Any Issues With Road Rage or Hecklers?

[V8BoatBuilder]

Opening the frunk is a magnet for conversation. Keep it shut if you really want to go incognito.

It's been great conversations in the three states I've been to (PA, MD, and of course NJ). I've received waves, had stoplight conversations, and had a local police officer ask a bunch of questions at school pickup. Lots of questions on how long it takes to charge, and how it tows.

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[metroshot]

Funny, I only get thumbs up from Ford drivers most of them from MME owners.

Never had any negativity - most probably didn't notice it was EV because it blends in so well.

Had a person come up and ask it this was a 2023 new ICE F150 because of the front the rear lights at night.

 

[queuewho]

Opening the frunk is a magnet for conversation. Keep it shut if you really want to go incognito.

I did a Walmart pickup today and backed into the space, had them load the frunk. I got some inquisitive looks

 

[dannynoone]

No problems. A whole lot of questions on how I got one though.

This

 

[Ffxdude]

Ditto on much of what’s been said thus far. Unless you open the frunk, most folks don’t know it’s an ev. And when you do open the funk people usually take notice. I’ve had more than one interaction with it open and folks coming over to see if I need help.

 

[jerock]

My wife took ours to Walmart picking up groceries for a friend. When the person from Walmart asked where she wanted the groceries she pointed to the trunk. He just stood there with a look like she must be nuts. She opened the trunk & he was pretty surprised.

 

[H3IMDALL]

Those folks think you are one of them because you’re driving a truck. Same folks that pick a fight with the short guy at the a bar. You’ll be ok since “Tesla = lib” is about all they have the capability for. Someone needs to make them do real work and work that idiocy out of them.

 

[duncanmclain]

Most people don’t realize that it isn’t a regular F150. Those who do are more likely to ask you questions about it. There are some who seem to doubt the efficacy of an electric truck, but that doubt disappears after you take them for a ride. Except long distance towing, it out shines the competition in almost every way and people will recognize it if they give the Lightning a chance.

This, most people have no idea its not a regular F-150. I pulled a trailer full of yard waste (fallen tree branches, shrubs, and stumps) to a compost yard, and it wasn't until my wife opened the frunk did anyone even notice. Then I got a ton of questions about it not being able to pull a trailer.

 

[greenne]

I have my order in, but one thing I was curious if people have had any issues with is getting heckled for an electric F150 or encountering road rage while driving. I live in the deep, deep south in a very young, urban town. This isn't a knock on the south, I've lived in farming communities, folks there were humble and kind, but where I'm at now is the wild west sometimes. Very young area, lots of Testosterone... I've never had an issues in my Ranger, but my friends with Model 3s get some trouble (coal rolling and so on). I've encountered teens and young guys trying to run each other off the road in their pickups more than once. I guess, with the lightning being the first electric full sized pickup to hit the market, has anyone had people give them trouble on the road or in parking lots? I just want to drive to/from work, but my area isn't the greatest.

TBH most people who would "coal roll" you are too stupid to know what an f150 Lightning is OR how to distinguish one from a regular ole' f150.

Teslas are easy targets because they are easily identifiable.

 

[kbuicker]

No! Just lots of thumbs up and guys in sports cars trying to outrun me.

 

[queuewho]

Then I got a ton of questions about it not being able to pull a trailer.

those are infowars guys probably.

 

[ChrisCon]

Only positive stuff on my end . I own a garden center with a landscape division and the guys at the nurseries I buy from love it and are fascinated with it just as much as the Tesla owners I visit at their homes with proposals . All love everywhere . It really helps that the truck has legacy styling.

Regarding towing , if anyone wants to “infowars me “ I hook up one of my bobcats with a trailer to it and demonstrate a 0-60 that beats their work truck with nothing attached to it. In a real world , actual work scenario you aren’t going to to be moving heavy equipment more than 30 to 40 miles away from home base so range isn’t an issue ( and I do own bigger super duty trucks) .

Other than that , Ram owners want to race and lose often and I’ve yet to see anyone bring a Rivian to work . I do see them at white collar customers’ homes who are also many times Tesla owners that are looking for a “fun weekend truck “ . To me , the Rivian and Hummer are truly a different segment .

 

[wingfiry]

When I view comments on EV related articles, there are a lot of people that are anti EV. I probably shouldn't read them but it has made me wonder if people might vandalize EVs or be rude on the road. So I appreciate the OP's question and the responses.

What exactly is coal rolling? Google says it's a modification to a truck to make it smoky but I'm getting the impression from this post that it's something deliberate, perhaps spewing smoke on your car?

I think a lot of it is perception. ICE vehicles, diesels in particular, send out a cloud of smoke if you hammer the accelerator. I think that some EV drivers are hyper-aware of it and assume it's something directed at them even when it's not.

I'm sure there are *some* instances where it's a deliberate thing, but I think it's far less than what is assumed. I could be incorrect.. but that's my opinion anyway.

 

[Beaux]

You got lucky at that station in Rome. I tried using it several times when I first got my truck and didn't have my pro charger at home yet and it wasn't working. But my experiences are similar to yours being noticed.

in 6,000 miles, sometimes while towing my camper, I've had two instances where one man pulled up next to me in a 45 mph zone heading out of town and was smiling and waiving out of his 'regular' older F150, wanting to know where he could 'get' one... the other was on 60mph divided highway speeds where a fellow in a sports car on my right stayed right beside me for quite a while, I could tell he was 'looking'... he then sped up, looked out his window back at me, and gave a BIG THUMBS UP!

most other folks are basically oblivious to the 'Lightning' feature of this truck. They don't miss the tail pipes. They don't miss the missing gas tank cap. They don't pay attention to the charge port 'badge'... they just aren't that 'interested' in trying to somehow see your 'new' truck that they didn't realize WAS a new truck, other than it's really shiny : )

The only others that have 'noticed' my Lightning are from the police community - a nice cop pulled up next to me while in Chattanooga on the outer edges of a Lowes store, just to chat. Another sheriff deputy pulled up next to me, while charging at a Chargepoint in Rome GA, just to chat, though mainly about the camper I was pulling. He hardly noticed the 'Lightning'. Interesting.

A few others have 'noticed' me at a CHARGE STATION, of course, though many folks look at you as though you must have made a 'mistake' parking at an EV Station...hmmmm. And, frankly, that's the way I like it.

 

[astricklin]

I think a lot of it is perception. ICE vehicles, diesels in particular, send out a cloud of smoke if you hammer the accelerator. I think that some EV drivers are hyper-aware of it and assume it's something directed at them even when it's not.

A properly maintained gas engine will not smoke, even when at full throttle. An older (pre DEF) diesel will have soot in the exhaust on heavy throttle, however a newer truck should not unless they have defeated emissions control devices. If you see a fairly new truck spewing black clouds it is entirely intentional.

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