Top Lightning gripes or dislikes.

[GDN]

I don’t mess around much with forscan or the electronics in my vehicles but it doesn’t seem to far out there that someone would be able to add a Mach e shifter to the dash below trailer brake (or ideally swap location with pro trailer back up) then put console bin in the shifters place. May require some harness extensions and may or may not work with forscan mods. Given the mods and post build add ons I have seen someone with enough know how and willingness could likely pull it off.

While it would be an option, the knob is definitely not what I want either. The simplistic stalk - up for reverse, down for drive, button for Park is remarkable in the Tesla. Out of the way, yet easy to get to. Don't get me wrong - the current shifter is the perfect hand rest, but totally useless and in the way otherwise.

 

[MTLF150]

I don’t mess around much with forscan or the electronics in my vehicles but it doesn’t seem to far out there that someone would be able to add a Mach e shifter to the dash below trailer brake (or ideally swap location with pro trailer back up) then put console bin in the shifters place. May require some harness extensions and may or may not work with forscan mods. Given the mods and post build add ons I have seen someone with enough know how and willingness could likely pull it off.

I would really wish someone would do this mod. Love my Ram 1500 shifter knob and the amount of space you gain in the console. Its probably the thing I dislike most of the lightning design. Seems like a huge waste of space for nothing.

 

[meow]

My biggest gripes:

1. The frunk beep.
2. Center screen d e l a y s doing anything. It's almost unusable to the point I try to set anything before I go anywhere and just not touch it whatsoever.
3. Lack of info on the instrument cluster, in any mode. It infuriates me that calm mode is the only one that shows battery percentage. Why?
4. OMFG add a damn shortcut camera button.
5. Cameras turning off the second you shift into drive is a problem, it's a long electric vechicle that can barely fit into EV charging spots. Stop making me tou c h t h e s c r e e n. It slows me down.
6. HOW DO WE MAKE THE FRUNK BEEP STOP
7. The location of the charge port is Not Great.

I would really wish someone would do this mod. Love my Ram 1500 shifter knob and the amount of space you gain in the console. Its probably the thing I dislike most of the lightning design. Seems like a huge waste of space for nothing.

Except for losing the flip-over armrest that I've (shockingly!) found useful once or twice, I second this.

 

[CRAIGC540]

Onboard pro power is on evertime I look even though I cut it off and never use it.

Does this use much power on standby?

 

[Pioneer74]

Cameras turning off the second you shift into drive is a problem, it's a long electric vechicle that can barely fit into EV charging spots. Stop making me tou c h t h e s c r e e n. It slows me down

 

[data003]

1. Frunk beep is totally unnecessary, at minimum it needs to be toned way back to a single beep. Same with the tailgate.
2. Turn signal is also way too loud for sleeping kids in such a quiet vehicle.
3. Backing up beep is also too loud, I shouldn’t have to worry about waking people up when I leave in the morning.
4. Like others have said they need a dedicated camera button on the Home Screen.
5. Battery percentage everywhere. The GoM is mostly useless.

The shifter doesn’t bother me, but it is a waste of space. More cup holders would be useful.

By the way, if you turn off AutoHold under Driver Assistance you can creep. This is very useful at DCFC so you can get close enough.

 

[Firestop]

Yep, but my issue is driving forward/parking in tight places….one, it takes two screen taps to manually activate the forward/360 cameras. Two, although the forward/360 camera view come on when the perimeter proximity sensors detect/alarm, the cameras immediately shutoff as soon as you clear the initial obstruction…..NO DELAY possible while moving forward despite still being in a tight (e.g. parking) spot. Your only option is to stop the truck, effect two screen taps, and then resume parking.

@Ford Motor Company , it shouldn’t be this difficult…..and, frustrating!

 

[sotek2345]

Yep, but my issue is driving forward/parking in tight places….one, it takes two screen taps to manually activate the forward/360 cameras. Two, although the forward/360 camera view come on when the perimeter proximity sensors detect/alarm, the cameras immediately shutoff as soon as you clear the initial obstruction…..NO DELAY possible while moving forward despite still being in a tight (e.g. parking) spot. Your only option is to stop the truck, effect two screen taps, and then resume parking.

@Ford Motor Company , it shouldn’t be this difficult…..and, frustrating!

If you set this, a quick shift to reverse and then back to drive will keep the cameras on until you park. Not great, but still a useful work around.

 

[Weapon X]

Lightning definitely has some advantages over vans, like transporting stuff in the bed, but like you said, people and interior/protected volume goes to vans.

I think the Lightning, with it's frunk, is very practical. I just was responding to the claim (at least as it was worded), that said "trucks have far more room for kids than any other vehicle type."

My kids fit in the frunk just fine

 

[meow]

Except it's not a consistent setting. The truck has a worse memory than I do.

Yep, but my issue is driving forward/parking in tight places….one, it takes two screen taps to manually activate the forward/360 cameras. Two, although the forward/360 camera view come on when the perimeter proximity sensors detect/alarm, the cameras immediately shutoff as soon as you clear the initial obstruction…..NO DELAY possible while moving forward despite still being in a tight (e.g. parking) spot. Your only option is to stop the truck, effect two screen taps, and then resume parking.

@Ford Motor Company , it shouldn’t be this difficult…..and, frustrating!

Yep, precisely!

If you set this, a quick shift to reverse and then back to drive will keep the cameras on until you park. Not great, but still a useful work around.

"If it actually worked consistently" is becoming my default when thinking about gripes with this thing.



Don't get me wrong, I really like it. Its flaws are relatively superficial but really really need addressed.



Bonus gripe! As the temperature drops here, when can I get an aftermarket heat pump for the thing? I'm fine with the heater off, but my chronically ill partner who requires a certain minimum temperature just to survive is going to have a thoroughly bad time if we need to go anywhere in this. Someone on the MME forums said "a down jacket and a hot coffee is a lot cheaper." I'm sure it wasn't intended as such but it's representative of the EV space as a whole currently: both ableist and privileged. We as a broader group might want to remember not many can afford these vehicles and some might be physically unable to live with them.

What sucks most here is that an aftermarket solution is very unlikely, and I don't think I'd have been able to stretch my budget to a MY23+ Lightning. We shall see what the future holds, but no EV should come with only resistive heating at this point. shakes fist

 

[GDN]

Except it's not a consistent setting. The truck has a worse memory than I do.


Yep, precisely!



"If it actually worked consistently" is becoming my default when thinking about gripes with this thing.



Don't get me wrong, I really like it. Its flaws are relatively superficial but really really need addressed.



Bonus gripe! As the temperature drops here, when can I get an aftermarket heat pump for the thing? I'm fine with the heater off, but my chronically ill partner who requires a certain minimum temperature just to survive is going to have a thoroughly bad time if we need to go anywhere in this. Someone on the MME forums said "a down jacket and a hot coffee is a lot cheaper." I'm sure it wasn't intended as such but it's representative of the EV space as a whole currently: both ableist and privileged. We as a broader group might want to remember not many can afford these vehicles and some might be physically unable to live with them.

What sucks most here is that an aftermarket solution is very unlikely, and I don't think I'd have been able to stretch my budget to a MY23+ Lightning. We shall see what the future holds, but no EV should come with only resistive heating at this point. shakes fist

Most here want to diss the heat pump because Tesla uses it and Ford doesn't. It may have an issue in the coldest of climates, but I'll put money on it that it will be the heart of the redesigned truck. It will have to be for battery savings and range. I'm all good with resistive heat backup or for the 5% that might need it.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Except it's not a consistent setting. The truck has a worse memory than I do.


Yep, precisely!



"If it actually worked consistently" is becoming my default when thinking about gripes with this thing.



Don't get me wrong, I really like it. Its flaws are relatively superficial but really really need addressed.



Bonus gripe! As the temperature drops here, when can I get an aftermarket heat pump for the thing? I'm fine with the heater off, but my chronically ill partner who requires a certain minimum temperature just to survive is going to have a thoroughly bad time if we need to go anywhere in this. Someone on the MME forums said "a down jacket and a hot coffee is a lot cheaper." I'm sure it wasn't intended as such but it's representative of the EV space as a whole currently: both ableist and privileged. We as a broader group might want to remember not many can afford these vehicles and some might be physically unable to live with them.

What sucks most here is that an aftermarket solution is very unlikely, and I don't think I'd have been able to stretch my budget to a MY23+ Lightning. We shall see what the future holds, but no EV should come with only resistive heating at this point. shakes fist

For the heat pump thing, I'm confused by what the desired outcome/result is. Your wish is to have warmer temperatures quicker, right?

As an owner of older Model S cars long before Tesla started putting heat pumps into cars, that has to be one of my favorite things about the cars is how rapidly they warm up even on the coldest of Colorado mornings. I open the app, set the temperature to 71 and then activate the steering wheel heat plus set the driver's side seat heater to medium (or "2 bacons" as we affectionately refer to it) and within a minute or so the heater -which is powered by resistive heat- is already blowing warm air. The cabin would be warm in short order thereafter even when the mercury dips below zero.

This is a welcomed departure from ICE cars that had to sit running for at least 10-12 minutes to warm up the engine before they even thought about making warm air, let alone actually warming the cabin.

This is why I'm confused by your request above. From what I've read (since I don't own a vehicle with one to say first hand) the heat pump is all about increased efficiency and less energy usage. It's like the inverse of an air conditioner which uses vacuums and exchangers to move heat from one area to another the opposite direction of a traditional A/C. This actually comes at the cost of performance, especially in colder climates. The colder the temperatures, the less efficient a heat pump is and many will activate a (far less efficient but higher performing) resistive heat element to even continue functioning below a certain temperature.

So if heating performance is your primary goal (which is sounds like it is for you) then I would think that heat pumps is not actually what you want and you should be happier with a resistive heat solution, if I'm reading your post correctly that is. I could be misreading though so feel free to elaborate if I've missed the mark.

In the interest of full disclosure, I over dramatized the steps required to activate this on a Tesla. Typically I unlock my phone and press one button on a widget on the home screen of my smartphone and it remembers all of those things for me. There's even an option to let it remember when you leave so it can save you that one press. I'm a little old school though and I prefer tapping a single button moments before entering my car to have it already warming up.

 

[Tmack7]

New gripe. The photo receptor for dimming mirrors is not responsive enough.
One issue could be my kids car seat blocks enough light from reaching it.
The other is the idiot in the Mach E of all things tailgating me was to low below my tailgate for enough light to come in but was plenty bright enough to blind me in my side mirror.
My issues happen at dusk so makes me think it’s just not sensitive enough.
This could be an issue with my previous truck in these circumstances but I never noticed it over the past 6 yrs leading me to think it’s something off in my lightning.

 

[Ostrichsak]

Most here want to diss the heat pump because Tesla uses it and Ford doesn't. It may have an issue in the coldest of climates, but I'll put money on it that it will be the heart of the redesigned truck. It will have to be for battery savings and range. I'm all good with resistive heat backup or for the 5% that might need it.

Tesla owner here, mos def not a fanboi though and I'm typically the first to point out shortcomings on Tesla forums and actively rage against those who blindly defend ANY brand even in the face of obvious shortcomings. Can't stand that junk.

I think the heat pump is a wonderful solution but it's not a universal one the way resistive heat is. In North America we just have too wide of a range of temperatures for it to be a one-size-fits-all type of solution. If you only made cars for Southern California or Arizona this wouldn't be an issue. While sometimes early on it felt like Tesla only had SoCal in mind when engineering cars in some aspects, it seems as though they're doing a better job now with certain aspects which is a good thing for the rest of us.

I did some cursory research on heat pumps for our house and where we live it just doesn't seem to make as much sense as I had hoped. I think it's the same thing with the cars in this climate. Sure, you can add resistive heat to make up that lower range but the heat pump is still governed by the physics involved with thermal dynamics which, until we have some sort of a breakthrough, make it a non-starter as a single source solution.

I think that having a heat pump/resistive heat combination in EVs is the probably the best implementation for efficiency/range reasons but I certainly wouldn't see the omission of a heat pump as a limit in terms of performance, though.

 

[GDN]

Tesla owner here, mos def not a fanboi though and I'm typically the first to point out shortcomings on Tesla forums and actively rage against those who blindly defend ANY brand even in the face of obvious shortcomings. Can't stand that junk.

I think the heat pump is a wonderful solution but it's not a universal one the way resistive heat is. In North America we just have too wide of a range of temperatures for it to be a one-size-fits-all type of solution. If you only made cars for Southern California or Arizona this wouldn't be an issue. While sometimes early on it felt like Tesla only had SoCal in mind when engineering cars in some aspects, it seems as though they're doing a better job now with certain aspects which is a good thing for the rest of us.

I did some cursory research on heat pumps for our house and where we live it just doesn't seem to make as much sense as I had hoped. I think it's the same thing with the cars in this climate. Sure, you can add resistive heat to make up that lower range but the heat pump is still governed by the physics involved with thermal dynamics which, until we have some sort of a breakthrough, make it a non-starter as a single source solution.

I think that having a heat pump/resistive heat combination in EVs is the probably the best implementation for efficiency/range reasons but I certainly wouldn't see the omission of a heat pump as a limit in terms of performance, though.

It won't be long before the govt starts to harp on EV's about mileage too. Considering the heat pump works for a huge majority of owners and resistive heat does impact range, maybe not performance as much if you are above 50% SOC, but the heat pump will be an absolute requirement for mass EV adoption and government regulations. It just isn't in their sights yet.

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