Admiration while driving from others

[CD4TNF]

Two notices the same day, same highway, same drive.


I was on the right lane using BlueCruise. A new 2024 Lightning Flash owner with temp tags pulled up on my left. The owners gave me a big friendly wave and smile. I saw them coming and was able to give them a wave.


Second notice was a Raptor or one of the smaller off-roady looking trucks pulled up to my left and started passing me. The passenger rolled down his window, gave me a big thumbs up with an excited look on his face. As they passed he stuck his head out and mouthed "That's cool!" His admiration showed. That was a fun notice. He obviously knew what the Lightning looked like.

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Another time I had a nail in a tire and took it to the cheapest, closest auto mechanic. He pulls it into his garage, fixes the tire. Comes back and goes "that's one of those electric trucks isn't it?" We talk about it and he and his mechanic buddy get super impressed by the frunk. Glad I got to show him something he might not come across in his career. I got the sense the two of them were a bit awe struck.

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Earlier this month I did get noticed by another Lightning on the opposite lane. They flashed their lights at me. Unfortunately I noticed too late and couldn't flash back as they passed.

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Not a Lightning story, but a funny frunk story with a Silverado EV. I spotted my first Silverado EV at a grocery store parking lot. I was super excited and parked close by as the owner parked. I struck up conversation. It was a new owner using a fleet work truck EV. As we were talking about the Silverado EV frunk and showing off the tools in there. A older guy walks up about to get into the car next to us. Guy does a quick glance at the "engine". Does the whole cartoon double take and . He looks like he's thinking "am I dreaming there's no engine. Why is there stuff where the engine is?" I confirm "there's no engine because it's electric. There all this space to store stuff." He shakes his head in silent disbelief and drives off. Never said a word to us. That was funny.

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[flyct]

1- Went to Walmart to pick up a curbside order. I keep a 120vac powered cooler freezer in the Fronk. The guy bringing out the food on the cart was confused when I opened the Fronk and loaded the groceries in the Fronk. Also,loaded the milk and cheese in the refrigerated section and the I’ve cream in the freezer section.

2- A few weeks ago we were at Costco. I was in the truck with our dogs waiting in the parking lot for my wife to bring out the food. She called me on the iphone and told me she was checking out and would be out shotly. I got out and opened the Fronk preparing it for the food. I‘m an “older fart”. A nice young guy driving a superduty in his thirties pulled in the spot behind me. I was backed in my spot so he pulled in behind me. He got out and politely asked if I needed help or possibly a jump start since my ”hood” was up. He was shocked the Lightning was an EV.

I love the Stealthy look of the Lightning. Teslas are all over the place so when driving our Model Y nobody blinks. Oh another Tesla.

 

[Fistandantilus]

You in the US or Canada are meanwhile already used to see EV trucks. I am located in Germany. Having a full size truck at all is already something which you don´t see that often and I havn´t seen any single other EV Truck here so far.
So pretty much experiencing the same now - people turning their heads while driving by and are even more surprised when I open the frunk - I like the questionmarks in their faces

 

[BabyDoc1012]

I love popping the frunk and seeing people’s reaction to it. When I bought the truck had to drive to Raleigh because none of the local dealers where willing to work a deal, so my wife and I drove up and made a weekend out of it. Got to the hotel after finishing signing it and I popped the frunk to get our bags. A guy in the parking lot got excited and said that was the coolest thing he’d ever seen and asked how I like the truck and asked a bunch of questions about it. Then a few months back I ordered grocery and when the kid brought them out I opened the frunk for him to put in there. Turns out he was a friend of my son and when he saw my son later he told him “your dad has the coolest truck”.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

I keep a 120vac powered cooler freezer in the Fronk.

Great Idea,
We live 30-minute drive away from nearest shopping area, and summer is coming... is there a model of cooler that "is perfect" for the shape and size of the Frunk? I am wondering if we just get a small cooler and leave it in there all the time...

 

[flyct]

Great Idea,
We live 30-minute drive away from nearest shopping area, and summer is coming... is there a model of cooler that "is perfect" for the shape and size of the Frunk? I am wondering if we just get a small cooler and leave it in there all the time...

We actually have 2 powered coolers. A smaller one in the Fronk and a bigger in the the truck bed under the tonneau cover. They stay there all the time.

On our 2-1/2 hour trip from our house to our cabin we set the smaller one at -4 deg F to transport frozen foods and the bigger one at 33 dF to transport refrigerated foods. They take about 30 minutes to cool down.

At our remote cabin the nearest grocery store is 35 minutes away so they work perfectly to transport foods from store to the cabin.

They also have an app that uses bluetooth so I can monitor or change the temps at will from my drivers seat while traveling.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N63CSH5

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NCZF438

They can run either on 120 vac or 12-24 vDC. In the Lightning we always run them on the 120 vac outlets. When using our Tesla Model Y I take one, put it in the rear hatch area and plug it into the 12 vDC outlet in the rear. We can transport ice cream even in 95 dF Florida summer heat.

 

[flyct]

Great Idea,
We live 30-minute drive away from nearest shopping area, and summer is coming... is there a model of cooler that "is perfect" for the shape and size of the Frunk? I am wondering if we just get a small cooler and leave it in there all the time...

Here are some pictures of my coolers in my truck

 

[PA Lightning]

A little over two and a half years of ownership and only ran into four people who knew my truck was electric.

 

[CD4TNF]

Got noticed twice in the same day, again.

1) Truck with an overlanding setup drove past me on the highway. He backed off and then came up next to me showing me his phone. He was very excitedly showing me what I think was a recording of my truck.

He did a second time, but with a different recording of maybe a tan or silver Lightning on his phone. He then very enthusiastically gave me a thumbs up. Not sure if he was showing me his other truck is a Lightning? That was fun.

2) I was parked at a strip mall off to the side facing the street. As I was walking back to the truck. Two guys in a landscaping truck towing a trailer pulled next to my Lightning. I could see the driver pointing at my Lightning talking to his passenger.

I called out to him and we chatted about the Lighting. He super admired the red color and the fact it was all electric. He was very surprised at the deals going on for Lightnings. He looked interested when I told him how fun it is to drive.


Admirers are out there. The Lightning is getting that reputation of being an awesome truck.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

I think there is this general idea in the public that the Ford Lightning is a great EV-Truck, but expensive to buy and comes with charging challenges if you want to travel.

A lot of the people that talk to me about my new Lightning are surprised that it wasn't as expensive as they imagined, and that charging while travelling is much easier now that Tesla Superchargers and basically all other hwy chargers are all available. I have been a bit surprised at how many people just assume the Tesla-chargers are "only for Teslas" - until I tell them otherwise and show them the NACS-CSS adapter.

The other common missunderstanding is how long you need to wait for a charge - people assume charging takes 'hours" - often this comes from what they hear about commuters' charging overnight at home. They are surprised when I tell them a Fast charger stop is typically 20-30 minutes; about the right amount of time for a break and a bite to eat.

That all said, I basically talked a friend OUT of buying a Lightning last week: His use includes pulling a large 5th-wheel into areas where there is no chance of charging (because there are no power lines in the area), and he would have been very dissapointed with the result.

 

[RickKeen]

Q: You still like your electric truck?
A: Best truck I ever owned.

Q: Does it take long to charge?
A: Don't know, don't care. I plug it in, its charged next time I drive it. I never have to stop at the gas station.

Q: What about long drives?
A: We take a different car. Or fly.

Q: How does it tow?
A: Best truck I ever owned for towing as long as its under 100 miles.

Q: Why don't you wash it more?
A: I'm never at gas stations and don't have a car wash at my house.

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

Q: Why don't you wash it more?
A: I'm never at gas stations and don't have a car wash at my house.

I ended up buying a book of carwash tickets at a local touch-less wash at a gas station. I find myself checking as I drive by that station to see if there is a line up at the car wash. If not, I pull in and get the truck washed. Otherwise just keep driving by, no gas required LOL.

 

[flyct]

Q: You still like your electric truck?
A: Best truck I ever owned.

Q: Does it take long to charge?
A: It takes ME 10 seconds of my time to charge. Just like my iPhone, it’s charging while I sleep, and it’s fully charged and ready to go in the morning.

Q: What about long drives?
A: We Take our 5th wheel RV and tow it with our F-450 diesel.

 

[RickKeen]

Q: Does it take long to charge?
A: Don't know, don't care. I plug it in, its charged next time I drive it. I never have to stop at the gas station.

Drove my "summer" non-EV car for the first time this spring. I was late getting where I was going because I did not even think to plan ahead if I might need to stop for gas (I did).

 

[NW Ontario Ford Lightning]

I pulled into a gas station today - picked up washer fluid...girl behind the counter looks at the truck out the window, says to me - I bet that's all you need from us today.
yup I said, until you install some fast chargers, that's it !! She laughed, says 'must be nice' !

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