Ford Dealers, Can I buy a HVB Battery From You?

[rlbussard]

Twelve Lightning currently available

@rlbussard totalled Pro is on the site:
https://www.copart.com/lot/79304403/2022-ford-f150-lightning-pro-me-windham

They didn't wait long to get it listed. It's a Lariat and not a pro as the site says. I just sold it to them last Friday.

Sponsored

 

[PA Lightning]

Twelve Lightning currently available

@rlbussard totalled Pro Lariat is on the site:
https://www.copart.com/lot/79304403/2022-ford-f150-lightning-pro-me-windham

Looks like they advertise everything as "Pro" even though they all have light bars.

 

[MurphysLaww]

I've been waiting for them to list a "Crate" battery pack for the "Crate" mach-e motor. It'd need a controller as well, obviously. I wonder if they really want people converting ICE vehicles, though.

 

[Texas Dan]

I've been waiting for them to list a "Crate" battery pack for the "Crate" mach-e motor. It'd need a controller as well, obviously. I wonder if they really want people converting ICE vehicles, though.

I think a Mustang is a terrible choice for an EV conversion, as are all unibody vehicles. There is no place to put the battery pack unless you put it inside the vehicle displacing most of the cargo space. The purposely built EVs or multiple platform vehicles have raised floors to make room for the battery packs.

I think all the body on frame ICE vehicles (except for the old low floor styles) make good candidates for EV conversion because there’s so much room to put the battery pack between the frame rails. I think Ford got it right putting the battery pack in the middle with motors front and rear.

Unfortunately I haven’t seen any conversions of body on frame vehicles that really take advantage of this potential. It seems like EV conversions of body on frame vehicles is a strong potential market that should be taken advantage of. But I also haven’t seen any “crate” motors that take advantage of the body on frame design with the battery pack in the middle.

As far as whether Ford wants EV conversion, I think they would love to see wave old F series pickups converted to EVs. ICEs are dying out but EV conversions would bring new life to the old F series and Lightning parts might fit with a little bit of modification. If I had any time to spare I might like to get into series EV conversion myself.

If any of you know of any examples of body on frame EV conversions with the battery in the middle like the Lightning please post a link.

 

[ZSC100]

For all forum members that work at Ford dealerships, can I purchase a battery from you? While I have already benchmarked the truck (see https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/lightning-and-identity-theft.12185/post-265890) and I'm now testing the cells from an extended range pack (module construction presented some unique challenges) I have a client that is looking to use for additional testing.

Phone calls to the Parts department usually end with a dropped call or no call backs

If you can help, please PM me with the type and costs.

As others have said here, it's way to early for batteries to be available to the public. All lightnings that I'm aware of are still under warranty and I suspect 25% of them have had battery modules replaced. The dealers can't even order batteries or modules without going through a special BEV program hotline where they (the FMC BEV team) decides whether the vehicle needs a battery or not. Both my best friend and I have had modules replaced and my friend twice now. They extended my warranty on mine I suspect because of the threat of me requesting a buyback, my friend did request a buyback after the 2nd module. The service manager personally told me he suspects FMC will extend everyone's EV powertrain warranty so they can keep the Battery Supply under tight wraps and try to save face with the public. They don't want batteries out on the open market, the open market can't handle that right now. There isn't enough supply for stability even within FMC, they need to tightly manage used packs to repair/warranty the units out there now. I wouldn't expect anything opening up until at least 10k trucks are out there, well beyond warranty or any threat of warranty, a few years probably.

 

[MickeyAO]

As others have said here, it's way to early for batteries to be available to the public. All lightnings that I'm aware of are still under warranty and I suspect 25% of them have had battery modules replaced. The dealers can't even order batteries or modules without going through a special BEV program hotline where they (the FMC BEV team) decides whether the vehicle needs a battery or not. Both my best friend and I have had modules replaced and my friend twice now. They extended my warranty on mine I suspect because of the threat of me requesting a buyback, my friend did request a buyback after the 2nd module. The service manager personally told me he suspects FMC will extend everyone's EV powertrain warranty so they can keep the Battery Supply under tight wraps and try to save face with the public. They don't want batteries out on the open market, the open market can't handle that right now. There isn't enough supply for stability even within FMC, they need to tightly manage used packs to repair/warranty the units out there now. I wouldn't expect anything opening up until at least 10k trucks are out there, well beyond warranty or any threat of warranty, a few years probably.

I'm not really 'general public' as I run a battery testing house. The good news is we got what we needed for testing. BTW, the extended and standard range do have a part number and a price tag, but the general public would probably not be willing to pay the price

 

[ZSC100]

I'm not really 'general public' as I run a battery testing house. The good news is we got what we needed for testing. BTW, the extended and standard range do have a part number and a price tag, but the general public would probably not be willing to pay the price

Not yet anyone willing to pay the price for sure; I have a question for you: do the SR and ER packs fit in the same housing? I originally though that all the modules were the same the SR's just had 6 (no double stack) and the ERs had 9, but I recently learned (one of my modules had to be replaced) that my SR has 9 modules as #8 was replaced and the dealer let me come and look at the pack opened up. I asked the mechanic about this, but he seemed clueless, not sure if he just hasn't done an ER yet or if he genuinely wasn't concerned enough to pay attention to these kinds of details.

 

[MickeyAO]

Not yet anyone willing to pay the price for sure; I have a question for you: do the SR and ER packs fit in the same housing? I originally though that all the modules were the same the SR's just had 6 (no double stack) and the ERs had 9, but I recently learned (one of my modules had to be replaced) that my SR has 9 modules as #8 was replaced and the dealer let me come and look at the pack opened up. I asked the mechanic about this, but he seemed clueless, not sure if he just hasn't done an ER yet or if he genuinely wasn't concerned enough to pay attention to these kinds of details.

Housing is the same. Biggest difference is that the extended range has a 5P configuration versus the standard range 4P. Both have a 96(?)S configuration.

The tab configuration was very unique in this module. In every other pack I've torn down, the tabs were folded over the busbar. Made it very easy to cut the tabs and still have enough tab left over to test. This had the tabs sticking out of a slot and wire welded to the bus bar. This left about 2 mm of tab length. We had to weld tabs onto the tabs so they would fit in our testing fixture. Never have I seen something like this, but I can easily see the advantages in manufacturing.

 

[ZSC100]

Housing is the same. Biggest difference is that the extended range has a 5P configuration versus the standard range 4P. Both have a 96(?)S configuration.

The tab configuration was very unique in this module. In every other pack I've torn down, the tabs were folded over the busbar. Made it very easy to cut the tabs and still have enough tab left over to test. This had the tabs sticking out of a slot and wire welded to the bus bar. This left about 2 mm of tab length. We had to weld tabs onto the tabs so they would fit in our testing fixture. Never have I seen something like this, but I can easily see the advantages in manufacturing.

So you're telling me for this truck there are 4 parts for the modules:
Small SR Module
Normal SR Module
Small ER Module
Normal ER Module

I'd love to know how the battery module exchange program that FMC is running works. I suspect they have a shop somewhere that is rebuilding the packs, taking out individual cells that are bad, putting in traceable (by VIN and mileage) used cells to refurbish modules, testing then shipping those modules back to dealers as replacements.

I just had a module in my truck replaced at 50kmi,, I can't imagine it would be good for them to put a rebuilt module from a truck with dissimilar miles in my truck, same as if they put my rebuilt module in a truck with only 10kmi on it.

 

[MickeyAO]

So you're telling me for this truck there are 4 parts for the modules:
Small SR Module
Normal SR Module
Small ER Module
Normal ER Module

I'd love to know how the battery module exchange program that FMC is running works. I suspect they have a shop somewhere that is rebuilding the packs, taking out individual cells that are bad, putting in traceable (by VIN and mileage) used cells to refurbish modules, testing then shipping those modules back to dealers as replacements.

I just had a module in my truck replaced at 50kmi,, I can't imagine it would be good for them to put a rebuilt module from a truck with dissimilar miles in my truck, same as if they put my rebuilt module in a truck with only 10kmi on it.

Can't speak to their module selection for exchange, but I doubt they are swapping out individual cells in a module...I know how difficult it is to extract the cells so I can't imagine that they would be able to extract specific cells and replace them. I suspect they are using new modules for the swap.

Sponsored