Ford is about to start delivering the F-150 Lightning to its customers. However, it wants to reassure them that the electric pickup truck was properly tested in all situations in which people would use a combustion-engined pickup truck – towing, for example. That’s why Ford took the F-150 Lightning to Davis Dam in the summer and The Ike Gauntlet in the winter.
According to the American automaker, those are the most challenging towing tests in the U.S. in these conditions. In a video that Ford released, we can see Linda Zhang saying that “it was effortless” and that “the vehicle performed flawlessly.” The chief program engineer for the F-150 Lightning just did not address one of the main concerns involving electric pickup trucks towing stuff: range.
Ford did not disclose how affected the prototypes were after driving the 8-mile stretch of I-70 that makes The Ike Gauntlet such a challenging towing test. Although it is relatively short, it can make the range drop significantly, especially when carrying the 10,000-pound double-axle SAE-graded test trailers.
The automaker’s concern about aerodynamics was pretty straightforward, though. The trailers measured 24 feet (7.32 m) in length and had frontal areas of 60 square feet (5.57 square meters). Ford stressed that “trailers with larger frontal areas impact aerodynamics and range.” Indeed. We hope that Ford is working with trailer companies to offer the most suitable trailers for the F-150 Lightning when deliveries start and that it will remember to warn customers about that as well.
When the prototypes were taken to The Ike Gauntlet, the temperature was -2ºF (-18.89ºC). At Davis Dam, it was scorching: 118ºF (47.78ºC). Although batteries do not like either of these extremes, cold temperatures are the worse ones for range. It is a pity that Ford did not disclose how these towing sessions affected range. It would probably scare several customers who put in a deposit for these trucks if it did.
Losing range when towing is not exclusive to electric pickup trucks. The main problem is how to recover range. With combustion-engined trucks, you just stop at a gas station and fill up the tank again. With electric pickup trucks, you’ll need unique charging stations that allow these vehicles to enter with trailers. Otherwise, you will have to unhitch the trailer, charge the F-150 Lightning, and hitch the trailer again to get going.
For several pickup truck drivers, this will be a no-go while the adequate charging infrastructure is not in place. Some people have already developed trailers with additional battery packs to help the electric vehicles that tow them travel further. However, that will make trailers way more expensive than they currently are.
In a way, electric pickup trucks will be comparable to FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles). These vehicles lack hydrogen refueling infrastructure because they have not been sold in enough numbers to help create it. Towing charging stations do not exist because electric pickup trucks have just started to be sold. We wonder which company will be the first to offer them.
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