Lightning Towing Stats with my 23FB Airstream Trailer

[LightningShow]

Yes, it is, for its truck EVs. Look at the RV sales numbers in recent years for evidence. Massive. Look at the park attendance stats and RV park reservation numbers. Ford’s issue is how soon it can meet the CyberTruck towing specs, which we all know is fantasy, but is what’s really required - 400 towing miles with 9,000 pounds for more parity with a Super Duty.

Exactly my point, the Lightning shouldn’t be competing with a Super Duty.

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[hturnerfamily]

The F150 Lightning is not a commercial towing vehicle - it is a everyday commuter driver or for the 'local' proprietor or small company, with RARE usage outside of 100 mile radius.
As a local insurance agent for both personal and commercial, MOST trucks are owned by personal drivers who never use them for anything more than the daily driver. Commercial usage is much more limited, and much more specialized. Most insurers for commercial use vehicle ask the typical 'radius of use' question, limiting the coverage AND the premium to certain radius of driving on a daily basis, such as 50 miles or less, or 100 miles or less, etc. The average daily usage of a commercial vehicle of this type is 50 or less, simply due to the lack of hours in a day for more miles than that, practically speaking.
Yes, there will ALWAYS be exceptions, but this truck is not built for exceptions, it's built for the 'common' local everyday usage - and it will do it very well.

 

[Nikos]

As far as infrastructure for EV trucks and Lightnings towing trailers with pull thru stations, which are rare, I have to add that Chargepoint and Pilot/Flying J stations had signal agreement to start installing stations in specific locations of their extensive network. What happened with that agreement haven't or heard anything about it or of any future plans. The Infrastructure Bill hasn't made it any clearer how they going to expand the charging network.
In the meantime, on long distance RV trips, you going to have to disconnect the trailer in a Walmart parking lot, if you are using EA chargers. My wife and I have become quite fast of disconnecting our travel trailer. Under three minutes or less.
Let us hope Pilot or Loves or another truck fueling network installs the first pull thru chargers in the near future.

 

[Easycamper]

Wind makes quite a difference to fuel economy when towing, although it tends to average out over time.

I average about 10 USmpg (23 L/100km) towing this beast at 55 mph. It can vary by about +/- 15% depending on the wind.

 

[greenne]

No, it doesn't need to be better than ICE versions in every category. If Ford tried to do that, they'd fail.

First, they get contractors to adapt to EVS.

Then, they get the suburban family that may tow locally to adapt.

Then, the long tower.

In reality, the best vehicle would be a PHEV that had some decent electric range and then hybrid capability that wasn't insignificant.

Ford knows exactly how far people tow and how often. They know what percentage of people do what. And, as people start driving EVs, they're collecting the data to reaffirm what they know, because they will know every single towing trip you make.

Honestly, Ford sells 900,000 f150s a year with various use cases. I bet they could ignore the heavy haul/heavy tow crowd and still sell 500,000 Lightning trucks.

(In reality heavy tow/heavy haul are probably more appropriate for f250/f350 trucks).

Crazy as I remember f150s in the 80s and 90s that topped out at 5000lbs towing capacity. Towing 10,000lbs+ in an f150 is totally crazy to me....

 

[dnstommy]

IMO Ford has to focus on how to tow long distance or it gives everyone against them fuel. Tesla knows exactly what problem Ford is having. To me its the reason the CT is delayed. He promised so much stuff and most of it is not true. Ford can win the truck game, but they can't act like the F150 is a Brat (car-truck). Its a truck for doing truck stuff.

 

[adoublee]

IMO Ford has to focus on how to tow long distance or it gives everyone against them fuel. Tesla knows exactly what problem Ford is having. To me its the reason the CT is delayed. He promised so much stuff and most of it is not true. Ford can win the truck game, but they can't act like the F150 is a Brat (car-truck). Its a truck for doing truck stuff.

Elon sets timeliness on anticipated tech advances.

Ford is building a product plenty of people want now.

If the F150 has to do everything, why is there an F250 today?

 

[dnstommy]

Elon sets timeliness on anticipated tech advances.

Ford is building a product plenty of people want now.

If the F150 has to do everything, why is there an F250 today?

F250 is commercial, 15k pounds towing, super long haul. How many people pull Airstreams, boats, campers, etc.. with their F150? A lot is the answer. You can't say "Buy a Lightning, but don't tow anything anywhere other than in your city". Its the same thing as "Buy 28 foot v-hull with triple 450s, but no going any further than 3 miles off-shore."

 

[dnstommy]

Ford is not going to solve this issue today. But motor efficiency, a possible onboard gen, trailer batteries, etc... has to be on their list now.

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