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I think sometimes it’s not the overall operating cost economics, but avoiding the recurring pain of putting more than a Benjamin in the tank. Kind of reminds you of all the other things you could do (or ought to do) with that cash. When gas was $5+, a friend in the car selling business told me...

In 2022, when gas was $5+ in many parts of the country, new orders for EVs had waiting lists (not only new designs like the F150 Lightning, but even Tesla Model Y and Model 3 had months-long wait for an ordered car). I believe the price of gasoline has more to do with EV demand than climate...

I don’t see how a vehicle that cost $120k to build could have ever sold for $45-$50k. Covid economics was probably a lifesaver for the Lightning. The prices of all new vehicles inflated to crazy new heights, making a truck which needed to be sold for $80k a real possibility, and giving Ford...

Ford sold out the 2022 production (though brief) and demand was so strong that they even raised prices of 2023s (remember?). Downward price adjustment only happened after price caps for new EV tax credits were legislated. I think that Ford’s mistake was in ever suggesting that a Lightning...

I would give him credit for navigating the stormy seas of climate change regulation. Should he have recognized that extreme CAFE targets and CO2 regulation were actually political winds, that could change direction with an election? I think Farley did an exceptional job under the circumstances...

Linda Zhang is (was?) the Chief Engineer on the F150 Lightning project: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Zhang?wprov=sfti1#

A lot of us (most, perhaps?) aren’t terribly concerned with DCFC kW, because we’re charging at home L2 while we sleep, and don’t drive more than 200mi in a typical day, whether driving a Ford, Tesla, or Kia/Hyundai. The few days I cut it close in my Lightning, 10min of DCFC is usually plenty to...

Maybe I’m the exception, but I don’t watch tv with commercials anymore (other than sporting events). I doubt the demographic that buys new full-size trucks is reached by tv commercials… but there was plenty of rich marketing content on Ford’s website, visual and video, for anyone interested in...

True enough, but more evidence of Ford’s juvenile marketing plan. The F150 Lightning was going to be both the top of the F150 line (in Platinum trim) and an economical work truck (as the Pro). In retrospect, this seems amateurish, and evidence of a culture at Ford that discouraged anyone...

Not even Tesla has made a truck that can fly down the highway at more than 2.5mi/kWh. It’s a bit foolish to expect a vehicle with the frontal area of a full-size truck to be efficient! That’s not why we buy full-size trucks, ICE or electric. The Lightning was a technological success, and a...

I think the massive marketing campaign was the problem. I’ll never forget the picture of the Lightning towing a 30ft Airstream; they raised unnecessary, unrealistic expectations. Much smarter would have been to cancel the Tow Tech package, and make even a hitch receiver an option. The...

Seems to me that we bought $120,000 trucks for $70,000.

Well, fortunately I’ve never chosen a new vehicle as though my life depended on it. But your clarification of the question helps, and of course I have an opinion: -about repairability: I’ve replaced points/condensor, know how to use a timing light, and how to pack a wheel bearing. Would I...

I’m not sure that an F150 owners forum (Lightning or ICE) can give relevant market research predictions. We bought new full-size trucks (in my case, I bought my Lightning specifically because it is a full-size BEV truck). I have no interest in a smaller truck. I didn’t leave Ford; Ford left...

The frontal profile and elevation of a pickup truck (most popular new vehicle purchased in the USA) is incompatible with efficiencies in the high 3mpkWh range. It’s not about battery chemistry or vehicle weight, it’s simply the physics of pushing so much air out of its way at highway speeds...

“Efficiency”?? There’s still a disconnect between Ford and traditional F150 buyers, who don’t care that lowering the roof height by 1mm saves $1 on a smaller battery pack, or optimizing the profile and alignment of the wheels for aerodynamics. F150 buyers add lift kits, leveling, aftermarket...

130kW (I don’t think you meant kWh) is 175hp.

I have one of those rare XLT 312As, which has the radar module for ACC and Lane Centering, but not BC. I use it on every drive, including on low speed two-lane roads. Yes, in some conditions it works intermittently, but on the whole, especially on the highway, it’s great. I agree with you...

Looking on the bright side, the F150 Lightning promised in 2021 at under $40k, is soon to become available (in all trim levels!) at that price!

I think the failure of the F150 Lightning Edsel was due to two things: 1) first and foremost, the precipitous decline in the price of gasoline, from its peak in 2022. At $4+/gal, the first Lightning customers cut their gasoline bills by over $300/mo; today, at $2.80/gal, the economics are no...