Extended Range V.S Standard Range Battery

[Ray R]

ER because range is king!

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[biers]

Pro SR, haven't wished once for an ER.

The range has been more than enough for us, and I couldn't justify the amount of money it would cost for the estimated extra 90 miles (realistically probably 75ish miles). As far as towing, the ER gets you an estimated extra 45 miles.

I guess it depends if not having 1 or 2 extra DCFC stops on road trips is worth $10k more. For me and my family, it wasn't (and an ER was $20k+ more for me as I'd have to go from my, well equipped, Pro SR to an XLT ER). It's been a perfect vehicle for my family.

All the same reasons for me as Benny listed. If money is no object, go for it. I can think of a LOT of things I’d rather spend the money on.
I’ve done 600 miles in one day, 13 hours. A ER might have saved me 90 min.

 

[eRockBoon]

I went with the ER pro. I knew I wanted to add bigger tires, a lift kit, and in the summer a rooftop tent. After all this I am left with the range of SR pack. Very happy a did, my first trip out of town was last winter less than a week after I got my truck during the arctic blast. I barely make it to the airport and back (140 miles). I learned very quickly to ABC (always be charging), precondition, turn off the heat and drive at or below the speed limit to maximize range.

 

[RickKeen]

I went with the ER pro.

How did you buy the Unicorn Pro ER?

 

[PreservedSwine]

I’m not sure how to answer your poll, as I’ve already ordered (and received) my lighting PRO SR.
When I ordered, there was roughly a 15k price difference to get an XLT ER. However, by the time my order went though, and it was time to pick it up, I contemplated cancelling and buying an in-stock Lariat ER with a substantial customer cash offer and in hindsight wish I had. The prices had come down thousands from when I ordered just a few months prior, and combined with incentives was only about 12k more for a vehicle with a plethora of options mine lacks.
I love my truck, and it suits my needs nicely. However, in 10 years when the range has been reduced by ~10% I expect to look upon this with some regret.
Toss in the occasional road trip (which I just tried) and it’s simply a tedious endeavor at 70-75mph interstate travel in a SR

 

[Silenze]

I bought a standard range pro. If I had to order again I would get an extended range. Cold is terrible for range.

 

[Zaptor]

580hp vs 463hp was honestly a huge factor for us as enthusiasts, for performance and for bragging rights... the dual onboard charging of the ER also allows it to charge from 15%-100% in 8 hours, which is the length of our 'time-of-use' period, whereas the SR, because of the single onboard charger, takes 10 hours, and would cost us more to use electricity outside of that time window.

Range *now* is certainly a consideration, and I do use it for towing up to a 3500lb dump trailer with 2 yards of gravel for about 9-10k, right up against that Max Tow package limit. We've also pulled travel trailers and a flatbed, and less frequent charging stops are appreciated while on the road. We also get subzero weather for portions of winter, so the range is diminished during those times to begin with.

Range will be even more of a consideration in year 9 (or 100k miles), when the battery warranty that says it will still be above 70% at that point expires... 70% of 240 is 168 miles and 70% of 320 is 224 miles, and you can be sure you'll get the upfront investment back when it comes time to sell and your ER still has about the same range that the SR started with!

The additional stuff was all gravy; I could take or leave a sunroof, would have made do with a smaller screen (though I don't mind the larger display the way some do and the surround cams are excellent) etc but the big battery and the Max Tow were non-negotiable for us.

Hope you find the truck of your dreams!

 

[hturnerfamily]

the question might should be:

"If the LIGHTNING only came only in ONE option:
the 100kwh battery pack, with 240miles EPA 'average' range,
would it be parked in my garage?"

I suspect any arguments to the comparison of whether one would want a SR versus a ER is simply because it is OFFERED... if it were NOT an option, I think none of us would be complaining about it NOT being an option, we would just either buy the truck, or not.

Or, put another way, if there was a THIRD option, for a 150kwh battery pack, would THAT option be the 'only option' for some?

No matter what Ford or any other manufacturer builds or offers, there will always be some who just can't stomach 'less than', no matter what. They will 'have' to have the Platinum, because, after all, they just can't take a vehicle without 'all' the options. They will 'have' to have the large battery pack, because, after all, anything LESS than that is just plain silly. etc. You can't please everyone, anytime, all of the time, or even some of the time.

 

[rio]

SR here. The extra miles of an ER would be nice for short road trips, but I feel like for long road trips (say, >500 miles) the difference starts to become moot. In the end, the number of miles traveled per minutes of DCFC will be very similar whether you have SR or ER. Especially if we assume reliable charging infrastructure (which hopefully will be the case with accessing the Tesla SC network). Sure, having the ER would be a little better, but not $15k better.

 

[PA Lightning]

How did you buy the Unicorn Pro ER?

I do not think they are as rare as they used to be. I see three dealer ordered Pro ERs on the lot with in 25 miles of me.
You can go on the Ford website and use the search inventory function to see if any are available near you.

For me, the SR suits my needs.

 

[Zprime29]

the question might should be:

"If the LIGHTNING only came only in ONE option:
the 100kwh battery pack, with 240miles EPA 'average' range,
would it be parked in my garage?"

No, it would not be in my garage. I can put up with the poor infrastructure and frequent stops, but I'm not the only one in the truck when we road trip. We travel enough that the extra mileage is huge to the comfort and flow of trip. Stops every 2-3 hours is just right, stops every hour is not acceptable. I also would not accept paying as much as a SR costs without getting the creature comforts that come in cars that cost $20k. Ford packaged most of those with the ER battery, so it was a no-brainer.

Now that we have a road trip capable EV, I am looking for a short range 3 row EV to replace our Pilot (former road tripper) as it will be the go to run about for in town and not much more.

 

[Bwanapete]

I went with ER for several reasons.

1. Cold winters here, the loss of range is less of an issue with the larger pack.
2. We road trip 2-3 times a year.
3. Resale: I imagine ER would be in higher demand when it comes time to sell/trade.

exactly my thinking. As battery technology improves, even my ER Lariat will be on the low side.

 

[Meleys]

I have an XLT SD because of cost.

This is my first EV and I’ve had it for less than a month so I am having range anxiety. I mostly charge to 85% and I live in Bay Area California so I didn’t think I would get affected by cold weather. I traded a hybrid Maverick in which was more efficient because once it reached 200 miles, it would last three days before I petroled up. I really wanted the carpool eligibility of the Lightning and I had already gotten a ticket for using the carpool lane in a mere hybrid XD

Because of cost I originally wanted to get a bare bones Pro SD and I ordered one in August but Ford canceled it. Ford did not inform me and the dealer did not inform me which was infuriating! I only found out thanks to your Long McArthur You Tube channel! By the time I found out and spoke to the dealer, it was too late to order a Pro for 2024. Even if I found out on time, I couldn’t order a red one because the red Pros won’t be made in 24. In general it’s hard to find Pros and much less a red one. So I had to go a model up to the XLT and ended up going to the middle of nowhere to find a red XLT SD.

I would LOVE to have an ER and I might of payed for a Pro ER but even a Pro SD was hard for me to find. If I win the lottery I’ll definitely trade in for Pro ER and paint it Rapid Red or Atlas Blue or an XLT ER. I actually like the simple look of the Pro and I don’t need all the bells and whistles of the higher trims.

 

[Calvin H-C]

We originally thought we would go with the ER, but when it came time to order and the price increase that came just before that, we went with the SR.

At that time, we had nearly five years of EV experience with our Focus Electric, with the final year of that with ONLY the FFE. I'll tell ya, there's nothing better to get used to getting around and even doing some longer road trips in an EV than doing it with a 100 mile range.

Next to the FFE, the SR Lightning can sometimes seem to have an infinite range.

We've had to tow a trailer once, and the range was about 100 km (62 mi) less while towing, but we weren't towing long distance. For us, the SR's range is no hindrance to us. YMMV.

One small benefit of the SR over the ER is the bed capacity. Probably not a significant thing for most, but for an SR it is 2235 lbs and for an ER it is 1952 - an extra 283 lbs.

 

[CdnCGM23]

No brainer, I chose the ER.
1. I live in Canada = cold 5 months of the yr.
2. 3-6 road trips per yr.
3. Better resell value.
4. I tow every couple of weeks for farm work.

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