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'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

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Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#81

Post by secabeen »

xyzzyz wrote: post #77
MisterOctober wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disliked pickup trucks for their size and fuel consumption until I owned a house and got heavily into gardening. Home maintenance and significant garden activity are made waaaaay easier by having a truck [or big van, I guess] available. That said, I still don't personally own a truck, borrowing them as needed. An all-electric model of good quality would be pretty tempting to me.

I rent trailers from U-Haul for that, it's only $15/day.

Plus however long it takes to drive to u-haul, wait for them to check-out the trailer, hook it up, use it, then drive back to u-haul, return it, etc. Time is money.

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#82

Post by xbmcuser »

anewguy9000 wrote: post #11

so after 5 years the battery in my laptop is just toast. can anyone comment on what happens to an electric car after 5 years? 10, 20? i have a truck with 350,000 kms on it. will this still be possible?

In five years you will be able to exchange your car battery and extend the full charge range by 15-20%

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#83

Post by strait »

xxpor wrote: post #13
justinph wrote: post #4

I'd love to see them try. The difficulty of making a pickup truck aerodynamically efficient are substantial.

There's no reason why pickup trucks need to have the MASSIVE flat grills they do today, other than aesthetic preferences. They're a disaster aerodynamically as well as for pedestrian safety. Obviously there's a lot more to it (like the bed) but it's a start.

I think you're referring to the massive grill guards on the front of many pickups. Are you saying "no reason other than aesthetic preferences" because you feel like it?

Deer at night are a major hazard in much of the land. I hit a small one at night a few weeks ago in central Texas and the dead center impact managed to destroy the chintzy plastic grill in my car and buckle the radiator. I was lucky at that. I was on a four lane highway, doing 50 in a 60 zone, and being vigilant. Still, like most major impacts with deer, this happened completely without warning. As fleet of foot as deer are, they still seem to be slightly overly optimistic about crossing the road before the vehicle arrives, and with cars as fast as they are, there is little room for error. (Try communicating that to the deer)

My mom 'totaled' her car a few years back by hitting a bigger deer at a little faster speed. An impact without any warning.

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#84

Post by phjesusthatguy3 »

Rapzid wrote: post #64
notatoad wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah, "we're going to make the F-series all electric" and "we're going to make an all-electric F-series truck" are very different headlines.

It may be because they view the F-series as a platform. So they are adding "all-electric" as a feature to the F-series platform. Along with hybrid.

Article's real title is "'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says" which is more ambiguous than the misleading HN edit.

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#85

Post by StillBored »

justinph wrote: post #4

I'd love to see them try. The difficulty of making a pickup truck aerodynamically efficient are substantial.

I think the hybrid bit is the key. Sure they are going to make an electric, but I think they expect the core truck market to take the hybrids.

But a hybrid SUV isn't a 50MPG vehicle. If you look at something like the Toyota Highlander the city MPG goes up ~5-7MPG in the city but not at all on the highway. Its significant, but I would expect a little less from the ford which has already been heavily engineered for city driving (aka a 10 speed trans, etc).

Basically, its still going to be a mid 20's vehicle. The only question IMHO is whether they can keep it reliable. Ford has always had a bit of a reliability cloud above them, and truck buyers have tended towards the trucks partially because they have been seen as simpler, more robust/reliable than the rest of fords lineup. They have done well with the ecoboost for now, but truck owners tend to mistreat their vehicles a little more than your average car buyer and people expect a work truck to last...

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#86

Post by chrisco255 »

Rapzid wrote: post #57
ghettoimp wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you need a truck? (If so that's just fine. But I'm in Texas, and I'm pretty sure most of these folks could get by on something smaller...)

In Texas, can confirm. It's also crazy how much they spend on them. Pretty much a second mortgage for a lot of people based on income.. Can fit a lot in my hatchback and would just do what they do in New Zealand on the odd occasion I need more; rent a truck or van for the day.

I used to own a Focus hatchback and was always amazed at how much I could fit in it. But everyone shitting on Texans for owning trucks is crazy. This is a huge agricultural, construction, and manufacturing state and there are plenty of non white collar office jobs that demand a solid vehicle that won't get stuck in two inches of dirt. I don't have one of those jobs but I still drive a truck, because this is Texas and also America and I earned it...so quit your whining. Bring on the electric trucks.

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#87

Post by bri3d »

ip26 wrote: post #47
ProfessorLayton wrote: post #14

This is a big deal. The F-Series is the single most popular vehicle in the US, and nearly 900K of them are sold every year! In fact, the top 3 models in the US are F-Series, Silverado, and Ram, so the environment will definitely appreciate the electrified competition the F-Series will force.

... Although now I'm reminded of the bit I read recently that noted in thirty minutes a two-stroke leaf blower emits as much CO & NOx pollution as driving an F-150 3,800 miles. https://www.citylab.com/life/2016/11/the-case-against-neighb...

CO and NOx are a larger immediate health issue (see: EU cities struggling with widespread adoption of dirtier diesel cars) but a lesser issue in the long term than greenhouse gas (CO2) induced warming.

I bring this up because it's a fascinating trade-off when it comes to diesels, where increased NOx emission can reduce CO2 emission substantially (through improved combustion temperatures leading to lower fuel burn) - the exact tradeoff VW were illegally making in their "cheating" diesel cars.

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#88

Post by sjwright »

clouddrover wrote: post #78
artificialidiot wrote: post #53

Rivian is the much needed kick in the nuts. When it turn out to be a viable truck and not just vaporware with lofty promises, people took note. I am by no means a truck or suv type guy but the idea of full electric one is very intriguing, if only I had the space. I can imagine the allure of great low end torque, improved storage capacity and the fuel savings for the more leisurely drivers, who don't need to tow 10 to…

> Upstarts seem to be poised to eat their cake. Probably not. I think Volkswagen will be the biggest producer of battery electric vehicles within the next 3 years. VW is also talking about licensing their MEB electric car platform to Ford (though not necessarily for this F-150).

I do like the look of the Golf GTE, but it's not sold here (Australia) and I don't trust VAG as a company.

In my estimation, electric is perfect for the smaller second car, where it becomes a no-brainer for 95% of commuting and shopping tasks. Tesla is going for the electric-car-first market. Volkswagen, BMW and others seem to be throwing darts at the wall to see what sticks.

Right now the most interesting future products are coming from Hyundai-Kia. In particular I'm looking at the Kia Niro EV with quiet anticipation. A completely normal and boring car that gets all the normal and boring stuff right—but with a well sorted pure electric power train.

https://youtu.be/AR5sDwF5aBM?t=103

Re: 'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says

#90

Post by tomohawk »

aidenn0 wrote: post #9
tomohawk wrote: post #2

Please no. A hydraulic hybrid approach would be so much more appropriate. https://www.epa.gov/cati/hydraulic-hybrid-vehicles

Why? I would estimate that well over 90% of miles driven in F150s are with no significant load. In addition while delivery trucks are driven for many hours per day, most passenger vehicles are not.

Hydraulic hybrids recapture 80% - 90% when braking as opposed to 20% - 30% for electric hybrids. Hydraulic hybrids much better fit the characteristics of a vehicle such as a pickup truck.
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