Is there a truck culture gap for the Lightning vs the ICE F-150s?

[Regular150]

Erratic politicians (both sides) are charging up the vitriol, we rational individuals need to make decisions for ourselves, I have plenty of contacts who are negatively swayed, don't understand or unwilling to understand the benefits of investing in the growth of EV technology/vehicles. There are plenty of use cases where the current state would not meet their requirements, to them we agree now is not the time for them to take a leap.

Yes most people can't afford a new vehicle and are use to buying a 4-8 year old vehicle as their transportation. The last of the Carriage builders were producing into the early 1940s even though the horseless carriage came Via Massachusetts in 1893, Benz was earlier in Europe, and the Model T started in 1908 so ICE will be around for decades to come.

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[Roy2001]

Will the ICE people refuse to shift? I have met a lot of truck people that are just plain angry at the pure existence of a Lightning. They believe that their truck should be rolling coal all the time. And I do mean angry. They sound combative when talking about the existence of an EV pickup.

Why they are angry?

I am not only new to Ford, but also new to full size truck.

 

[sotek2345]

Why they are angry?

I am not only new to Ford, but also new to full size truck.

People, in general, don't like change.

 

[Roy2001]

People, in general, don't like change.

They can choose ICE, nobody stop them doing that...

 

[Roy2001]

One thing that would be a nice to see is a Plug in Hybrid F150, but probably will not see that at all

Plug in is hardly an option due to cost. It can only last with tax rebate.

For F150 to go plug in, you need at least 20kWh battery plus a more powerful electric motor (compare to hybrid model). It has to be more expensive and does not make sense if you have to pay $7500 more.

 

[Greased Lightning! ⚡️]

I live deep in the woods in Kentucky. My two best friends are well into their 60s. One is an old-time mechanic (he fought FORSCAN for a long time) who works out of his barn, the other a retired long haul trucker who says he is now a Professional Coon Hunter.

Both listen respectfully to me gush about the expected delivery of my Lightning but when I offer them a chance to drive it they get really agitated and loud exclaiming it will be over their dead bodies. Almost like Fact Denial.

For older, rural folks it will be a rerun of the Horse and Buggy Days vs. the Horse Riders; or the Tractor Drivers vs. the Horse Drawn Plowers.

At least until they die off or try to act younger. It was the same with my Mom, who would not use a computer until she was 80 years old and things became simpler or her younger friends shamed her.

As you get older it becomes harder to accept change, at least until change becomes more widespread.

I had this discussion with a co-worker. He mentioned an uncle who used a wood stove, refusing to use natural gas, until the day he died cause he believed the Soviet commies could reverse the flow with back pressure and blow up all our homes. Sigh.

This discussion also brings to mind a news story that has stuck with me. A woman in Texas was married to a prepper who always saved everything and forced her to eat beans and basics throughout their marriage, sew her own cloth, miss family get togethers etc. She went along cause she thought things were rough and they were poor. Upon her husband’s death she found out he managed to hoard millions while they scraped by. Out of anger she started burning through the money, spending on family and lobster meals.

In summary, don’t spend too much time trying to convince others, enjoy your electric trucks and lobster

 

[beatle]

I don't think people do a lot of thinking for themselves. They'd rather have news channels and politicians tell them what to think (rather than the other way around). Thinking and deciding for yourself can be hard, so why do it? Have someone else take care of that for you and join their club! This hive mind behavior is prevalent on both sides. Further, these clubs enforce that not only are you so right, but the other side is so wrong no matter what. This division tactic is utilized on every possible issue, even if that issue has the possibility gain support on both sides. What a shame.

 

[FordLightningMan]

I have my EV and I follow two rules:

1) If people are interested and have questions, I will answer as many as possible. I assume getting the Lighting will lead to a new group of inquisitive people.

2) If someone is anti-EV, I don't argue. When I first got my Tesla people would try to say "got cha!," about some reason it was going to ruin my life and/or the world. I would make counter points as to why this simply wasn't true. You can tell almost immediately which people won't listen to a word of EV fact, for these people now I just walk away. Then I embarrass them at red lights, for subtle revenge.

 

[beatle]

I have my EV and I follow two rules:

1) If people are interested and have questions, I will answer as many as possible. I assume getting the Lighting will lead to a new group of inquisitive people.

2) If someone is anti-EV, I don't argue. When I first got my Tesla people would try to say "got cha!," about some reason it was going to ruin my life and/or the world. I would make counter points as to why this simply wasn't true. You can tell almost immediately which people won't listen to a word of EV fact, for these people now I just walk away. Then I embarrass them at red lights, for subtle revenge.

I'm pretty much the same. A lot of people like to learn, but few like to be taught.

 

[p52Ranch]

Until Ford released the Lightning, my analysis of the available EV's was "It would be nice to have an EV for the short trips into town but it would need to be an extra vehicle added to my fleet.

The Lightning changes that. I'm going to get rid of the Super Duty as the Lightning will replace it for 98% of it's use cases. No longer am I adding a vehicle to my fleet just to get an EV. Hopefully the Lightning will become the most used vehicle in the fleet and put my wife's Q7 on the back burner.

 

[Shrike]

Until Ford released the Lightning, my analysis of the available EV's was "It would be nice to have an EV for the short trips into town but it would need to be an extra vehicle added to my fleet. The Lightning changes that. I'm going to get rid of the Super Duty as the Lightning will replace it for 98% of it's use cases. No longer am I adding a vehicle to my fleet just to get an EV. Hopefully the Lightning will become the most used vehicle in the fleet and put my wife's Q7 on the back burner.

I have a friend who got a short range Model 3 to compliment the couple's other daily driver. Their only regret is that they didn't get a longer range version, because they barely use their ICE vehicle these days. All that to say, you might like the Lightning even more than you think you will, so spring for the ER if you can!

 

[p52Ranch]

I have a friend who got a short range Model 3 to compliment the couple's other daily driver. Their only regret is that they didn't get a longer range version, because they barely use their ICE vehicle these days. All that to say, you might like the Lightning even more than you think you will, so spring for the ER if you can!

I have an XLT SR on the way. I didn't want to spend $23,000 more on a Lightning for 70 miles more range. It was only until after the order banks were closed and I had a VIN that Ford comes up with an extra 20 miles of range out of the ER. So yes, I'm second guessing myself on the SR vs ER. But I think I will be content with the SR.

 

[FordLightningMan]

I have a friend who got a short range Model 3 to compliment the couple's other daily driver. Their only regret is that they didn't get a longer range version, because they barely use their ICE vehicle these days. All that to say, you might like the Lightning even more than you think you will, so spring for the ER if you can!

Not to dissent on a well meaning post, but I think range anxiety is largely unwarranted and incorrectly scares people away from EVs. I hear a lot of people saying they need 600 miles of range before they buy an EV, with this sentiment ironically typically coming from people who never leave their home town!

I think people need to review their actual driving habits, then make their informed EV purchase based on this. Batteries are expensive! Buying bigger for the worst case / unlikely use case scenario isn't just a bad idea with EVs, it is also a bad habit to develop in other aspects of life too! Save some money and get what you actually need!

 

[Carlarich22]

So, I noticed that we seem to have a big cultural difference between the old forum that is now ICE F150 only, and the new, which is Lightning. Probably a good thing.

Given that 3/4 of us here on the Lightning side are new to Ford as a brand, according to Ford, is there going to be a long term division in the ICE vs. EV truck people, or will it shift?

If Ford can start getting the Lightning up to par with ICE deliveries in the future, which I know is a tall order, how long before we see the EV trucks taking over? The prediction often bandied about is 50% parity for 2030. Could it be coming faster?

Will the ICE people refuse to shift? I have met a lot of truck people that are just plain angry at the pure existence of a Lightning. They believe that their truck should be rolling coal all the time. And I do mean angry. They sound combative when talking about the existence of an EV pickup.

My thoughts are that pure ICE trucks will go away quickly, being replaced by hybrid and EV trucks in the coming years.


Thoughts on how this is going to shake up truck culture?

I have a gas F250 that I will keep because I need it for towing. I am excited about getting the Lightning I'm 71 years old, and have owned a lot of Ford trucks and Explorers over the years. I'll be trading in my Explorer for the Lightning.

 

[Mr. Flibble]

Not to dissent on a well meaning post, but I think range anxiety is largely unwarranted and incorrectly scares people away from EVs. I hear a lot of people saying they need 600 miles of range before they buy an EV, with this sentiment ironically typically coming from people who never leave their home town!

I think people need to review their actual driving habits, then make their informed EV purchase based on this. Batteries are expensive! Buying bigger for the worst case / unlikely use case scenario isn't just a bad idea with EVs, it is also a bad habit to develop in other aspects of life too! Save some money and get what you actually need!

I think range anxiety is a real thing. But only because people are used to a longer range with gas cars and the ability to fill up quickly.

When we first got our Kia Soul EV with a 90 mile range, those first 2 weeks had a lot of panic for us as we were completely unused to the idea of an EV that could not go very far compared to our other vehicles, and that it took quite some time to charge compared to ICE.

We bought it knowing I would use it for my extremely short commute to work, which was 3 miles one way, and would save us a lot in gas money. (Plus we got a large cheque from Dieselgate and the VW we traded in.)

Those first two weeks were pretty unnerving. Especially, when we got the range down to only 7 miles remaining, and the car kept warning us to find a charger.

So yes, it is a real thing, it really is unnerving at first.

Now?

Well, the battery in that Kia is being warranty replaced - but just before I dropped it off for the service, it had a max range of about 23 miles on the highway. Did that cause me anxiety? No, because I am used to an EV after 5 years of driving one. I am used to the idea of going to the garage and having the range replenished overnight.

I think range anxiety is a real fear because when you move to an EV you have this concept of always having an "infinite" range (with gas fill ups) and suddenly move to a "limited range" with an EV. EV's offer a ton of benefits over ICE, but the drawback of a change in range. That is something you get over quickly, but it is a real and valid fear.

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