Lightning sales report for Q1 2025

[Firn]

I don't want to turn this into another EREV vs BEV thread as there are plenty of those and my opinions about them are there. But to summarize those posts. If I towed a lot of long distances. I would by a cheaper and more fuel efficient diesel over a complex EREV, If I didn't do a lot of long distance driving, I would buy a BEV over an EREV. If a 10% to 80% charge can be done in 5 to 10 minutes, I would only consider a BEV no matter what kind of driving I do. I have owned an EREV car for 10 years and they are the worst of both worlds. I get the allure because when I bought, I thought it would be the best of both worlds. Many stubborn people such as myself will have to learn that on their own.

You are correct that they can co-exist as there is going to be a huge market of people that believe EREV''s are great. From a marketing standpoint it could sell well and I don't have a problem with that. My concern is that they will be cutting back on BEV trucks like the rumours and Farley himself stated. Instead of going for that 5 to 10 minute charge, they are giving up. Other manufacturers are not giving up and will soon achieve that.

If Ford is working full blast trying to improve the lightning, I have no problem with them introducing an EREV. If the EREV is being introduced to REPLACE the lightning, I am waving bye bye to Ford.

Usage is not mutually exclusive. Usage stretches from Hot Shots to guys who never tow, and everything in between (and far more in between).

For a guy who tows a camper 10 times a year he still uses his truck for a LOT of other things. A BEV may suit 80% of his use case, but is practically unusable for the other 20%. Across billions of miles driven every year those numbers vary greatly.

I rarely tow, but am frustrated my truck is basically unusable for the few long distance towing I would want to use it for. No matter how you cut it stopping for an hour charge for every hour of driving is not realistic. But nor is spending $115k to buy a truck with a 200kwh battery that gets only half an hour more on the road for the same time charging.

At the end of the day for most switching from a ICE truck to a BEV takes it from having a truck that is usable but not great at daily driving, to a truck that's great at daily driving but not usable at all for other things.

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[Altivec]

Usage is not mutually exclusive. Usage stretches from Hot Shots to guys who never tow, and everything in between (and far more in between).

For a guy who tows a camper 10 times a year he still uses his truck for a LOT of other things. A BEV may suit 80% of his use case, but is practically unusable for the other 20%. Across billions of miles driven every year those numbers vary greatly.

I rarely tow, but am frustrated my truck is basically unusable for the few long distance towing I would want to use it for. No matter how you cut it stopping for an hour charge for every hour of driving is not realistic. But nor is spending $115k to buy a truck with a 200kwh battery that gets only half an hour more on the road for the same time charging.

At the end of the day for most switching from a ICE truck to a BEV takes it from having a truck that is usable but not great at daily driving, to a truck that's great at daily driving but not usable at all for other things.

I suggest you re-read what I said. If you feel an EREV is good for you, please enjoy. I have experience with them and they are not for me. I do not have a problem if Ford makes EREV's, My problem is if they REPLACE the lightning with EREV.

As I said. newer battery technologies are getting to the point where you do not have to wait an hour, you only wait 10 minutes. For a lot of people, that alone would be acceptable to tow long distances more often. There is also a boat load of technologies they are working on that increase density, lower costs, lower charging times. In 5 to 10 years from now, this won't even be a talking point.

Back on topic. Ford has done little to improve the lightning in 4 years. They recently upped the charging to 500Amps, shaving 6 minutes off a charge, which is great. But this is not new technology, this is just being more lenient on the tech that they already have. Right now competitors are at 800V. Instead of being at 36min for a 10 to 80 charge, that would already cut that down to 25min or less. Every drop in charge time, makes the truck more viable to more people. As I said, considering they did very little (again, not knocking the 6 min drop as that is their biggest improvement), the sales are pretty good. Their saving grace is that the "truck part" is exceptional. If they work on their charging speed, sales numbers will increase. I just hope they haven't given up as that would be a huge mistake.

 

[Jseis]

Followed this yesterday: Temp plate brodozer with a real novice driver. Looked to be a gasser by the sound of the exhaust & brown color when the driver got on it. Such a dinosaur. With $4.50/gal gas, and those tires.. going to cost a pretty penny to own. Yet guys will do that to roll with their crowd. While I briefly thought about demonstrating e-torque application, it’s simply not me to waste 2 cents (literally).

This is the same image vehicle as say a Raptor. And I followed one of those through a tunnel and about died laughing when he got on the gas with the turbo V6.

The wife and I are agreed. Never buy an ICE again. But it is a radical consumer choice despite consumers having many battery operated devices but can’t wrap their head around a BEV, deal with charging at home/on the road, etc.

Our local Ford dealer always has a wheel-tire-suspension package F150 on showroom floor ‘cause it’s “a thing” here on the coast.

Makes the average-discreet looking Lightning feel true 21st Century.

 

[F150ROD]

The problem is EV battery tech, charging, cost are not in line with what ICE has to offer. 150k a year is decades away

 

[Firn]

I suggest you re-read what I said. If you feel an EREV is good for you, please enjoy. I have experience with them and they are not for me. I do not have a problem if Ford makes EREV's, My problem is if they REPLACE the lightning with EREV.

As I said. newer battery technologies are getting to the point where you do not have to wait an hour, you only wait 10 minutes. For a lot of people, that alone would be acceptable to tow long distances more often. There is also a boat load of technologies they are working on that increase density, lower costs, lower charging times. In 5 to 10 years from now, this won't even be a talking point.

Back on topic. Ford has done little to improve the lightning in 4 years. They recently upped the charging to 500Amps, shaving 6 minutes off a charge, which is great. But this is not new technology, this is just being more lenient on the tech that they already have. Right now competitors are at 800V. Instead of being at 36min for a 10 to 80 charge, that would already cut that down to 25min or less. Every drop in charge time, makes the truck more viable to more people. As I said, considering they did very little (again, not knocking the 6 min drop as that is their biggest improvement), the sales are pretty good. Their saving grace is that the "truck part" is exceptional. If they work on their charging speed, sales numbers will increase. I just hope they haven't given up as that would be a huge mistake.

And I'm going to suggest you read mine again. You said you summarized all previous discussiins and stated those who tow should get an ICE vehicle, and others should get a BEV. I pointed out that many who use a truck could well use an electric for the majority of their use, but having only a BEV would then be severely limiting for the rest of their usage.

Technology to charge in 10 minutes will not be here soon, those kinds of leaps don't happen suddenly, they progress at a regular pace. Will it happen? Yes. Soon, decidedly not. A fast charge speed now is 4C, the lightning is maybe 1C, charging a big battery in 10 minutes would be what, 12, 15C? That's a huge development when they are also focused on improving energy density, reducing cost, etc. And all that is before the infrastructure changes needed.

 

[Scorpio3d]

I think Ford is still working on the future with BEV vehicles just maybe not the F-150 size vehicle?? Not entirely sure about that and hopefully they will!!

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