That isn’t bad for their first entry, but they need to do better, fast. It’s unclear if those numbers include a load, but the EPA testing within model years should be the same across brands, so when the Lightning’s competitors come out, their range numbers should be able to be compared.
I almost said that the ranges would be comparable, but that could also trigger the usage of the word that says the ranges are similar or roughly the same across brands would be more or less the same, which isn’t what I meant at all. Somehow the concept of comparing things gets overloaded in the usage, and things that aren’t the same get equated or weighed against each other in ways I didn’t mean. Words and their contexts are weird like that.
> With 320 miles of range, the extended range versions of the F-150 Lightning will be competitive with other electric trucks on the market, including the Rivian R1T (EPA-confirmed 314 miles) and Hummer EV (estimated 350 miles). But starting next year, we’ll start to see some longer-range electric trucks, including the Chevy Silverado EV (estimated 400 miles) and Tesla Cybertruck (estimated 500 miles).
I don’t see many people enjoying a baseline model with 200ish mile ranges. I did manual labor for a construction company as a way to make money back in high school, and it was normal for site leads to be commuting a minimum of 150 miles per day. This truck is marketed as also being a generator which would mean people will be using for work during the day.
I agree that they need to do better if they want this to not flop.
This isn't for road warriors. Those people will look at the details and decide this isn't the truck for them.
This is for people who want to do what they currently do with their Tacoma and Model 3, drive to work, haul a bag of mulch, bring the kids to soccer, project an image befitting their pay grade, etc, and do it with one monthly payment instead of two. It looks like it will fill that role really well.
It'll take another few years before the tech gets good enough that it's actually practical for the people who are really racking up the miles.
I hope that, just like companies are required to pay for their externality damages like Superfund sites, ICE companies should be required to subsidize EV adoption themselves to help pay for the reduction of Superfunding our air they contributed to. It's 2022, these standard vehicle specs are $55k, far above the average consumer's ability to fit into a reasonable budget, and 60,000 people a year are dying to particulate pollution in the US from the ICE's that Ford still sells.
They pretty much do by buying credits from Tesla, which then (even on this site) a hoard of astroturfers use to say "Tesla is only profitable because it is subsidized by the government!!!". Sigh.
Per your comment, those credits are functioning exactly as designed, although I'd like to see them expanded.
Actually, I'd like a $10000 rebate (NOT tax credit) on EVs that drops $500-$1000/year. That would encourage adoption and companies to get their models on the road.
I would like the same for a 100 mile range PHEV, which would probably be a better use of the battery manufacturing capacity, and easier for more companies to get on the road.
EVs we have now are a good start, but I think the first big step is a LFP-chemistry 100 mile range PHEV with a compact range extension motor (like that "inside out rotary" patent or a small atkinson-cycle generator, or whatever Mazda comes up since they're going to take a swing at a wankel range extender).
Then when solid state, Li-S or whatever hits the market, we switch to those.
I thought EV's were already subsidized in some way or another. You know, not everyone has a way to charge a car. Think about street parking, apartment renters or any home without a 200amp electrical service.
The longevity is also quite important. With Lithium-based batteries there's a tradeoff between charge/discharge level and battery lifetime. Be suspicious of range estimates that do not also include some kind of battery lifetime data.
I almost said that the ranges would be comparable, but that could also trigger the usage of the word that says the ranges are similar or roughly the same across brands would be more or less the same, which isn’t what I meant at all. Somehow the concept of comparing things gets overloaded in the usage, and things that aren’t the same get equated or weighed against each other in ways I didn’t mean. Words and their contexts are weird like that.
> With 320 miles of range, the extended range versions of the F-150 Lightning will be competitive with other electric trucks on the market, including the Rivian R1T (EPA-confirmed 314 miles) and Hummer EV (estimated 350 miles). But starting next year, we’ll start to see some longer-range electric trucks, including the Chevy Silverado EV (estimated 400 miles) and Tesla Cybertruck (estimated 500 miles).