New Lightning Owner - Tesla Supercharger, Ford Navigation app, other questions

[user-name-required]

Hi all

First off, what a mission to find one of these trucks if you have a colour preference! We now have a '24 Flash trim, and love it so far. Pic attached!

A main reason we got this was for the supercharger access. However, my Ford dealer really the bed and was beyond unhelpful when it came to going over everything in the truck. Having bought a brand new vw ID4 in early 2023, that purchase experience was FAR, FAR better. We left there feeling confident we knew the car inside and out. With this purchase, I left feeling like I knew more than the dealer, but yet still, that I knew almost nothing about the vehicle.

Long story short, the Ford dealer did not help me set up anything beyond the initial app download and QR code scan. So here are my questions for you all. Sorry if these are repeats, I did try and search a bit before posting.

1. Ford Navigation and preconditioning
   1. In the main ford screen inside the truck in the map area, I don't seem to have any ability to set destinations, search for chargers, etc. Is this normal? The dealer was fumbling around as well and seemed like it was the first time he saw the screen.
      I thought that you had to use the native Ford navigation in order to get the battery preconditioning to work en route to a charger.....Is this all through Android Auto now?
   2. Is there any other way to turn on the preconditioning as you head to a charger?
2. Tesla network
   1. I set up an account on the Tesla app, having heeded advice online to just use it directly instead of the Ford BlueOval thing. (side note, is that a separate thing to set up beyond the Ford app?)
   2. However, when I tried to add a payment card, it keeps demanding I enter a US ZIP code, and says my postal code is invalid. Any way to address this?
   3. Does the Ford Charging screen in the app correctly capture all the Tesla sites you can use? If not, has anyone found a better way to use it?

We are using this truck for a winter road trip from Squamish to east of Vernon BC in January, so I am counting on the Tesla network to help give me more options to make sure that we make it there in good time. The total drive is about 555kms with a fair amount of overall elevation gain after Hope.

We are really counting on this thing doing the 180kw surge speed for the 5-10 mins, and then keeping a stead 140 or so after that. With the spacing of actual fast chargers and the elevation gain along the way, we will still probably need to charge 2x to get there, which kind of sucks. Once in Hope, and once in Kelowna or Vernon. Probably can't make it the 320kms to Merritt to charge there, given the elevation gain after Hope.



Any BC-ers out there do a similar winter trip so far in their lightning? Any advice? We will plug into our relative's house in Squamish overnight to precondition the vehicle and have it topped to 100% right before we leave, so hoipefully that helps.


Any other tips appreciated!!

Thanks all

Sponsored

 

[Maquis]

A couple of points:
If you select a fast charger in the Ford nav, the battery will start to precondition when you are about 30 KM away.

Using Blue Oval for Tesla chargers allows you to plug & charge. No app or anything else necessary. The only time it’s worth using the T app is if you pay the monthly membership to get discounted rates. The discount is only available if you activate the charger in their app. You have to do the math to see if the membership is worth it.

 

[user-name-required]

A couple of points:
If you select a fast charger in the Ford nav, the battery will start to precondition when you are about 30 KM away.

Using Blue Oval for Tesla chargers allows you to plug & charge. No app or anything else necessary. The only time it’s worth using the T app is if you pay the monthly membership to get discounted rates. The discount is only available if you activate the charger in their app. You have to do the math to see if the membership is worth it.

Thanks for the response. Follow up for you....and sorry to ask the public this but my dealer did a piss poor job of helping me set things up.

• Re the Blue Oval network.... In my Ford Pass app, I see it as a "Connected Service" with a button to "Activate Trial"...? Why is this a trial? Is it not free for Ford owners to be a part of?
• In your experience, is there a higher fee here, than directly paying on other networks?
  • Since I already have an EV, I already have accounts set up with Shell, Electrify Canada, Petro Can, etc.
  • Curious if any price difference
• Finally - any times where the blue oval failed, but then you got it going using the charger's native app?

Thanks...again appreciated since my dealer basically had no usable info for me.

 

[ChrisCon]

Thanks for the response. Follow up for you....and sorry to ask the public this but my dealer did a piss poor job of helping me set things up.

• Re the Blue Oval network.... In my Ford Pass app, I see it as a "Connected Service" with a button to "Activate Trial"...? Why is this a trial? Is it not free for Ford owners to be a part of?
• In your experience, is there a higher fee here, than directly paying on other networks?
  • Since I already have an EV, I already have accounts set up with Shell, Electrify Canada, Petro Can, etc.
  • Curious if any price difference
• Finally - any times where the blue oval failed, but then you got it going using the charger's native app?

Thanks...again appreciated since my dealer basically had no usable info for me.

Blue oval network is free . But you do have to activate it and the trial wording makes no sense . Regarding charging accounts, I'm using electrify America's membership program and you have to activate the charge through the app to get the special pricing z. The blue oval network makes little sense for me because I would be paying more money for the convenience of not using an app .

 

[Maquis]

Thanks for the response. Follow up for you....and sorry to ask the public this but my dealer did a piss poor job of helping me set things up.

• Re the Blue Oval network.... In my Ford Pass app, I see it as a "Connected Service" with a button to "Activate Trial"...? Why is this a trial? Is it not free for Ford owners to be a part of?
• In your experience, is there a higher fee here, than directly paying on other networks?
  • Since I already have an EV, I already have accounts set up with Shell, Electrify Canada, Petro Can, etc.
  • Curious if any price difference
• Finally - any times where the blue oval failed, but then you got it going using the charger's native app?

Thanks...again appreciated since my dealer basically had no usable info for me.

Blue Oval is free. Don’t know why they call it a trial.

The prices are pass-thru of the “rack rate.” The only time not using BO is cheaper is if you have a monthly subscription with the charging company.

I’ve not had it fail ever, but some have. One way it will fail is if you don’t store a valid credit card on Blue Oval.

ETA - I don’t fast charge enough to make any of the subscriptions worthwhile.

 

[Firn]

Here, if you have memberships with Electrify America and Tesla you will pay more if you just plug in and use the "Plug and Charge" through Ford.

 

[Maquis]

Here, if you have memberships with Electrify America and Tesla you will pay more if you just plug in and use the "Plug and Charge" through Ford.

Not true for “membership.” That’s true only if you pay a monthly subscription. Whether or not you end up paying more depends on how much you charge in a month. I pay less not having a subscription.

 

[carys98]

Ford has not yet added the Tesla chargers to the onboard nav so you can’t precondition for a Supercharger. For planning you are better off with ABRP, Google, or Apple Maps. If you are headed to a non-Tesla charger you can put it into the Ford nav for preconditioning.

 

[user-name-required]

Blue oval network is free . But you do have to activate it and the trial wording makes no sense . Regarding charging accounts, I'm using electrify America's membership program and you have to activate the charge through the app to get the special pricing z. The blue oval network makes little sense for me because I would be paying more money for the convenience of not using an app .

Got it, thanks!

Yea our Electrify Canada account is no longer a paid thing, so we are getting the base rate anyways now (was free for like 1500kwh or something with our ID4). So if there is no price difference, might just run thru Ford app.

 

[user-name-required]

Ford has not yet added the Tesla chargers to the onboard nav so you can’t precondition for a Supercharger. For planning you are better off with ABRP, Google, or Apple Maps. If you are headed to a non-Tesla charger you can put it into the Ford nav for preconditioning.

Interestingly, I do see Tesla chargers in the Ford app itself....I will see if I can find them in the new "Public Charging" icon on the main screen next time I drive

 

[Firn]

Not true for “membership.” That’s true only if you pay a monthly subscription. Whether or not you end up paying more depends on how much you charge in a month. I pay less not having a subscription.

Sorry, I expected the "at the charger" to be obvious since it is up to the person to determine if purchasing a membership in the first place is cost effective.

To the point, if you have the EA or Tesla Membership/Subscription then you will not receive the discount if you use plug and charge, hence you pay more for that charging session. To receive the discounted rate the membership provids you need to disable plug and charge and initiate charging through the app

 

[Maquis]

Sorry, I expected the "at the charger" to be obvious since it is up to the person to determine if purchasing a membership in the first place is cost effective.

To the point, if you have the EA or Tesla Membership/Subscription then you will not receive the discount if you use plug and charge, hence you pay more for that charging session. To receive the discounted rate the membership provids you need to disable plug and charge and initiate charging through the app

That’s fair, but since the guy who started this thread is new, I tried to get precise.

 

[Maineiac12]

Sorry, I expected the "at the charger" to be obvious since it is up to the person to determine if purchasing a membership in the first place is cost effective.

To the point, if you have the EA or Tesla Membership/Subscription then you will not receive the discount if you use plug and charge, hence you pay more for that charging session. To receive the discounted rate the membership provids you need to disable plug and charge and initiate charging through the app

And you don’t need to disable plug and charge to get the discount. Just be sure to start the charge session in the Tesla app before plugging in. Works for me every time.

 

[Firn]

And you don’t need to disable plug and charge to get the discount. Just be sure to start the charge session in the Tesla app before plugging in. Works for me every time.

I have had Plug and Charge affect my EA charging.

 

[Maineiac12]

I have had Plug and Charge affect my EA charging.

I suppose EA could be different but Tesla works for sure.

Sponsored