Ford Lightning

[Doug Garson]

Or will the employer pay to have a charging station installed at the employee's home?

[Mike Henderson]

Or will the employer pay to have a charging station installed at the employee's home?

For many EV's you don't need a charging station at home - you just need a 240 volt 50 amp outlet. Essentially an electric dryer outlet.

The charging control is built into a device in line with the charging cable, or built into the vehicle.

But putting in a new 240 volt 50 amp outlet in your garage still cost some money.

Mike

[Doug Garson]

For many EV's you don't need a charging station at home - you just need a 240 volt 50 amp outlet. Essentially an electric dryer outlet.

The charging control is built into a device in line with the charging cable, or built into the vehicle.

But putting in a new 240 volt 50 amp outlet in your garage still cost some money.

Mike

I just had two 20 Amp 240 V and two 15 Amp 120V outlets installed in my garage shop for $420 Cnd. So compared to paying an employee say$50/hr to charge at a public charging station, paying to install a 50Amp 240V outlet may have a pretty quick payback.

[Mike Henderson]

I just had two 20 Amp 240 V and two 15 Amp 120V outlets installed in my garage shop for $420 Cnd. So compared to paying an employee say$50/hr to charge at a public charging station, paying to install a 50Amp 240V outlet may have a pretty quick payback.

The problem is that some employees may live in an environment without a garage - in an apartment, for example. They may have to park on the street, or in a parking lot. Those employees will have to use a commercial charging station.

Employees who have a garage and can install a 240 volt outlet (some may rent and not have permission to do that) can charge at home. The employer can pay for the installation of the outlet and the recurring cost of the electricity for charging the vehicle.

Mike

[Doug Garson]

The problem is that some employees may live in an environment without a garage - in an apartment, for example. They may have to park on the street, or in a parking lot. Those employees will have to use a commercial charging station.

Mike

Agreed, it's not a one size fits all situation. Some employees have no where to park at all so they might park their work truck at work (and charge it overnight there) and bus it home.
There are also some who live in locations where it is prohibited to park a commercial vehicle overnight.

[Jim Becker]

There is clearly a "chicken and egg" issue with what I'll term "public charging" and there have been a number of articles out there that cite the challenge for city, apartment/rental and other living situations. This is yet another reason that the targeted demographic somewhat favores suburbia and beyond where home-charging is more practical. Then again, I've noticed more and more "public charging" stations cropping up these days, including in convenience store parking areas and public parking facilities. More and more hotels are putting them in now, too. But that's not going to happen soon enough; hence, the marking of the initial EV push the way Ford and others have been doing.

[Tyler Bancroft]

My understanding is that Ford is primarily targeting the fleet market for the initial release, and I expect that issues around charging availability are likely a lower priority in that market – a company that can afford to buy a couple hundred EV trucks can also afford to install some charging infrastructure.

[Brian Elfert]

My understanding is that Ford is primarily targeting the fleet market for the initial release, and I expect that issues around charging availability are likely a lower priority in that market – a company that can afford to buy a couple hundred EV trucks can also afford to install some charging infrastructure.

The fact they aren't making anything but crew cabs with short beds is a sign that Ford is mostly catering to non-commercial applications for the initial release. They have a so-called "Pro" edition, but it is still a crew cab, but with some extra features like 110 volt receptacles and telematics. Most real work trucks are regular cab or super cab if they are F-150s, or if crew cab they use an F-250 or F-350 for the larger bed capacity.

[Jack Frederick]

Pick-ups like most vehicles have “softened” over the years. As an example, my work trucks were Yukon XL. I had a 92,97,02 and 06. The 92 was a truck. the others became replacements for soccer Mom’s vans. Yes, as Jim has done, you can buy a real truck, but most are used as cars. Ford knows that and wants to dominate in its best field, the F150. From my observations most drivers of big PU’s with million dollar wheels and tires never carry anything but groceries, so I think Ford is on the right track. Yes, the infrastructure is weak so the chicken and egg analogy works, but Ford has announced massive development of electric vehicles and plants in TN, KY & TX The “frunk” or trunk in the front where those big beautiful motors used to be is pretty cool. I have a whole house generator but with the safety power outages we have here in the foothills the ability to keep the house going for a while is pretty cool also. I think Ford have a better idea on this. I’m not sure I can make it pay but will continue to follow this thing.

[Tyler Bancroft]

The fact they aren't making anything but crew cabs with short beds is a sign that Ford is mostly catering to non-commercial applications for the initial release. They have a so-called "Pro" edition, but it is still a crew cab, but with some extra features like 110 volt receptacles and telematics. Most real work trucks are regular cab or super cab if they are F-150s, or if crew cab they use an F-250 or F-350 for the larger bed capacity.

Not sure that I agree, especially since they're making models targeted specifically at the fleet market: https://www.worktruckonline.com/1014...mercial-fleets

[John K Jordan]

It really comes down to what you need a truck for. If you don't tow or take long trips I can see this as a very viable option. Plus if you have solar panels and the truck will be home during the day you can take full advantage of it's batteries. Not only charging while the sun is out but I thought I read where you can use the batteries to power your house. If so you can power your house in the evening if you know you aren't going to use the truck the next day.

I on occasion tow my tractor about 100 miles and back. There's no option to charge and with the hills around here I'm not sure if the range is there. With the brakes on the trailer doing most of the stopping work I suspect it'll reduce the range as well. I'll wait until the RV crowd start buying them and see what they think. Both the F150 and Tundra are suppose to have hybrids coming out that sound interesting.

Agree. I haul my excavator, tractor, or skid steer with a diesel '99 Dodge 2500 and rely on both the trailer brakes and gearing down. Often haul 150 bales of hay up steep, twisty mountain roads and horse trailers. My big trailers are gooseneck. Takes a lot of power to pull a heavy load up some of the steep hills around here. Loads are often 4-5 tons.

I'm currently looking a 3500 diesel chassis truck I that I can have a custom flat bed built for it. My Lovely Bride keeps sneaking money into my new truck account...

Last thing I need right now is a prissy electric truck-car for trips to Walmart. Maybe a heavy duty hybrid would make sense.

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

I wish I could fill my truck up for $75. At least, I only need to fill it up every 900 miles. 56 gallon aftermarket tank, for diesel.

Back when diesel was 4 bucks a gallon, it took a little over $200 at one fillup.

I hope it lasts long enough that I can replace it with a 1 ton electric.

I rarely get out of the gas station for less than $150 for diesel. Diesel here is around $3. Without a load I got 20 mpg or so, last time I checked.

[Clarence Martinn]

For people that live in SNOW COUNTRY !!! , Will this new electric truck be able to hook up a snow plow to it, and plow out a driveway ? There have been many years where we get heavy Lake Effect snow with blowing and drifts 4 feet or more in height. Is that electric truck going to plow through that ?

[Brian Elfert]

Not sure that I agree, especially since they're making models targeted specifically at the fleet market: https://www.worktruckonline.com/1014...mercial-fleets

Again, how many fleets use crew cab short bed half ton pickups? That is the only model of the "Pro" lineup right now is a crew cab that has a short bed. Sure, some fleets use these, but a true fleet vehicle is rarely an F-150 with crew cab. I see large utility and construction company pickups on the road quite often, but a lot of them are F-250 or F-350. These same companies will often have some F-150s for certain uses, but usually regular cab or super cab.

Auto manufacturers will likely sell a lot of electric vehicles to fleets once they offer more than a family SUV with a short cargo bed and start building the kind of pickups that fleets use.

[Tom M King]

I could get by fine with 100 mile range, but I'm waiting for a dually that will pull 25,000 pounds. I only work within 10 miles from home.

I don't see that short bed being used by many fleets. I've owned a fair number of trucks, but never bought one with anything but an 8' bed, and don't intend to.