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Speaking of towing distance, GM is fairing no better. TFL just towed a 6,000 lb. camper with the Hummer EV (same architecture the Silverado will use) and despite having a 230ish kw battery pack, they only made it 123 miles before needing to stop for a charge. Ouch.
The fact that the battery pack alone weighs nearly 3,000 lbs. is killing any efficiency that might be possible. It's like a dog chasing its tail. You can't have more range without more battery, but more battery subtracts more range.
Speaking of towing distance, GM is fairing no better. TFL just towed a 6,000 lb. camper with the Hummer EV (same architecture the Silverado will use) and despite having a 230ish kw battery pack, they only made it 123 miles before needing to stop for a charge. Ouch.
The fact that the battery pack alone weighs nearly 3,000 lbs. is killing any efficiency that might be possible. It's like a dog chasing its tail. You can't have more range without more battery, but more battery subtracts more range.
One more reason why the solid-state battery will change everything electric within the next 2 years =- 3 months.
The fact that the battery pack alone weighs nearly 3,000 lbs. is killing any efficiency that might be possible. It's like a dog chasing its tail. You can't have more range without more battery, but more battery subtracts more range.
Why is it that the longest-range EVs in a segment are the ones with the biggest batteries? By this logic, the standard-range Lightning would go as far as the extended-range model because of how much lighter it is. That logic would also mean the Tesla, Volvo, and other Class 8 trucks couldn't exist.
Why is it that the longest-range EVs in a segment are the ones with the biggest batteries? By this logic, the standard-range Lightning would go as far as the extended-range model because of how much lighter it is. That logic would also mean the Tesla, Volvo, and other Class 8 trucks couldn't exist.
Class 8, might not be the best argument-when one takes 1 minute to explore the Range of these electric Class 8 trucks, and the reduction in load capability, I don't see 1000s of truckers trading in their diesel rigs for electrics. I believe the point that Wxboy was making, is the very heavy wet battery packs used today, add a lot of weight to the vehicle, if they are fully charged or not charged at all, the weight remains the same. Just as in an aircraft the fuel burn rate continues to decrease as fuel is burned, as the amount of energy needed to continue in flight is less, the amount of energy needed to move the EVs remains constant, even as fuel (electricity) is used. If a lightning had twin battery packs, easily installed/removed. ran to 0 charge (full range) on one pack, then had a new pack installed, and again ran to 0 charge max range, the range covered would be Greater than if both of these heavy batteries were installed at the same time and ran until they both reached 0 charge. I hope I don't need a 500-word disclaimer regarding same day, same way, same speed etc. etc. etc., as I don't think you are going to play that game, as some do.
Of course weight plays a part, but it's not as significant as wind resistance. And that is even more true for EVs which can effectively recover their kinetic energy through regenerative braking at lower speeds.
The Lucid Air has the longest range of any EV on the market, and it accomplishes this with a massive 112 kWh battery pack. It's 500 lbs heavier than my car, and it's also larger. Yet despite this added size and weight, it's significantly more efficient. This is an extreme example of one of the most expensive and advanced EVs on the market, but I'd say the added weight didn't hurt the Air's range very much.
Of course weight plays a part, but it's not as significant as wind resistance. And that is even more true for EVs which can effectively recover their kinetic energy through regenerative braking at lower speeds.
The Lucid Air has the longest range of any EV on the market, and it accomplishes this with a massive 112 kWh battery pack. It's 500 lbs heavier than my car, and it's also larger. Yet despite this added size and weight, it's significantly more efficient. This is an extreme example of one of the most expensive and advanced EVs on the market, but I'd say the added weight didn't hurt the Air's range very much.
The two are not directly comparable mpg wise since the Kia is a good 5.3 inches(~10%) taller so the frontal drag area is much bigger on the Kia.
The two are not directly comparable mpg wise since the Kia is a good 5.3 inches(~10%) taller so the frontal drag area is much bigger on the Kia.
Of course. The Lucid has a super-low 0.21 coefficient of drag which makes it among the slipperiest things on the road. It's wider than my Kia is, though.
For a direct comparison, look at the range estimates for the same vehicle with different battery packs. The Lightning extended-range is rated for 300 miles with a 131 kWh battery, and the exact same truck with a lighter 98 kWh battery is good for 230 to the EPA test. That's 30 more rated miles for a 33% larger battery, with some rounding involved.
Looking at a real-world test, InsideEVs got 272 miles for the extended-range Lightning and 214 for the standard-range. So this real-world test showed the heavier extended-range truck getting 27% further with the same 33% battery capacity improvement. Adding a larger battery is not a losing game if you're trying to get more range.
First if you are a recreational vehicle owner, do not fret or worry about towing. These tests while honest, are misleading to an extent. If you need your truck to tow heavy at 10000 pounds, it has to be close in town or it just wont work right now logistically. I own a 04 f350 CCLB 6.0 4WD 6 speed manual, 2016 F150 3.5L Max Tow package and now a 2022 F150 Lightning with the Max Tow package.
You should not drive the F150 Lightning the same routes you would an ICE vehicle. For one, I would 100% avoid the interstate, and only travel on highways and byways that have red lights and obscure stop signs. The reason is that all EVs get better mileage when you stop a lot because of the regen braking! This matters even more when you are towing, and I think some tests playing with the trailer brake levels could net some pretty impressive regen braking.
Conclusion. The F150 Lightning should avoid the interstate in order to maximize your range which will decrease your overall trip time. We drive on the interstate because it maximizes fuel efficiency in ICE and maximizes the range. We have to take the same approach with EVs which is drastically different than ICE vehicles.
We drive on the interstate because it's quicker from point A to point B than driving on secondary roads, not because it saves fuel!
No single vehicle works well in all situations. My diesel pickup had so many sensor and firmware problems that I sold it and bought a gas engine powered SUV. Now I have a 17 mpg F-150 and a 99 mpg Raw4 plug-in hybrid. I use the truck to haul stuff or tow a trailer and the SUV is used for everything else.
Fleet operators are moving as fast as they can to EV trucks and vans as they know that the cost of ownership will be much lower and in service time will increase and far less worries about hiring a qualified diesel machanic. For them it is all about saving money and they have little difficulty in putting their egos to the side.
When we experience extreme hot summers and cold winters we are always reminded of our fragile power grid and I don't see any actions being taken to correct them as of recently.
When we experience extreme hot summers and cold winters we are always reminded of our fragile power grid and I don't see any actions being taken to correct them as of recently.
That seems to be a regional thing. Texas and California seem to have big issues with reliability, but the rest of the country seems to do pretty well. I've never lived in an area that's had issues like that, and it would cause me to think twice about an EV purchase if I did. It's been rock-solid up here in the frozen midwest, and my cheapie off-peak rate makes it a no-brainer for my use.
Funny Fact: When you add the number of registered cars in TX and CA, they total almost twice as many as when you add all the registered cars from the following states: Ver/Maine/RI/Delaware/NH/Conn/ Maryland/Mass/NJ/VA/NY, in fact you could add at least 10 more states to this list, and it would not equal the total number of registered cars in TX and CA!!! Source: STATISTA
That seems to be a regional thing. Texas and California seem to have big issues with reliability, but the rest of the country seems to do pretty well. I've never lived in an area that's had issues like that, and it would cause me to think twice about an EV purchase if I did. It's been rock-solid up here in the frozen midwest, and my cheapie off-peak rate makes it a no-brainer for my use.
Texas also has a lot of Tesla's and I already seen probably a dozen Lightings in the Katy area alone. The local Katy TX Bucees store just completed installing 24 Tesla Super Chargers and just across the interstate at a HEB grocery store they installed 12 Tesla chargers. Also the wind turbines and solar panels don't work well during cold weather.
