2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Electric Truck
- Thread starter erstwild
- Start date
onemanarmy
Explorer
we're gonna all look back on these ridiculous screens in cars one day and realize how dumb it was. For the life of me I can't understand why automakers complicate the simple act of turning on the radio and HVAC. Its more expensive to design and engineer and produce, costs the end user more, complicates their life when it breaks, looks dated in a few years, and is not future proof. For what? I'm actually more disheartened that the general public eats it up. Humans are so dumb.
givemethewillys
Jonathan Chouinard
That was the biggest thing that annoyed me with my Chrysler (that I just sold) Uconnect system. Being Chrysler, it was always glitchy, and there wasnt a single function that I could do when it would start. I think the Ram trucks use the same system, you won't see me driving one.
I like the big knobs in my 2016 f150, I don't need to look down to change the hvac or radio station. Hopefully ford has similar as an option on the lightning.
JaSAn
Grumpy Old Man
Planned obsolescence. You need to buy the newer version in a couple of years. Car companies used to change the look of the car every year to get you to buy new.
The younger generation is very adept at navigating screens; my 10 y.o. grandniece can scroll through screens on her phone so fast I can't keep up.
We're old. Kids today are used to doing everything by touch screen. Next is voice commands, eventually just think the desired action.
I don't entirely dislike screens in vehicles. The screens are very useful in combination with back up cameras, and I enjoy the benefits of Google or Gaia maps on the screen using CarPlay. I do dislike the trend to ever larger screens, and I do not want to have to use a screen for anything but radio & navigation. A 7"-8" screen is the sweet spot in my opinion - large enough to see the camera image well, and small enough to integrate into the center stack space previously dedicated to the radio. Redundant knobs and buttons for volume/tuning/presets make touchscreens less distracting.
A writer for InsideEVs got to visit Ford's Product Development center and noted a screen range estimate of 472 miles inside the Lightning's control screens. See article here. That lends credence to YouTuber Marques Brownlee's conjecture that the 300 range is a conservative estimate that is predicated on a 1,000 lb. payload. I already placed a deposit for a Lightning and would love to learn there is even more real range than advertised.
Coming from both a LEO and insurance background, it will be interesting to see how many of these get totaled per year. Putting the average driver behind the wheel of a truck with 500+ hp, 1000 pounds of torque and a 0-60 time of about 4 seconds is like giving a teenager or inexperienced driver the keys to a Ferrari or Porsche. I suspect insurance rates will be be competitive initially but will increase dramatically. Given how light in the rear trucks are, driving that much power and torque in slippery conditions (wet and snow) will require a lot of care. If I was a betting man, I suspect future models will have speed limiters of some kind.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
Thats why Ford defaults to numb mode every time you start up. Even my 400hp Expedition in sport mode is way too much for most people. LOL
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Deleted member 9101
Guest
Fords traction control is pretty good and takes a looot of stupid out of the equation... Haha.
It’s going to have to be better than pretty good for that much hp and torque
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Deleted member 9101
Guest
Lol...well, you don't see Limited F150s lining the ditches and they have the 3.5HO, which puts down some pretty decent HP/TQ. There is no shortage of modified Mustangs, Camaros, and Corvettes on the road and they are not all on their roof in a ditch...lol.
Even with as modified as it is, my Ecoboost won't spin the tires on a wet road if the traction control and advancetrac are on. If you take a corner to fast, it will bring the ass end back in line. It's an annoyingly good system...lol.
The HP and torque of the Lightning will be far higher than most vehicles on the road today, especially pickup trucks and your Ecoboost (half the torque of the electric version and less HP). And the modified cars you reference are really not that numerous and those drivers typically know what they are driving. Put the average driver in a Lightning, and the first thing he/she will probably do is shut off traction control to see what he/she has got. I've driven several of the 2021 Fords with ecoboost and have had no problem with the rear end getting sideways if you try hard enough-- no amount of technology can offset basic physics. And based on pictures, they will come with very low profile tires that look and work great in dry conditions but are terrible in wet, snowy conditions. It will be great for the mall crawlers and soccer moms but I can't see its utility as its currently designed for people who use their trucks as trucks or who live anywhere where it rains and snows.
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Good point on the weight and power, but it is worth noting that the Lightning won't be as light in the rear like most ICE trucks because it has a "skateboard" style design. Ford builds a ladder frame and then fills the area between the axles with batteries, which means there will be a better distribution of weight across the whole frame, including a lower than normal center of mass which probably makes the vehicle less likely to flip. It'll also be the first F150 with an independent rear suspension, which may help with the handling.
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Deleted member 9101
Guest
Please post a video of you getting a 2021 F150 sideways with the traction control and Advancetrac on.