'We're going to electrify the F-Series,' Ford exec says • Hacker News Board

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

#201

Post by toomanybeersies » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:02 AM UTC

H1Supreme wrote: post #144

Hopefully they make a version that isn't absolutely gigantic. I've wanted a basic, no-frills 4x4 pickup truck with a 6 foot bed for years now. Problem is, they're all gigantic. And, they all have back seats! Ford released a new Ranger, which is nearly large as everything else out there. In the late 80's / early 90's there were all types of small trucks on the road (including the ranger). Now, there's zero options in…

I used to drive a 1982 Datsun 720 truck. It was such a convenient town truck.

It had a 1.6 L engine in it (which wasn't very fuel efficient as it was 30 years old), and wasn't any larger than a sedan. Yet you could still fit practically anything you'd ever need in the back. The only disadvantage in the design was that the cab was sized for small Japanese people. I'm only 5'10" and I felt uncomfortable sitting in it for too long, it was also only single cab.

It's a shame that compact trucks are no longer a thing. Even the Toyota Hilux is a lot larger and more unwieldy than the models from the 90's.

What you really want is something like the ute version of the Ford Falcon or Holden [Chevy] Commodore [1], which they used to make in Australia and sadly have discontinued.

[1] https://www.whichcar.com.au/features/ford-xr6t-v-holden-ss-u...

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

#202

Post by prostoalex » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:05 AM UTC

jmole wrote: post #29

abrowne wrote: post #3

They're going to make all-electric (and hybrid) options. What the headline first made me think was that the whole lineup would be all (=only) electric.

I was thinking the same thing. There isn't enough power generation capacity in the US to support something like that.

Considering that power generation and power transmission are generally money makers, seems like somebody would rise up to the challenge. E.g. https://futurism.com/elon-musk-tells-national-governors-asso...

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

#203

Post by haloux » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:05 AM UTC

cowmix wrote: post #44

jmole wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was thinking the same thing. There isn't enough power generation capacity in the US to support something like that.

Wrong. For the energy it takes to refine 1 gal of gas you can drive an EV around 27 miles.

That sounds impressive. Do you have a resource for those numbers?

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

#204

Post by haloux » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:08 AM UTC

ip26 wrote: post #62

sjwright wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Possibly, as two stroke burns oil intentionally. But the actual volume of carbon dioxide emissions is a function of the volume of fuel consumed. A small handheld tool won’t use much fuel compared to the (napkin math) 500 liters of petroleum in the vehicle.

Yeah, this is still momentous news. As with targeting gas-guzzlers twenty years ago, it's not eco-sexy like a 100MPG Prius, but the F-150 model probably produces more carbon dioxide than any other passenger vehicle in the US, maybe in the world.

>it's not eco-sexy like a 100MPG Prius

Oh HN.

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

#205

Post by haloux » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:13 AM UTC

fyfy18 wrote: post #189

4thaccount wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also live in the South and most people in my Suburb have zero use for a truck, but will gladly spend $90 to fill up their gas guzzler. Why? Because it is a symbol of masculinity in the South and many men would never ever drive a car. Their grandfather had a truck, father had a truck, and they were given a truck as their first vehicle. It would have made sense for the grandparent on the farm, but if you sit in front…

How heavy is the boat? A Toyota Corolla can tow up to 1500lb.

Honestly, as someone who worked for AAA at the roadside, the Corolla is an admirable car in its own respects. Ive seen late 90s models absolutely abused and make it to the 150k mile mark.

...

With that being said, if you try to tow a boat with a corolla, you’re practically sentencing the poor thing to transmission trouble and differential difficulties. I’d say that you’d be lucky to get a boat from driveway to launch ramp 3 separate trips before the transmission fails. All of that is assuming you can find someone to frame weld a tow hitch for a boat to the corolla.

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

#206

Post by sunstone » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:14 AM UTC

toomanybeersies wrote: post #195

fyfy18 wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How heavy is the boat? A Toyota Corolla can tow up to 1500lb.

A 20 ft trailer sailer will generally weigh around 1000 kg, plus trailer and rigging. And just because a Corolla can technically tow 1500 lb doesn't mean it does it well. In my experience Corollas do not tow well. The combination of small engine and relatively high gearing means that it's not really suitable. You really need at least a 2 L engine for towing. That's not to mention all the other stuff you end up carryi…

These days you also have to be careful about which kind of transmission a car has. The CVT's generally can't pull any where near as much load as the older geared transmissions.

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

#207

Post by Infernal » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:16 AM UTC

perl4ever wrote: post #190

StillBored wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I started driving a truck 15 years ago after a number of sports cars/sedans/etc. I will never go back. Its not insane when you consider any number of factors, starting with the fact that Americans are BIG. As a large person myself (although not overweight), I'm here to tell you that what a 120 pound 5'6" person finds comfortable frequently is painful for me. Second, I spend upwards of 2+ hours a day sitting my my car…

I feel like large people requiring large cars is a relatively recent phenomenon. I had an early 90s Honda Civic as my first car which was ridiculously small by modern standards, and it had plenty of room for me at over 6 feet.

I don’t know why this is exactly, but it seems useful interior space is decreasing across all vehicles as dashes get bigger and curvier and more surrounding. I’ve driven my 2008 Honda Fit for 10 years, but the second and third gen models, while bigger and heavier, have less driver legroom due to big curvy dashboards and controls bulging in towards the driver. I can’t drive the ‘09 or later Fits, it’s physically impossible (I’m 6’8”).

Similarly my 2002 Tahoe (same vehicle as Silverado, Yukon, suburban etc in most aspects) has a ton of room for repositioning myself in the drivers seat, I can and have driven it 8+ hours in a day with no discomfort whatsoever. However my father in law has a suburban of a generation after mine, and while I still could drive it comfortably, there is only one available position for me, even with the addition of a telescoping wheel in the later year models. I would be exhausted after two hours from the inability to reposition myself.

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

#208

Post by geggam » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:18 AM UTC

StillBored wrote: post #69

make3 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't believe that pickups are the three most sold models in the US. That's really insane. https://www.businessinsider.com/best-selling-cars-and-trucks...

I started driving a truck 15 years ago after a number of sports cars/sedans/etc. I will never go back. Its not insane when you consider any number of factors, starting with the fact that Americans are BIG. As a large person myself (although not overweight), I'm here to tell you that what a 120 pound 5'6" person finds comfortable frequently is painful for me. Second, I spend upwards of 2+ hours a day sitting my my car…

My current truck is an 01 and has been paid off for over 15 years :)

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

#209

Post by smileysteve » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:26 AM UTC

fyfy18 wrote: post #189

4thaccount wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also live in the South and most people in my Suburb have zero use for a truck, but will gladly spend $90 to fill up their gas guzzler. Why? Because it is a symbol of masculinity in the South and many men would never ever drive a car. Their grandfather had a truck, father had a truck, and they were given a truck as their first vehicle. It would have made sense for the grandparent on the farm, but if you sit in front…

How heavy is the boat? A Toyota Corolla can tow up to 1500lb.

a 1500lb boat would be a small fishing boat, and the low side for a 16' runabout. A pontoon boat, sailboat, or watersports boat are going to need 3000lb+ towing capacity; rear wheel drive, and a bigger wheel base. As you approach 25', you need closer to 6000 lbs towing capacity.

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

#210

Post by burlesona » Thu, Jan 17, 2019, 6:41 AM UTC

H1Supreme wrote: post #144

Hopefully they make a version that isn't absolutely gigantic. I've wanted a basic, no-frills 4x4 pickup truck with a 6 foot bed for years now. Problem is, they're all gigantic. And, they all have back seats! Ford released a new Ranger, which is nearly large as everything else out there. In the late 80's / early 90's there were all types of small trucks on the road (including the ranger). Now, there's zero options in…

I completely agree with this. The only truck I’ve seen that isn’t quite as absurd is the Honda one, but it’s also got a double cab.

I understand the “big macho truck” is part of the appeal for a lot of people, but for work in the city a smaller (1990 size) truck would be a better option.