People like new technology, we always have, but many are unsure about EVs and it's based on good reason.
This is the only thing I disagree on. Most of the time it’s based on terrible reasons.
People like new technology, we always have, but many are unsure about EVs and it's based on good reason.
Charging tine and the cost of entry into EV's (assuming something larger than a compact vehicle) are big barriers for a lot of folks.
I don’t think the charging time is as big as people make it out to be. Dropping six figures on a pickup seems to be the bigger issue.
It's a math equation of where you live and the local price of gas vs electric rate for many...assuming someone is for sure going to buy a full size new truck.
It's kind of wild you can even have the conversation about a full size truck now vs say 10 years ago.
I think that's true. I've never driven a lightning, but I'm guessing the driving experience is at a whole other level than your standard F150.It’s about $25,000 more for the Lightning XLT vs F-150 XLT.
F-150 averages 20-24 mpg.
Gas in Iowa is a touch over $3
$25,000 / $3 = 8,333 gallons of gas
8,333 gallons * 22 mpg = 183,326 miles
So even before you add in electricity costs, the cost of that BEV upgrade is goong to take a lot of miles to make up the price tag. Obviously, that math changes when you get to $5-$6 gas and adding maintenance. But ultimately, that BEV upgrade for pickups isn’t really to save money. At least in areas that aren’t seeing that $5-$6 gas. But the electricity is also higher in those areas.
Let me run that for you.
Let's assume you leave the house in Bloomfiled at 90%.
Your total drive time for the day is 4 hours and 35 minutes. To make it work, you'd have to spend a staggering 9 minutes charging up in Ames. Roughly 2 minutes longer than what it would take to fill up your car with gas and take a whiz.
View attachment 152640
edit! I forgot to mention the 5 seconds it will take you to plug your car in when you get home to "fill it up"
Not to be the well actually guy but.... If you compare a standard range XLT Lightning with a gas XLT F-150 they're within $2k or less depending on the options at least they are at my local Ford dealer. The extended range Lightning is about $10k more than that. If you're a typical suburban dad who needs a truck because I want a truck dammit then that payoff between the two even at $3 Iowa gas is pretty quick.It’s about $25,000 more for the Lightning XLT vs F-150 XLT.
F-150 averages 20-24 mpg.
Gas in Iowa is a touch over $3
$25,000 / $3 = 8,333 gallons of gas
8,333 gallons * 22 mpg = 183,326 miles
So even before you add in electricity costs, the cost of that BEV upgrade is goong to take a lot of miles to make up the price tag. Obviously, that math changes when you get to $5-$6 gas and adding maintenance. But ultimately, that BEV upgrade for pickups isn’t really to save money. At least in areas that aren’t seeing that $5-$6 gas. But the electricity is also higher in those areas.
Only 1 example and this was several years ago. Took my brothers Model 3 from Omaha to Ames for a game. He just topped off at the super charger in West Des Moines on the way to Ames and then had plenty to get back after the game. If you're heading through DSM after the game you'd have options in Ankeny, Bondurant and WDM to charge if the Ames ones are packed, I doubt it would be a problem. Noticed several F150 Lightnings in the lots last season.I am curious for anybody who has actually driven an EV to Ames on the day of a football or basketball game and used a fast charger right after the game. Is there a big line or is it fine?
The only time in 18 months I've had any problems at all is when I drove Vegas to LA on Christmas day and I did not expect the highways/charging to be that busy, I thought everybody would be home and travelling the day after.
There are unique situations like this to talk about...but a rural family who can charge at home thinking they can't have an EV in rural America probably isn't one. I'm guessing some who live a long ways from the closest gas station would love having fuel at home.
Not to be the well actually guy but.... If you compare a standard range XLT Lightning with a gas XLT F-150 they're within $2k or less depending on the options at least they are at my local Ford dealer. The extended range Lighting is about $10k more than that. If you're a typical suburban dad who needs a truck because I want a truck dammit then that payoff between the two even at $3 Iowa gas is pretty quick.
Curious where you are getting your figures here. A 2025 F-150 XLT is $64k-$66k. My Lightning that I just leased stickered for $66k. the same gas powered F-150 is rated for 18/23 mpg. Obviously the Lightning will get better than that.It’s about $25,000 more for the Lightning XLT vs F-150 XLT.
F-150 averages 20-24 mpg.
Gas in Iowa is a touch over $3
$25,000 / $3 = 8,333 gallons of gas
8,333 gallons * 22 mpg = 183,326 miles
So even before you add in electricity costs, the cost of that BEV upgrade is goong to take a lot of miles to make up the price tag. Obviously, that math changes when you get to $5-$6 gas and adding maintenance. But ultimately, that BEV upgrade for pickups isn’t really to save money. At least in areas that aren’t seeing that $5-$6 gas. But the electricity is also higher in those areas.
I bought my new truck about a month too early last spring. I was seeing prices around here where you could get a Lariat with the bigger battery for a little under $65k after you factor in the tax incentives. I ended up in a hybrid Tundra but I'd rather have a Lightning. Now I'm going to wait for the Scout trucks to start shipping I think.I did some corner cutting and based the prices off a google search. But diving deeper, it looks like the base XLT models are about $18k ($45k vs $63k) apart on the Ford website. But, of course dealers never carry the base models so the prices could be closer in real life. Add in the EV subsidies for a while long and that number does get closer still.
Curious where you are getting your figures here. A 2025 F-150 XLT is $64k-$66k. My Lightning that I just leased stickered for $66k. the same gas powered F-150 is rated for 18/23 mpg. Obviously the Lightning will get better than that.
I will drive this truck 75k miles over the next 3 years, and can charge it at work for free. At the same time, my Cherokee that got 24-25 mpg would cost me almost $7400 miles. Heres the math
20k miles per year divided by my mpg on my old car(using 25 mpg as the estimate)
20,000/25=800 total gallons of fuel per year.
800 gallons of fuel multiplied by the $3.07 cost of fuel in my area means i would have spent $2,456 on fuel this year alone. since its a 3 year lease, in total it will save me $7,368.
Now, I can charge it at work for free which is a benefit i have that not everyone does, but even if i had to charge at my house using a level 2 charger, it would cost me like $4? to charge for 8 hours. Even if i had to do that 30 nights a month, I'm still saving roughly $1100 per year.
I didnt buy an EV because i wanted one, I bought one because I logically and financially couldnt argue against it anymore
Again, I have nothing against EV, why do you keep saying I do, they are just not for everyone. If I was still working, and not retired, I would like at purchasing an EV as my drive to work vehicle. But you know what I do not have to do driving my hybrid or a gas vehicle, I do not have to plan and search out where a charging station is, there are gas stations everywhere, that is not true about charging stations, nor will be in true now that Trump has cut those funds.It seems that your viewpoints boil down to "I don't want an EV so nobody does, but I do want a hybrid so everyone does".
The problem with this is that the sales volumes don't bear this out, as they are nearly identical between the two. This is where you're losing me in these arguments. If it's not because of "fear of a new thing", why isn't everyone driving a hybrid already? You say they work for everyone. They've been around for about 30 years now. EVs have functionally been around for less than half that time and have already caught up in sales.
You can't say "10% sales means nobody wants them and has no confidence" about EVs, then not also apply that to hybrids, which also sell at that volume. Is that the measuring stick, or not?
The problem is no dealer will have anything listed for that as you mentioned before. all ford trucks will have options on them, and so the base price is irrelevantFrom Ford
But I see what you’re getting at. The dealer lot prices are closer than what’s listed as base cost on the Ford website. The F-150 XLT seems to have more low end feature offerings than the Lightning XLT to get that base price number down that they list.
Man, I wonder why Tesla is experiencing worldwide sales losses... it's not because the cars have a battery in them.Again, I have nothing against EV, why do you keep saying I do, they are just not for everyone. If I was still working, and not retired, I would like at purchasing an EV as my drive to work vehicle. But you know what I do not have to do driving my hybrid or a gas vehicle, I do not have to plan and search out where a charging station is, there are gas stations everywhere, that is not true about charging stations, nor will be in true now that Trump has cut those funds.
If EVs were the future than why are auto companies cutting back on their announced plans to scale up production? They are unsure of the market and do not want to end up like Tesla with a lot of vehicles that they cannot sell.
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The EV pullback: Why these 5 automakers are retreating from big plans | Trellis
The EV mania of the past few years is meeting a new reality of stubbornly sluggish consumer demand. As a result, automakers are paring back their grand ambitions.trellis.net
This statement right here is an implication to stop producing EVs. You clearly stated, verbatim, that "they are not for a majority of people". That means its a product that shouldn't be sold from a business perspective, right? Can't make money on that small of sales. That's you saying they don't justify existing.Well when they are only 7.5% to 10% of total vehicles sold, I would guess you could say they are not for a majority of people at this time.
It’s about $25,000 more for the Lightning XLT vs F-150 XLT.
F-150 averages 20-24 mpg.
Gas in Iowa is a touch over $3
$25,000 / $3 = 8,333 gallons of gas
8,333 gallons * 22 mpg = 183,326 miles
So even before you add in electricity costs, the cost of that BEV upgrade is goong to take a lot of miles to make up the price tag. Obviously, that math changes when you get to $5-$6 gas and adding maintenance. But ultimately, that BEV upgrade for pickups isn’t really to save money. At least in areas that aren’t seeing that $5-$6 gas. But the electricity is also higher in those areas.
Again, I have nothing against EV, why do you keep saying I do, they are just not for everyone. If I was still working, and not retired, I would like at purchasing an EV as my drive to work vehicle. But you know what I do not have to do driving my hybrid or a gas vehicle, I do not have to plan and search out where a charging station is, there are gas stations everywhere, that is not true about charging stations, nor will be in true now that Trump has cut those funds.
If EVs were the future than why are auto companies cutting back on their announced plans to scale up production? They are unsure of the market and do not want to end up like Tesla with a lot of vehicles that they cannot sell.
![]()
The EV pullback: Why these 5 automakers are retreating from big plans | Trellis
The EV mania of the past few years is meeting a new reality of stubbornly sluggish consumer demand. As a result, automakers are paring back their grand ambitions.trellis.net
Plenty of people in the DM Metro and elsewhere, dropping 6 figures on a pick up from the looks of things when I drive through the area.I don’t think the charging time is as big as people make it out to be. Dropping six figures on a pickup seems to be the bigger issue.