Driving an EV pickup

[Aces]

Soooo tempting, I might just need some more time to “process” everything in my little brain. My duramax is costing me about 3k a month with payments and fuel, kinda sickening.

Most long distance trips I tow my boat with my motorhome, come to think of it I only need my duramax for local fishing trips,
Oh no! I can see this being the end for my duramax

I still regret selling mine

 

[Wild Bill]

I like my Lightning however long trip and especially long trip towing isn't great. I don't like the current hybrid systems however for over 50 years I suggested hybrid with a genset and a battery was the way to go like Edison Motors and long range units. Why did it take them that long to figure that out? Easy to control emissions, extend range. Something in the mix bigger than common sense.

 

[Wild Bill]

I have to tow one to Edmonton in the spring.
Everything pretty good until Alberta lol!

 

[zloy]

Does Ford have an autopilot for staying in the lane, braking for traffic, stop signs and red lights? I could imagine giving that up for highway driving, then drive myself in town.

It was pretty impressive, but if it has 15% more time before a collision to figure things out I'll take it!

A $999 (US) Comma 4 can drive your F150 better than Tesla's autopilot or any other OEM system. It's not as advanced as Tesla FSD, but it's the second best thing you can have for driver's assist. Compatible with 300+ cars too, including RAMs.

 

[kaelc]

A $999 (US) Comma 4 can drive your F150 better than Tesla's autopilot or any other OEM system. It's not as advanced as Tesla FSD, but it's the second best thing you can have for driver's assist. Compatible with 300+ cars too, including RAMs.

Interesting. No Lightning listed, but it does have the Mach-E.

 

[zloy]

Interesting. No Lightning listed, but it does have the Mach-E.

It works on Lightning

 

[chille51]

A $999 (US) Comma 4 can drive your F150 better than Tesla's autopilot or any other OEM system. It's not as advanced as Tesla FSD, but it's the second best thing you can have for driver's assist. Compatible with 300+ cars too, including RAMs.

@zloy do you have first hand experience with one of these?

 

[zloy]

@zloy do you have first hand experience with one of these?

Yes. I've been using it (versions 2,3 and now 4) since 2020 on my Kia Telluride. It works great.

And I've been using Tesla's Autopilot and FSD too.

 

[chille51]

Yes. I've been using it (versions 2,3 and now 4) since 2020 on my Kia Telluride. It works great.

And I've been using Tesla's Autopilot and FSD too.

I had no idea this was a thing until you mentioned it. You probably cost me $1500, thanks!

 

[sly_karma]

First repair item today: a week ago, I started getting an alert first thing each morning: "Electrical drain detected, service vehicle soon." It started and drove fine, no further alert until the next day. After a couple of days, the Fordpass app lost connection with the vehicle as well. The dealer technician ran the diagnostics and said it needed a new 12V battery. This is a lead-acid battery that supplies power to all the normal vehicle circuits like windows, door locks, audio, screens, wipers etc. It's topped up periodically from the main drive battery, which is 400 V. The dealer had some in stock (Lightning and Mach e share the same battery) and it was changed out on the spot, app problem appears to be solved. Will see in the morning if this eliminates the error message.

Novel experience, I've never paid someone to change out an automotive (or marine) battery before. The battery was about $300, similar to what gas F150 drivers would be paying. Diagnostic time and installation doubled that price, though. >$600 for a battery, eek! I guess that's four of the oil changes that I haven't needed. And of course at 62,600 km they're saying it's out of warranty, so pay full tilt.

 

[scott craven]

That's a gouge for sure, dealer shop rate x 2 hours to change a battery ?
Maybe the design dictates the expense?

 

[kaelc]

That's a gouge for sure, dealer shop rate x 2 hours to change a battery ?
Maybe the design dictates the expense?

15-30 minutes as a do it yourself job according to perplexity pro. Dealers and the authorities industry lobby group are anti ev quota for just this reason less maintenance and repair revenue.

@sly_karma a lot of dealerships are charging well over $600 for an oil change so you are still winning. I’m watching used EV’s hit the sub 20k mark for nice ones and it is an exciting time to get into them even before the Chinese ones show up.

 

[sly_karma]

That's a gouge for sure, dealer shop rate x 2 hours to change a battery ?
Maybe the design dictates the expense?

No, the access is simple, click off a panel in the frunk. TBH I should have done a load test on it myself. 2 hours for diagnostic work, which is fair. Don't just drop in a $300 battery to see if that fixes the issue, button it up and say, "She'll be right, mate."

 

[sly_karma]

15-30 minutes as a do it yourself job according to perplexity pro. Dealers and the authorities industry lobby group are anti ev quota for just this reason less maintenance and repair revenue.

@sly_karma a lot of dealerships are charging well over $600 for an oil change so you are still winning. I’m watching used EV’s hit the sub 20k mark for nice ones and it is an exciting time to get into them even before the Chinese ones show up.

Don't get too excited for a sudden wave of cheap EVs dropping overall market prices down. We actually had the 49,000 quota in place before Biden pressured JT to match their 100% tariff in 2024. Didn't see a bunch of Chinese EVs rolling in before that...

But they're out there. Every time I'm back in Australia I see another car make I don't recognize, because it's Chinese. Their domestic industry had its subsidies and tariff protection withdrawn a decade ago and the last assembly plants closed in 2017. It's been all imports since then, and China has gained a lot of market share. Lots of BYD and MG electric models around. My brother has a BYD Atto 3 SUV, drives nicely although charging rate is a bit slow. It cost $45K though, pretty decent but not dirt cheap.

China will want a larger scope to work with before they start to enter the nth america market in force. Can't see them building any kind of manufacturing capability on this continent until they have reasonable access to the American market. Canada plus Mexico isn't a big enough pie.

 

[sly_karma]

No, the access is simple, click off a panel in the frunk. TBH I should have done a load test on it myself. 2 hours for diagnostic work, which is fair. Don't just drop in a $300 battery to see if that fixes the issue, button it up and say, "She'll be right, mate."

The symptoms were Electrical Drain Detected alert at the first start of the morning in these sort-of winter days, and the Fordpass app not connecting despite app uninstall/reinstall, phone power down etc.

Really the signs were there. I had a dash cam plugged in, but it's been there 30 months and doesn't draw power when the truck is off. I had the OBD dongle in for a few days over the holidays, that does pull a few mA for its low power Bluetooth transmitter, but it was removed almost 3 weeks ago. Discount those possible drain sources and what are you left with? A lead acid battery that can't hold its full voltage in cool overnight temperatures. This was more subtle than the obvious can't turn the engine over of an ICE starting battery, but still the same situation. I should have load tested first. Whether my conventional load device would have picked up the less severe degradation is unclear, obviously you need a big wad of juice to turn over a cold engine in a half ton.

Anyway, no drain message on screen this morning and the app told the truck to warm up for the planned departure time as it should have. All is well again.

 

[kaelc]

Don't get too excited for a sudden wave of cheap EVs dropping overall market prices down. We actually had the 49,000 quota in place before Biden pressured JT to match their 100% tariff in 2024. Didn't see a bunch of Chinese EVs rolling in before that...

But they're out there. Every time I'm back in Australia I see another car make I don't recognize, because it's Chinese. Their domestic industry had its subsidies and tariff protection withdrawn a decade ago and the last assembly plants closed in 2017. It's been all imports since then, and China has gained a lot of market share. Lots of BYD and MG electric models around. My brother has a BYD Atto 3 SUV, drives nicely although charging rate is a bit slow. It cost $45K though, pretty decent but not dirt cheap.

China will want a larger scope to work with before they start to enter the nth america market in force. Can't see them building any kind of manufacturing capability on this continent until they have reasonable access to the American market. Canada plus Mexico isn't a big enough pie.

Yeah I’m counting on a couple hundred thousand off lease EV’s coming on the market this year, mostly in the US. There are a couple of dealers in WA who have really nice used EV’s at about 10k less than vancouver dealers and 15k less than VI. I agree it will be a challenge penetrating the market especially without the world’s best consumers.

I do hope we get some Chinese manufactures moving into Ontario.