YouTube channel TFLEV introduces us to its new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. The publication is curious about how long it will take for the electric F-150 to fast-charge on a road trip. This is likely a question many prospective owners may rank near the top of their list of EV-related questions, and it's certainly important.
While there's plenty of good information out there related to EV charging, there's also lots of misinformation. It's true that electric cars can take days to charge at home on a normal 110-volt outlet, though most will charge to full overnight on a Level 2 system at home or at your destination. What's arguably much more important is how quickly an electric vehicle like the F-150 Lightning can DC fast-charge while you're on the road.
With that said, there are a number of factors that impact EV charging times, and no test will give you an exact indication of what to expect. However, if you do your homework, plan your road trip accordingly, and follow the right steps, you should be able to travel great lengths in most of today's new EVs, and the F-150 Lightning pickup truck is no exception.
According to the EPA, the Lightning has 230 miles of range with its Standard Range Battery and 320 miles with the Extended Range pack. This means that no matter which configuration you choose, you should be able to travel at least a few hours before stopping to charge. Travel times will likely be longer in the best conditions, provided you aren't going 85 mph or stomping on the accelerator pedal on a regular basis. TFL reveals that it's averaging about 2 miles per kWh at around 70 mph in the rain.
Ford has shared that the Lightning with the Extended Range Battery can recharge from 15 percent to 80 percent in 41 minutes. Trucks with the Standard Range Battery can achieve the same in about 45 minutes.
The guys at TFLEV are driving the Lightning with the 131-kWh Extended Range Battery all the way from Detroit, Michigan, to Colorado, which provides them with an excellent opportunity to test out the Ford electric truck's fast-charging speed. They eventually plan to continue to journey all the way to Alaska.
The video opens with the truck plugged into an Electrify America station. The state of charge is at around 50 percent, and the truck is accepting 170 kW, which impresses the guys since Ford has said it can accept 150 kW. After chatting for a few minutes, the Lightning is at a 63 percent state of charge, and the truck reveals that it will take about 30 more minutes to get to 90 percent.
Clearly, this is much longer than it would take to gas up a traditional truck, but 30 to 45 minutes isn't all that long, especially if you're stopping to stretch out, use the restroom, and enjoy a meal. If you were to stop at a restaurant and sit down, the truck would almost certainly be charged by the time you finished eating. However, TFL just grabs some fast food so they can stay with the truck and show off its features.
TFLEV promises much more in-depth coverage of the Lightning going forward. However, this initial video shows that under the right conditions, the electric truck isn't likely to leave you waiting for hours to get back on the road when you have to stop and charge. It also suggests that the fast-charging speed estimates Ford provided are quite realistic, if not conservative.
