23 LER Lariat - Final Thoughts - 9 Months/20k mile ownership.

[VAF84]

Long read ahead; will be placed in both Lightning forums.

My buyback replacement truck has been built and getting shipped to the dealer. This means my EV days are numbered, unless I splurge on the GM EV trucks with the 440 range. Here are my final thoughts.

Albeit a roller coaster ride of emotions, the Lightning turned out to be an amazing truck in certain situations and at worst an inconvenient one in others. I’ve learned that anyone can make an EV work if they are determined, but those with bad use cases will have to change their lives to accommodate EV limitations.

Bar none my favorite part and biggest selling point was the driving experience; this and pricing lured me in. I will miss this the most, and it’s really the biggest factor having me question going back to ICE. Closely followed by one-pedal driving, and then the frunk. If I ever pay a premium for an EV it will be for driving experience and range.

The single biggest improvement to my ownership experience came from access to the Tesla charging network. It was the game changer for my travels and ability to have peace of mind in EV deserts. I don't know if I'd own one without this access.

I’ve learned that geography has the single biggest impact on the EV experience. Having spent a lot of time in varied geographies and locations; I had times when I hated the truck, but others such as my current location where I finally experienced the highs and crazy numbers that frankly I was skeptical about when I’d read the comments.

The least pleasurable part of my experience was when working between KY and IN. Cold winters limited fast charging infrastructure, and lots of open highway was a range killer, and a lot of planning was involved. I had nowhere to plug in at night. Again, Tesla access began to change that for me, but I got access as I was leaving the area. Middle ground was in central Texas. Working from home, excellent of course. However, suburban sprawl, high speed limits, long open highways encouraging higher speeds reduced range which could be inconvenient at times. By far my best experience is currently in Louisiana. Warm weather, smaller city, low speed limits have led to me breaking 3mi/kw for the first time at 18k miles. I’ve even seen the number 4 briefly pop up!

Long trips. Trips with a radius of 350 miles had acceptable delays if charging infrastructure was good. I.e. at least one 150+ KW charger on the route and being able to charge at the destination. I had multiple 1,900mile round trips, and that was a headache. Yeah, I got it done, but 4 to 5 hours of added charging time each way to a 14-hour trip was honestly too much. Thank god for BC. Once the 440-range trucks proliferate and that charging time gets cut in half my last EV gripe will begone. Either that or sub 10min 10-80% fast charging time.

Mechanical Issues/Maintenance: I had a rocky start, but Ford ultimately addressed the issues. In my line of work, it’s a big deal because I rely heavily on my vehicle. If I was always home, I’d been fine. Your local dealers will be the driving factor on what happens when things go wrong, but Ford corporate came through. Aside from the initial limp mode last December which was 1 week into my ownership, and coolant valve issue that ultimately got my buy back approved due to the amount of downtime, I really hadn’t seen anything else. Both of those happened at under 7k miles, I’m closing in at 19k miles as of now and will have 20k when it gets turned in this month. A few software glitches here and there that resolved themselves. I had a plastic piece pop out of the sunroof, minor but annoying (I swear it’s always something with Ford panoramic). I’ve only rotated the tires aside from that.

EDIT 9/14/24: Two more issues popped up with days to go before my replacement. Before or around update 6.8.0 I got hit with a power reduction, felt like 50%. I drove hwy speeds for an hour with it, and it resolved itself during a pit stop. Second, the door keypad has decided to pop out. Must have broken tab, never had this happen before. Neither were addressed with service as I'm turning the truck in this week.

MAJOR NOTE: Don’t assume that the Ford dealer network means you’ll have a better luck if things go wrong away from home. The dealer network influenced my decision to go with a Ford over a Tesla/ Rivian type. However, after shopping around, I wonder if my issues would have been resolved more quickly with a non-legacy EV retailer. I’m told by non-legacy they would have towed my car to wherever their shop is and got me a comparable rental. I feel that if you are in rural area and your local Ford dealer doesn’t have competent EV techs, then you may have longer downtime than at an EV focused repair shop. This is all anecdotal, but after this experience I’m less hesitant to buy a car without an extensive dealer network.

Towing: The topic has been beat to death; not going to get much into this. Around town it’s good, but I’m not going to suffer through the experience of towing anywhere beyond that. All I’ll say is that IMO if your state doesn’t have a 55mph limit for towing and you value your time, don’t bother with anything over 120 miles radius. (Assumes bulky 8.5’ wide box shaped trailer of about 7k lbs)

Charging: I’ve charged off the following successfully: wall plug (about 1% an hr), 50amp house plug (6.5kwh), Tesla fast chargers (A2Z adapter), Tesla Mobile (primary charging device using Lectron adapter), diesel generators (38kw and I think 150kw, using generator adapter plug to 14-50, then plugged 50’ extension to Tesla mobile charger with Lectron adapter).

For me and my case; without range parity with an ICE; and by that, I mean 325 miles of unhindered, any weather, up to 80mph highway driving speeds, I would not pay equal to or more than the ICE equivalent. At most I’d pay 10% less. Having said that, unlike ICE your experience is exponentially affected by geography and living situation such as easy access to plugs. If you’re a commuter that takes few long trips, then maybe I’d pay same as ICE. I feel that most people with plug access will find EV ownership superior to ICE; this coming from a gear head that loves driving vehicles with overpowered ICE. Oh, and I’m in the oil and gas industry. I went from ambivalent to convert, if I can get the right product for my needs/wants at the right price. The Lightning came close, just needed more range to convince me to stick with it.

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[ChrisInVegas]

Well thought out and great post. Use case... and geography are key factors. I live in Vegas, so the temps are good and our occasional road trips are to So Cal or Arizona. Good enough charging either way. I 100% agree that access to the Tesla network is a game changer.

I love my truck and it works well for what I need, but if I had to tow... yikes. I look forward to improvements in range and charging over the coming years, but for now people should think hard about "if" an EV is right for them given the infrastructure at this time. Can it work? Absolutely. Is it more difficult? Sometimes.

Note: We are a 2 EV family... 22 Lightning Lariat ER and 2022 Tesla Model Y. The Tesla is much easier, but far less comfy on long trips.

 

[astrand1]

I’m curious you said that the issues that triggered the buy back were around 7k miles but your now around 20k and they are just now taking it back? Are they whacking you on value for all those extra miles? Have you had more issues after 7k? Just trying to get a full understanding.

 

[Jseis]

Good post. I commute 100 miles a day on rural 55 mph roads. Charge at home. 26 boat launches w/in 50 miles. All works. Battery density improvements of say 25% more energy and a 50% reduction will really be the game changer. Our proximity to bigger urban areas at 120 miles still allows a day trip on one charge. But Montana speeds kills the buzz. I’ve made several 1800 mile round trips. Took 3 hours of charging. It’d be nice if two hours could be shaved off. We’ll be there in ~10 years. My ‘67 4-speed D200 w/318 and 4.10 gears got 10 mpg. Yikes what a change.

 

[kstype]

Long read ahead; will be placed in both Lightning forums.

My buyback replacement truck has been built and getting shipped to the dealer. This means my EV days are numbered, unless I splurge on the GM EV trucks with the 440 range. Here are my final thoughts.

Albeit a roller coaster ride of emotions, the Lightning turned out to be an amazing truck in certain situations and at worst an inconvenient one in others. I’ve learned that anyone can make an EV work if they are determined, but those with bad use cases will have to change their lives to accommodate EV limitations.

Bar none my favorite part and biggest selling point was the driving experience; this and pricing lured me in. I will miss this the most, and it’s really the biggest factor having me question going back to ICE. Closely followed by one-pedal driving, and then the frunk. If I ever pay a premium for an EV it will be for driving experience and range.

The single biggest improvement to my ownership experience came from access to the Tesla charging network. It was the game changer for my travels and ability to have peace of mind in EV deserts. I don't know if I'd own one without this access.

I’ve learned that geography has the single biggest impact on the EV experience. Having spent a lot of time in varied geographies and locations; I had times when I hated the truck, but others such as my current location where I finally experienced the highs and crazy numbers that frankly I was skeptical about when I’d read the comments.

The least pleasurable part of my experience was when working between KY and IN. Cold winters limited fast charging infrastructure, and lots of open highway was a range killer, and a lot of planning was involved. I had nowhere to plug in at night. Again, Tesla access began to change that for me, but I got access as I was leaving the area. Middle ground was in central Texas. Working from home, excellent of course. However, suburban sprawl, high speed limits, long open highways encouraging higher speeds reduced range which could be inconvenient at times. By far my best experience is currently in Louisiana. Warm weather, smaller city, low speed limits have led to me breaking 3mi/kw for the first time at 18k miles. I’ve even seen the number 4 briefly pop up!

Long trips. Trips with a radius of 350 miles had acceptable delays if charging infrastructure was good. I.e. at least one 150+ KW charger on the route and being able to charge at the destination. I had multiple 1,900mile round trips, and that was a headache. Yeah, I got it done, but 4 to 5 hours of added charging time each way to a 14-hour trip was honestly too much. Thank god for BC. Once the 440-range trucks proliferate and that charging time gets cut in half my last EV gripe will begone. Either that or sub 10min 10-80% fast charging time.

Mechanical Issues/Maintenance: I had a rocky start, but Ford ultimately addressed the issues. In my line of work, it’s a big deal because I rely heavily on my vehicle. If I was always home, I’d been fine. Your local dealers will be the driving factor on what happens when things go wrong, but Ford corporate came through. Aside from the initial limp mode last December which was 1 week into my ownership, and coolant valve issue that ultimately got my buy back approved due to the amount of downtime, I really hadn’t seen anything else. Both of those happened at under 7k miles, I’m closing in at 19k miles as of now and will have 20k when it gets turned in this month. A few software glitches here and there that resolved themselves. I had a plastic piece pop out of the sunroof, minor but annoying (I swear it’s always something with Ford panoramic). I’ve only rotated the tires aside from that.

MAJOR NOTE: Don’t assume that the Ford dealer network means you’ll have a better luck if things go wrong away from home. The dealer network influenced my decision to go with a Ford over a Tesla/ Rivian type. However, after shopping around, I wonder if my issues would have been resolved more quickly with a non-legacy EV retailer. I’m told by non-legacy they would have towed my car to wherever their shop is and got me a comparable rental. I feel that if you are in rural area and your local Ford dealer doesn’t have competent EV techs, then you may have longer downtime than at an EV focused repair shop. This is all anecdotal, but after this experience I’m less hesitant to buy a car without an extensive dealer network.

Towing: The topic has been beat to death; not going to get much into this. Around town it’s good, but I’m not going to suffer through the experience of towing anywhere beyond that. All I’ll say is that IMO if your state doesn’t have a 55mph limit for towing and you value your time, don’t bother with anything over 120 miles radius. (Assumes bulky 8.5’ wide box shaped trailer of about 7k lbs)

Charging: I’ve charged off the following successfully: wall plug (about 1% an hr), 50amp house plug (6.5kwh), Tesla fast chargers (A2Z adapter), Tesla Mobile (primary charging device using Lectron adapter), diesel generators (38kw and I think 150kw, using generator adapter plug to 14-50, then plugged 50’ extension to Tesla mobile charger with Lectron adapter).

For me and my case; without range parity with an ICE; and by that, I mean 325 miles of unhindered, any weather, up to 80mph highway driving speeds, I would not pay equal to or more than the ICE equivalent. At most I’d pay 10% less. Having said that, unlike ICE your experience is exponentially affected by geography and living situation such as easy access to plugs. If you’re a commuter that takes few long trips, then maybe I’d pay same as ICE. I feel that most people with plug access will find EV ownership superior to ICE; this coming from a gear head that loves driving vehicles with overpowered ICE. Oh, and I’m in the oil and gas industry. I went from ambivalent to convert, if I can get the right product for my needs/wants at the right price. The Lightning came close, just needed more range to convince me to stick with it.

Great post - thanks for taking the time to tell your story and in such a genuine and articulate way. I am glad Ford has another option for you - wish you the best with your new machine and safe travels everywhere you go!

 

[Fyatrk]

Long read ahead; will be placed in both Lightning forums.

My buyback replacement truck has been built and getting shipped to the dealer. This means my EV days are numbered, unless I splurge on the GM EV trucks with the 440 range. Here are my final thoughts.

Albeit a roller coaster ride of emotions, the Lightning turned out to be an amazing truck in certain situations and at worst an inconvenient one in others. I’ve learned that anyone can make an EV work if they are determined, but those with bad use cases will have to change their lives to accommodate EV limitations.

Bar none my favorite part and biggest selling point was the driving experience; this and pricing lured me in. I will miss this the most, and it’s really the biggest factor having me question going back to ICE. Closely followed by one-pedal driving, and then the frunk. If I ever pay a premium for an EV it will be for driving experience and range.

The single biggest improvement to my ownership experience came from access to the Tesla charging network. It was the game changer for my travels and ability to have peace of mind in EV deserts. I don't know if I'd own one without this access.

I’ve learned that geography has the single biggest impact on the EV experience. Having spent a lot of time in varied geographies and locations; I had times when I hated the truck, but others such as my current location where I finally experienced the highs and crazy numbers that frankly I was skeptical about when I’d read the comments.

The least pleasurable part of my experience was when working between KY and IN. Cold winters limited fast charging infrastructure, and lots of open highway was a range killer, and a lot of planning was involved. I had nowhere to plug in at night. Again, Tesla access began to change that for me, but I got access as I was leaving the area. Middle ground was in central Texas. Working from home, excellent of course. However, suburban sprawl, high speed limits, long open highways encouraging higher speeds reduced range which could be inconvenient at times. By far my best experience is currently in Louisiana. Warm weather, smaller city, low speed limits have led to me breaking 3mi/kw for the first time at 18k miles. I’ve even seen the number 4 briefly pop up!

Long trips. Trips with a radius of 350 miles had acceptable delays if charging infrastructure was good. I.e. at least one 150+ KW charger on the route and being able to charge at the destination. I had multiple 1,900mile round trips, and that was a headache. Yeah, I got it done, but 4 to 5 hours of added charging time each way to a 14-hour trip was honestly too much. Thank god for BC. Once the 440-range trucks proliferate and that charging time gets cut in half my last EV gripe will begone. Either that or sub 10min 10-80% fast charging time.

Mechanical Issues/Maintenance: I had a rocky start, but Ford ultimately addressed the issues. In my line of work, it’s a big deal because I rely heavily on my vehicle. If I was always home, I’d been fine. Your local dealers will be the driving factor on what happens when things go wrong, but Ford corporate came through. Aside from the initial limp mode last December which was 1 week into my ownership, and coolant valve issue that ultimately got my buy back approved due to the amount of downtime, I really hadn’t seen anything else. Both of those happened at under 7k miles, I’m closing in at 19k miles as of now and will have 20k when it gets turned in this month. A few software glitches here and there that resolved themselves. I had a plastic piece pop out of the sunroof, minor but annoying (I swear it’s always something with Ford panoramic). I’ve only rotated the tires aside from that.

MAJOR NOTE: Don’t assume that the Ford dealer network means you’ll have a better luck if things go wrong away from home. The dealer network influenced my decision to go with a Ford over a Tesla/ Rivian type. However, after shopping around, I wonder if my issues would have been resolved more quickly with a non-legacy EV retailer. I’m told by non-legacy they would have towed my car to wherever their shop is and got me a comparable rental. I feel that if you are in rural area and your local Ford dealer doesn’t have competent EV techs, then you may have longer downtime than at an EV focused repair shop. This is all anecdotal, but after this experience I’m less hesitant to buy a car without an extensive dealer network.

Towing: The topic has been beat to death; not going to get much into this. Around town it’s good, but I’m not going to suffer through the experience of towing anywhere beyond that. All I’ll say is that IMO if your state doesn’t have a 55mph limit for towing and you value your time, don’t bother with anything over 120 miles radius. (Assumes bulky 8.5’ wide box shaped trailer of about 7k lbs)

Charging: I’ve charged off the following successfully: wall plug (about 1% an hr), 50amp house plug (6.5kwh), Tesla fast chargers (A2Z adapter), Tesla Mobile (primary charging device using Lectron adapter), diesel generators (38kw and I think 150kw, using generator adapter plug to 14-50, then plugged 50’ extension to Tesla mobile charger with Lectron adapter).

For me and my case; without range parity with an ICE; and by that, I mean 325 miles of unhindered, any weather, up to 80mph highway driving speeds, I would not pay equal to or more than the ICE equivalent. At most I’d pay 10% less. Having said that, unlike ICE your experience is exponentially affected by geography and living situation such as easy access to plugs. If you’re a commuter that takes few long trips, then maybe I’d pay same as ICE. I feel that most people with plug access will find EV ownership superior to ICE; this coming from a gear head that loves driving vehicles with overpowered ICE. Oh, and I’m in the oil and gas industry. I went from ambivalent to convert, if I can get the right product for my needs/wants at the right price. The Lightning came close, just needed more range to convince me to stick with it.

Thank god for BC

BC?

 

[4BLU]

BC?

BC= Blue Cruise

 

[VAF84]

I’m curious you said that the issues that triggered the buy back were around 7k miles but your now around 20k and they are just now taking it back? Are they whacking you on value for all those extra miles? Have you had more issues after 7k? Just trying to get a full understanding.

I had a unique situation as this happened to me during a project 900 miles away from home. The way this whole thing unfolded I ended up piling another couple of thousand miles between the initial problem and the final fix. Part of that was because no one could give me a guarantee about being properly taken care of if I went home and had to go back for the truck, but it was a long saga that's documented elsewhere; it was hugely stressful ordeal. Honestly, I was 100% done at that time. However, when I got it back we got access to Tesla chargers, the weather warmed up, and I wrapped up the project to go home to Texas, so I started to enjoy the good side of EV ownership.

They did the final clock-in at around 12k miles. The vehicle I wanted to swap for was not on any dealer lot yet so I was told I could order it. In order to keep the miles from adding up I took a cash settlement offer and have six months to change my mind. The truck has taken nearly four months to build and ship. As long as I return the settlement money, I can take the swap option with the mileage penalty that was documented at the moment of the settlement.

Technically, no. I have not had other issues since. The issue that began at 7k was finally resolved at 12k. I had one more issue with the instrument panel going black the day after. Since then no mechanical issue, just the occasional glitching on Sync and that minor panoramic roof thing. Interestingly, when I owned my 17 F250 King Ranch it also had Sync glitches and a panoramic roof issue; bit of a Ford thing.

 

[VAF84]

Great post - thanks for taking the time to tell your story and in such a genuine and articulate way. I am glad Ford has another option for you - wish you the best with your new machine and are travels everywhere you go!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

 

[Malimal]

Long read ahead; will be placed in both Lightning forums.

My buyback replacement truck has been built and getting shipped to the dealer. This means my EV days are numbered, unless I splurge on the GM EV trucks with the 440 range. Here are my final thoughts.

Albeit a roller coaster ride of emotions, the Lightning turned out to be an amazing truck in certain situations and at worst an inconvenient one in others. I’ve learned that anyone can make an EV work if they are determined, but those with bad use cases will have to change their lives to accommodate EV limitations.

Bar none my favorite part and biggest selling point was the driving experience; this and pricing lured me in. I will miss this the most, and it’s really the biggest factor having me question going back to ICE. Closely followed by one-pedal driving, and then the frunk. If I ever pay a premium for an EV it will be for driving experience and range.

The single biggest improvement to my ownership experience came from access to the Tesla charging network. It was the game changer for my travels and ability to have peace of mind in EV deserts. I don't know if I'd own one without this access.

I’ve learned that geography has the single biggest impact on the EV experience. Having spent a lot of time in varied geographies and locations; I had times when I hated the truck, but others such as my current location where I finally experienced the highs and crazy numbers that frankly I was skeptical about when I’d read the comments.

The least pleasurable part of my experience was when working between KY and IN. Cold winters limited fast charging infrastructure, and lots of open highway was a range killer, and a lot of planning was involved. I had nowhere to plug in at night. Again, Tesla access began to change that for me, but I got access as I was leaving the area. Middle ground was in central Texas. Working from home, excellent of course. However, suburban sprawl, high speed limits, long open highways encouraging higher speeds reduced range which could be inconvenient at times. By far my best experience is currently in Louisiana. Warm weather, smaller city, low speed limits have led to me breaking 3mi/kw for the first time at 18k miles. I’ve even seen the number 4 briefly pop up!

Long trips. Trips with a radius of 350 miles had acceptable delays if charging infrastructure was good. I.e. at least one 150+ KW charger on the route and being able to charge at the destination. I had multiple 1,900mile round trips, and that was a headache. Yeah, I got it done, but 4 to 5 hours of added charging time each way to a 14-hour trip was honestly too much. Thank god for BC. Once the 440-range trucks proliferate and that charging time gets cut in half my last EV gripe will begone. Either that or sub 10min 10-80% fast charging time.

Mechanical Issues/Maintenance: I had a rocky start, but Ford ultimately addressed the issues. In my line of work, it’s a big deal because I rely heavily on my vehicle. If I was always home, I’d been fine. Your local dealers will be the driving factor on what happens when things go wrong, but Ford corporate came through. Aside from the initial limp mode last December which was 1 week into my ownership, and coolant valve issue that ultimately got my buy back approved due to the amount of downtime, I really hadn’t seen anything else. Both of those happened at under 7k miles, I’m closing in at 19k miles as of now and will have 20k when it gets turned in this month. A few software glitches here and there that resolved themselves. I had a plastic piece pop out of the sunroof, minor but annoying (I swear it’s always something with Ford panoramic). I’ve only rotated the tires aside from that.

MAJOR NOTE: Don’t assume that the Ford dealer network means you’ll have a better luck if things go wrong away from home. The dealer network influenced my decision to go with a Ford over a Tesla/ Rivian type. However, after shopping around, I wonder if my issues would have been resolved more quickly with a non-legacy EV retailer. I’m told by non-legacy they would have towed my car to wherever their shop is and got me a comparable rental. I feel that if you are in rural area and your local Ford dealer doesn’t have competent EV techs, then you may have longer downtime than at an EV focused repair shop. This is all anecdotal, but after this experience I’m less hesitant to buy a car without an extensive dealer network.

Towing: The topic has been beat to death; not going to get much into this. Around town it’s good, but I’m not going to suffer through the experience of towing anywhere beyond that. All I’ll say is that IMO if your state doesn’t have a 55mph limit for towing and you value your time, don’t bother with anything over 120 miles radius. (Assumes bulky 8.5’ wide box shaped trailer of about 7k lbs)

Charging: I’ve charged off the following successfully: wall plug (about 1% an hr), 50amp house plug (6.5kwh), Tesla fast chargers (A2Z adapter), Tesla Mobile (primary charging device using Lectron adapter), diesel generators (38kw and I think 150kw, using generator adapter plug to 14-50, then plugged 50’ extension to Tesla mobile charger with Lectron adapter).

For me and my case; without range parity with an ICE; and by that, I mean 325 miles of unhindered, any weather, up to 80mph highway driving speeds, I would not pay equal to or more than the ICE equivalent. At most I’d pay 10% less. Having said that, unlike ICE your experience is exponentially affected by geography and living situation such as easy access to plugs. If you’re a commuter that takes few long trips, then maybe I’d pay same as ICE. I feel that most people with plug access will find EV ownership superior to ICE; this coming from a gear head that loves driving vehicles with overpowered ICE. Oh, and I’m in the oil and gas industry. I went from ambivalent to convert, if I can get the right product for my needs/wants at the right price. The Lightning came close, just needed more range to convince me to stick with it.

Yeah, I made my first road trip recently. The stops were ok because we would have stopped anyway. 75-80 mph kills the mileage...But the main issue was the charging infrastructure around our resort. Without a Tesla adaptor, I had to drive 35 minutes just to charge. Having that would have helped, but would prefer to have some level 2 chargers at the resort for overnight.

Fortunately, we only take 1 or 2 long trips a year.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

Three weeks into switching back to an ICE F150 (PowerBoost actually), and I have no regrets. I live in one of those challenging areas for road tripping, and it was not fun. I just filled up this morning, and it reads 600 miles until empty. Ahhhh.......

Lots of comments from people who ask me if I'm glad I am rid of the EV truck. I enjoy telling them the Lightning is far and away a better truck than my current truck. EV's are just a better system. As long as you can park in your garage every night.

My favorite question: "On a scale of 1 to 10 how much of a pain in the ass was that truck?" My answer: less than one. The questioner was surprised, but I explained that over 95% of the time when I get in the new truck I wish it was the EV, but I just needed one that I could take on the road and fill up anywhere, anytime. Until the charging network improves, including chargers wherever you park for the night, I'm out. I'm not okay with arriving at a different city and having to go sit somewhere for 40 minutes just to be able to drive around town the next day.

So yeah VAF84, I get it.

 

[VAF84]

Three weeks into switching back to an ICE F150 (PowerBoost actually), and I have no regrets. I live in one of those challenging areas for road tripping, and it was not fun. I just filled up this morning, and it reads 600 miles until empty. Ahhhh.......

Lots of comments from people who ask me if I'm glad I am rid of the EV truck. I enjoy telling them the Lightning is far and away a better truck than my current truck. EV's are just a better system. As long as you can park in your garage every night.

My favorite question: "On a scale of 1 to 10 how much of a pain in the ass was that truck?" My answer: less than one. The questioner was surprised, but I explained that over 95% of the time when I get in the new truck I wish it was the EV, but I just needed one that I could take on the road and fill up anywhere, anytime. Until the charging network improves, including chargers wherever you park for the night, I'm out. I'm not okay with arriving at a different city and having to go sit somewhere for 40 minutes just to be able to drive around town the next day.

So yeah VAF84, I get it.

Man, you nailed it. Exactly how I feel, and funny that we both look to be headed to sticking with the Powerboost for a bit. I know I'll be back to EV, most likely in the form of the big battery Silverado EV. It's more a question of when. One month, one year, or three years. As you and I both have said; 95% of the time it's great, but when you need that range/charge you really need it. Glad that powerboost is working out for you! Makes me feel a little better about my move.

 

[02Reaper]

I'm 33k miles in since October of 22 and I feel the same way some of you do. Coming from a 2016 3.5 ecoboost, I miss filling up and having 700 miles or more of range, and ease of filling up quickly. I've had my fair share of charging stations being filled up having to wait, chargers being down having to either wait or find another site. We just ain't there yet. Other than the long range and fast fill ups of my last vehicle, I love everything else about the lightning more. I'm not getting rid of mine yet or anytime in the foreseeable future, but I can't say there aren't times I miss the convenience of a long range fast filling gas vehicle when on a trip.

 

[VAF84]

I added the below edit. It's more succinct in the original post, but detailed version here.

EDIT 9/14/24:

Two more issues popped up with days to go before my replacement. Before or around update 6.8.0 I got hit with a power reduction. I was about to hit the road on a 300+ mile trip. I see an update available, I think it was a power up. I initiate the update. I'm in rush to go, so once completed I hit the road. I notice the truck feels a little throttled and that regen seems off. For the next hour I test acceleration on the highway and sure enough I've got about 50% power. Powerful vehicle, so still cruises well enough to keep going. No clue what's up. Stop at my sisters after an hr of driving like this at highway speeds for about 20 min. Get back in and back to normal. Then 4 hours and to DC fast charges later I arrive in Louisiana, where I see an update available. It's 6.8.0 so I install right away. So far all normal now, but odd glitch.

Second new issue is the door keypad has decided to pop out. Must have broken tab, never had this happen before; even after four years with an F250. However, I have one of those unlimited passes for the drive through carwash. It's possible that weakened the pad adhesion. That said, it had been at least two weeks since the last wash, and I didn't notice anything until it was flapping in the wind on the hwy. Initially, I thought it was someone trying to break in. However, thieves only need a screw driver to easily pop the handle as I found out with the F250, and some research found that others have gone through similar and found not to be from a break in attempt. I should note that I use this feature multiple times a day, so it probably gets more abuse than most.

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