I had to know - will it be worth the money

[Mainer]

For those who haven't driven an ICE full-size truck, the 50-50 weight distribution and low center of gravity offer a superior driving experience per se. The zero emission, instant torque, fuel-at-home BEV advantages are gravy. I am worried about tire costs over the life of ownership due to that great torque and the curb weight though.

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[skattch]

For those who haven't driven an ICE full-size truck, the 50-50 weight distribution and low center of gravity offer a superior driving experience per se. The zero emission, instant torque, fuel-at-home BEV advantages are gravy. I am worried about tire costs over the life of ownership due to that great torque and the curb weight though.

The only data point I have to that is one time taking a taxi from the Amsterdam airport. The taxi was a Model S. The taxi company had a lot of them and they had been in constant use for over two years. According to the driver, the only maintenance on those cars was new tires and wipers. So while the tires may take more wear, overall the cost of maintenance should be much less.

I know my mechanic is going to see a lot less of me in the future now that I sold all my ICEs.

 

[greenne]

For those who haven't driven an ICE full-size truck, the 50-50 weight distribution and low center of gravity offer a superior driving experience per se. The zero emission, instant torque, fuel-at-home BEV advantages are gravy. I am worried about tire costs over the life of ownership due to that great torque and the curb weight though.

I think some of the reports of tire cost issues may be overblown due to Tesla. From what I've seen/heard, Tesla's have limited choices in tire selection and are hard on tires.

I haven't heard of tire issues with other EVs and the Lightning seems to have common tire requirements(lower cost). I know its heavy but not that much more heavy than common uses of an f150 truck. Research shows Lightning to be 500-900lbs more than ICE equivalent (10-20%).

 

[VTbuckeye]

Luckily we usually wear out tires by age vs wear, throughout bolt went through its fronts pretty quickly (20k miles). It also helps that winter tires are in the cars for 4 to 5 months out of the year, though the summer is when we put more miles on the cars. The lightning will be nice because of all the tire choices for replacements. The xc90 phev used 235 55 19 XL, so plenty of choices, but the xc40 EV used 235 45 20 xl and 255 40 xl front and rear. All choices in those sizes are 350ish each. My EVs have required more brake work than the ice cars due to far less use.

 

[greenne]

Luckily we usually wear out tires by age vs wear, throughout bolt went through its fronts pretty quickly (20k miles). It also helps that winter tires are in the cars for 4 to 5 months out of the year, though the summer is when we put more miles on the cars. The lightning will be nice because of all the tire choices for replacements. The xc90 phev used 235 55 19 XL, so plenty of choices, but the xc40 EV used 235 45 20 xl and 255 40 xl front and rear. All choices in those sizes are 350ish each. My EVs have required more brake work than the ice cars due to far less use.

Not to stray off topic for long, but @VTbuckeye I've got a reservation for the new Volvo EX90. Something about those volvos appeals to me...excited to see their EV portfolio.

 

[VTbuckeye]

Not to stray off topic for long, but @VTbuckeye I've got a reservation for the new Volvo EX90. Something about those volvos appeals to me...excited to see their EV portfolio.

I really shouldn't keep purchasing 60k ,75k and 80k cars. My wife likes the size of the xc40 EV (bolt was her primary vehicle prior to xc40) and does not want to go bigger. If I had a lightning pro, I'd probably have an ex90 reservation.

 

[davehu]

A friend once described the original Avalanche as the 'Swiss Army Knife of trucks' and I have found that to be the case. Mine is one of the original models with the plastic side panels and I always loved them.

I first bought it to haul my dual-sport motorcycle. I drove down countless dirt tracks with branches scraping along the outside and it never bothered me. If I had a typical truck I would never have done that because of the endless scrapes down the painted panels.

Other than that, my next favorite feature was how I could drop the back seat down, pull out the rear window and within 5 minutes I had a long-bed truck.

Add in the locked side storage and it has always been a great truck.

But no, I did not order the Silverado. This is about as much self indulgence as I can justify even to myself.

I will be trading in my 2012 Black Diamond Avalanche for a Lightning Lariat soon. Mine's been built but on hold. I love my Avalanche and use the midgate feature often! was excited that chevy chose to include it in their silverado EV, but not crazy about the looks or that it has that probably expensive and ridiculous crab walk feature. works for some, but not for me.

 

[skattch]

I will be trading in my 2012 Black Diamond Avalanche for a Lightning Lariat soon. Mine's been built but on hold. I love my Avalanche and use the midgate feature often! was excited that chevy chose to include it in their silverado EV, but not crazy about the looks or that it has that probably expensive and ridiculous crab walk feature. works for some, but not for me.

I don't think you will regret the change and will probably consider it a major upgrade. I know I did.

While I do miss the midgate, my Avalanche did not have the power back window. Nor did it have all the bells and whistles this truck has, nor was it anywhere near as comfortable.

One final comparison, I am writing this note while the power is out in my neighborhood, but my house is fine because of my Lightning. Gotta love that!

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