your foot off the pedal it actually stops pretty quickly. I don't know how I feel about it yet but it was a little shocking when I didn't know what was going on.
9. Not too happy about the charger situation right now. My travel charger can't keep up with the ER battery as I haven't even had it to 100% yet since I don't have a 220 outlet in my garage. Waiting on Sunrun now for that.

All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and am looking forward to logging many miles on this truck, but that being said I'm hoping that some updates with some simple quality of life come in to play.

I'll put more later as I get more familiar.

im not letting my mom TOUCH my truck! haha. Maybe I will give her a ride but surely not going to let her mess with the menus! Thanks for the taking the time to post this. Looking forward to seeing one of these on the road. steve

For what its worth, 1 pedal driving is a blend of mostly regenerative braking (using the motors to generate electricity to charge the batteries) and a bit of actual brake useage.

I assume you are running your camera off a 12v outlet...

zellah said:

ning just an observation driving it for the first time.

1. Somehow my mom turned on 1 pedal driving when i was in the store and it freaked me out (I thought that there was a problem with the brakes). If you don't know what this is, the name pretty much says it all. If you push on the gas it speeds up and as you release the gas instead of just coasting, it will actually start to apply the brake depending on how much you release. If you take your foot off the pedal it actually stops pretty quickly. I don't know how I feel about it yet but it was a little shocking when I didn't know what was going on.

Click to expand...

For those who have not driven electric. I call it t “Power Wheels Mode” my 5 year old will know how to drive my Lightning because it practically operates the same way.

Heck, he got an electric F150 well before me. Mine is just bigger.

ShirBlackspots said:

For what its worth, 1 pedal driving is a blend of mostly regenerative braking (using the motors to generate electricity to charge the batteries) and a bit of actual brake useage.

Click to expand...

Yeah, for the final bit of brake, it needs to use the actual brakes.

zellah said:

So I have had trucks in the past (chevy and dodge but never ford), but I have been driving a Prius for the last 10 years due to commuting. I wanted to switch back to a truck for a while but balked at the idea of paying so much in gas. It just so happened that I was watching for electric trucks for a while and right when I was starting to get serious about buying a new vehicle the Lightning became available for registration. So good timing there. That being said I have a few concerns/recommendations and observations that I noticed that I just wanted to put out there.

Vehicle : Lariat EV with max tow and tow technology packages.

1. I kept hearing about power but I didn't really understand. I know now what that means. I had never even been in an electric let alone driven one until this one and it is truly different in terms of acceleration. Yes there's the power but it's also the lack of the shifting of gears that is so different. NOT complaining just an observation driving it for the first time.
2. The acceleration is smoooooth.
3. The lack of information at the dealership level on these is a little frustrating. Both in the ordering and in the ownership process. I've been relegated to relying on this forum (thank god for this forum) and reddit for any up to date information. I know that Ford is looking to switch to a direct to owner model of ordering, but having someone who might know where some features might be is something that I kinda wish Ford would have done a better job of communicating with the dealerships. (For instance it took searching on old F150 forums to find out that the front 120v outlet for my dash cam turns off after a period of time so i don't have to unplug it every day.)
4. GIMMEH PET MODE. plz kk thx. My dogs want to come with me to the store.
5. The instrument cluster really is lack luster. yes we have the critical pieces of information on the left and right but the area in the middle is so poorly done. (minus the navigation popping up when being used). There's the Driver assistance mode that shows which lane lines are active but you could have easily put more information in that particular screen or allowed for better customization. My mom's 6 year old Buick that has the blind spot sensors show it on her instrument cluster and that would be an amazing thing to have on that specific window as well. There's things like trip 1, 2, and current trip, pitch and roll, and other situational screens but the Driver Assistance information screen should be a lot more flushed out and more useful than it is.
6. While I appreciate the quick return buttons on the infotainment screen, it would be nice to be able to setup 1-5 Quick buttons. In my case I have to bring up the cameras to cram my giant beast into the garage and it would be nice to be able to have saved favorite buttons that will bring that up or car play or radio. It's not a huge thing, just a quality of life request.
7. The braking coach is a very helpful feature if it is enabled, especially at first. It helps you learn to brake to maximize your energy reclamation.
8. Somehow my mom turned on 1 pedal driving when i was in the store and it freaked me out (I thought that there was a problem with the brakes). If you don't know what this is, the name pretty much says it all. If you push on the gas it speeds up and as you release the gas instead of just coasting, it will actually start to apply the brake depending on how much you release. If you take your foot off the pedal it actually stops pretty quickly. I don't know how I feel about it yet but it was a little shocking when I didn't know what was going on.
9. Not too happy about the charger situation right now. My travel charger can't keep up with the ER battery as I haven't even had it to 100% yet since I don't have a 220 outlet in my garage. Waiting on Sunrun now for that.

All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and am looking forward to logging many miles on this truck, but that being said I'm hoping that some updates with some simple quality of life come in to play.

I'll put more later as I get more familiar.

Click to expand...

Great observations. I have had mine for nearly three weeks and would echo many of your observations.

For your 3., I cannot agree more and would expand this beyond the dealership to include communications between Ford, SunRun, SunRun subcontractors, and the customers. I understand that this is new, so I give them a bit of a pass, but how I was to receive the charger seemed like a simple question to answer...it was not. I was expecting to be able to receive the charger and have installed before taking delivery, but that does not ever seem like that was their plan. I'm not sure their ever was an actual plan. If there was, it was not communicated clearly. For those that choose SunRun, start the process with them early to get the permits cleared. Let SunRun know when you expect delivery or your truck (and when delivered). SunRun ships the charger directly to you (I thought the installer would have it.). SunRun subcontractor installs the system, but they know nothing about the app setup. My charger does not broadcast the wifi SSID to allow FordPass setup, but it does charge and the truck reports SOC, etc.

For your dashcam, have you considered hardwiring? This is the first vehicle that I used a hardwire kit for a dashcam and it works great and looks better. The fuse box by the passenger kick panel is convenient for tapping into power for either ignition based or always on.

I agree with your sentiments for 6 on the camera access. I just want a button to turn on the front cam and 360...it would be great on the shifter, console or steering wheel.

On the shifter, I could do without it. A dial or buttons would be perfect. I am sure that 'focus groups' preferred a shifter, but it is unnecessary and in the way.

Lack luster, underwhelming, meh....for the instrument cluster. I have more customization on my 2018 Fusion Hybrid. I do like that I can turn on/off certain screens from the up/down rotation. I would like to see more on the entertainment info...it only shows the first few words of the song title. If I have Waze running on the infotainment screen, I can't see any music info. I would like to be able to have more/different screen customization for the left charge area, as well. Actual number for the percentage of charge would be great.

Overall, there are some things that I would prefer to be different, but the truck exceeds most all of my expectations. The ride comfort, the silence, the acceleration, the constant torque availability, the infotainment system, interior room, etc. I am pleased.

I agree with your assessment that some kind of macro buttons on the main screen would allow you to go to user chosen items immediately. Right now what I would desire most is being able to turn on the cameras on the display with touching only one button instead of a sequence of 2-3.

EVBill said:

I agree with your assessment that some kind of macro buttons on the main screen would allow you to go to user chosen items immediately. Right now what I would desire most is being able to turn on the cameras on the display with touching only one button instead of a sequence of 2-3.

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Had anybody tried using voice control to turn on features such as cameras? I ask because my wife's Tesla has annoying menus etc that I can't remember how to navigate but the voice control works quite well for activating a lot of stuff. Worth a try ....

Good review and suggestion list. Most of those seem very obvious and ford should have had them sorted already.

Could we get a picture of the keyfob? Wondering how the frunk+tailgate is handled. Is there a remote start (for climate control) button on the fob?

ilkhan said:

Good review and suggestion list. Most of those seem very obvious and ford should have had them sorted already.

Could we get a picture of the keyfob? Wondering how the frunk+tailgate is handled. Is there a remote start (for climate control) button on the fob?

Click to expand...

Remote start is handled through the app.
here’s the fob

Question answered then. Thank you!

Its the same as the ICE F-150 models, with frunk replacing remote start.

The way I activate cameras in my Mach-E is to shift to reverse for just an instant, then back to drive. If you have camera delay turned on, the cameras will stay on until you reach 5 MPH. I do this every time I pull into my garage so I can park exactly where I want.

This works great on the MME, but not so well on the Lightning due to the big-assed, clunky shifter. The only reason I can see for that shifter style is to make the ICE F150 guys feel at home.

Maquis said:

The way I activate cameras in my Mach-E is to shift to reverse for just an instant, then back to drive. If you have camera delay turned on, the cameras will stay on until you reach 5 MPH. I do this every time I pull into my garage so I can park exactly where I want.

This works great on the MME, but not so well on the Lightning due to the big-assed, clunky shifter. The only reason I can see for that shifter style is to make the ICE F150 guys feel at home.

Click to expand...

Interesting approach….I test drove a Lariat Lightning recently…the 360 deg cameras automatically came on when the proximity sensors came on when I was conducting/testing various parking scenarios. The salesman was surprised and we didn’t have the time to sort through the settings menu…I just need to reread the manual…or wait until mine arrives

Maquis said:

The way I activate cameras in my Mach-E is to shift to reverse for just an instant, then back to drive. If you have camera delay turned on, the cameras will stay on until you reach 5 MPH. I do this every time I pull into my garage so I can park exactly where I want.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that tip, @Maquis. Not much spare room in my garage, I'll be needing those cameras!

edit: And then I saw the reply from @Firestop. It will sure be nice if they just turn on during my approach.