Apart from F-150 Lightning towing, I additionally needed to see how good the electrical pickup could be for road-tripping. So I deliberate a visit from New York Metropolis to Detroit. And by deliberate, I imply I put the journey in Google Maps and made certain there have been Electrify America (EA) stops alongside the way in which. Might it’s this simple?
In brief? Sure, largely. However let’s examine the small print as a result of that’s the place the satan lies.
So touring from New York to Detroit is totally on Interstate 80 throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio. Happily, I come from outdoors of Cleveland – there was a Yankees/Guardians playoff recreation and a go to to my household to interrupt up the journey a bit. But when I used to be going direct, that is what it could seem like:
A Higher Route Planner (ABRP) reveals the next route for the 625-mile journey:
The stops are wherever from 100-150 miles aside and every lasts underneath half-hour for charging. Usually this may be the start and finish of my route planning however I do know quite a lot of people are a bit cautious of long-distance EV journey and may need to take into consideration backups.
Additionally Ford automobiles have Plug and Cost on Electrify America so that you don’t need to mess with apps or a bank card. You simply plug proper in and charging begins about 20 seconds later, give or take.
Within the unlikely occasion one of many chargers was down, Plugshare reveals a ton of choices in the course of the first third of the journey and the final third however only some quick chargers within the japanese two-thirds of Pennsylvania.
I ought to have paid extra consideration to this map, not as a result of any of the chargers weren’t in working order however as a result of it offered me with an choice (Clarion Walmart 150kW EA station on the radius line) that will have allowed me to overlook a cease and get to my vacation spot faster. ABRP was good, not nice at planning this route.
Ford F-150 Lightning aerodynamics
As a result of I used to be occurring a street journey, I assumed I’d have the ability to go a little bit quicker if I made the car a little bit extra aerodynamic. A pickup and not using a tonneau cowl is about as unhealthy because it will get with car aerodynamics, and I assumed I might save helpful time (shorter charger stops, driving a lot quicker) if I added one. Ford obliged me, and Pleasantville Ford had a vinyl one put in over a lunch break. Additionally they had the precise car I used to be driving middle stage within the showroom and apparently have been promoting fairly a number of of them. (See photograph above.)
The F-150 Lightning can also be an enormous car. Right here it’s in comparison with my Mannequin 3 and my storage. For the document, I’d by no means purchase one in all these for street journeys or for commuting or something aside from as a piece truck. However these are the best-selling automobiles within the US, and I don’t suppose that many individuals use them just for work.
Ford F-150 Lightning street journey
I left house totally charged with about 284 miles exhibiting on the F-150 Lightning and about 150 miles to the primary charging spot in Bloomsburg PA. I drove at about 65-70mph the entire manner and was getting fairly related if barely worse vary than had been predicted. I acquired an opportunity to make use of Blue Cruise, and it labored very well.
Blue Cruise within the F-150 lets you take your fingers off the wheel in Interstate driving conditions, and it felt much like Chevy’s Supercruise, like you’re a passenger within the automotive. There’s a slight bouncing backward and forward within the lanes that occurs generally, significantly on roads with poor paint. General, it was proper up there with GM’s Supercruise when it comes to hands-off autopilot expertise. Altering podcasts on CarPlay or discovering a snack in my bag are tremendous simple.
I’d been to Bloomsburg PA earlier than as a result of there’s a Tesla Charger on the Ruby Tuesdays proper off the freeway. Sadly, the EA station was over two miles from the freeway on a street operating parallel.
Fortunately, nevertheless, it’s positioned at a Sheetz subsequent to an Arby’s, so dinner was on. I arrived with over a 3rd of a full cost, and I might have most likely gone safely one other 80 miles. I initially acquired 167kW cost that went as much as virtually 180kW.
I solely stayed on the station for round 22 minutes, which was sufficient time to get a sandwich in me and sufficient cost within the Lightning to the subsequent charging station in Dubois, Pennsylvania.
This was a mistake.
Had I stayed one other 10-Quarter-hour, I might have simply made it to the 150kW Walmart in Clarion, Pennsylvania, and will have made it to Akron, Ohio, simply from there. I believe ABRP had me go to the sooner station as a result of it was a 350kW. However actually 150kW station would have given me 90% of the velocity I used to be seeing at each of the 350kW stations. Lesson realized.
I noticed a barely quicker velocity on the DuBois Walmart (which was additionally a number of miles off the freeway), topping out within the 180-190kW vary.
I then needed to cease on the Sheetz EA in Youngstown to high off. From there, I solely wanted about 10 minutes of cost to get to my vacation spot in Akron the place a Degree 2 in a single day cost was ready for me.
Right here I had the one EA fault of the journey. (See under.) I truly didn’t have to maneuver the F-150, simply seize a plug from a neighboring cost port and convey it over. Again in enterprise.
Usually talking, EA stations have been fairly constant, and I’d see about 170-180kW to begin, about 133kW at 50% state of cost, and right down to about 115kW at 70% state of cost. I didn’t actually ever have to remain wherever longer than half-hour.
Apparently, the resort the place I stayed had one other F-150 Lightning charging the place mine was. It was a uncommon Professional trim and the primary Ive seen within the wild.
For the document, we took my mother’s Chevy Bolt to Downtown Cleveland to look at the sport (Cleveland received with a walk-off – woo) as a result of I didn’t need to need to park the F-150, although I most likely might have.
The following day, I left Akron with a full cost and headed 140 miles towards Detroit. I might have simply made it the entire manner however needed to have some cost for towing the subsequent morning, so I crammed up once more outdoors of Toledo.
Electrek’s take
Sure, you completely can take an F-150 Lightning on a street journey.
Is the Lightning the perfect car for a visit cross nation? No. If I used to be driving a Kia EV6 or a Mannequin 3, the charging stops would have been half as lengthy. It will have required half the vitality.
Nevertheless it was an excellent expertise and can get higher as EA and different charger ventures fill these gaps and make selecting a charging cease the identical as selecting a gasoline station.
As for the chargers, EA with Plug and Cost is as simple as a Tesla and, in lots of circumstances, simply as quick. I’d have favored Chargers nearer to the freeway, however we’ll get there.
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