8 Tips To Fight Winter Range Anxiety In Your Ford F-150 Lightning

[@heathwirt8919]

Thank you Tom for keeping it real, all it took was one clickbait nonsense winter range post to set off a firestorm of clickbait posts. These losers are doing or saying anything to get traffic to their pathetic KZbin channels.

[@cheekybastard99]

Thank you for calling out these people, they bought the truck expressly to monetize content and when they've gotten everything they can they exit with a "WHY IM DUMPING THE LIGHTING" so they can get a new one.. it's so cringe.

[@jelloMohnny]

As a Mach-E owner I can confirm that the Ford Guess-O-Meter is very conservative, which I appreciate. My first long cold weather drive was 172 km round-trip. Range was indicated at 177 km when I set out, so I knew I'd need a quick DCFC on the way home. No surprises. Except I didn't need to. At half way I was at 111 km left, so knew I would not need to stop. By the time I pulled into the driveway I still had 56km of range. Underpromise and over-deliver. Well done Ford.

[@williamstachour4019]

I appreciate the good, solid content. I have a 23 lightning extended range and have learned a lot from your videos. LOVE the truck.

[@arnoldmachtinger3450]

By turning OFF e-heat while charging in my condo garage I have GAINED approximately 50 kms of range!! Using heated steering wheel and seats, only turning on e-heat when need and it keeps increased range. New video from Ford recommends charging to 90% in winter but I generally charge to 80%. Living in Toronto Canada.

[@mariomarez2223]

Living in Tahoe this was reassuring to hear. I agree the Lightning handles very well in snow and I prefer to drive it in the winter more than my Bronco Badlands on plowed roads. Taking it to SF Bay Area to office twice a month. I’ve lost about 40 miles during winter.

[@saranacbuilderscorp.7135]

Hi tom, I own an F-150 Lightning in Pound Ridge New York. I have over 10,000 miles on it already. Have done quite a few accessory modifications and we also own a home in Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. Your information is excellent for listeners. Just installed a set of Nokia hakapalita ice and snow tires. Absolutely fantastic and super quiet! Contact me anytime if you're interested in talking about cold weather and snow driving in the F-150 Lightning! Thank you

[@Irish_Mike_NYC]

Q Merit just did my Ford charger install. I got a few quotes & went with them in the end. They had 2 professionals come to the house & we’re done with the install in 4-5 hrs bc my panel is on the opposite side of the house of the garage. Other companies offered extreme solutions but the company Q Merit sent out said it’s no problem, found an easy solution, ran the line through my basement into the garage. Thank You for you’re great videos & advise. I just got my notification that my truck was built on Christmas Eve-can’t wait! Only issue is connecting the ford charge station pro to the app, I keep getting a wrong password when trying to connect, I may have to call customer service to get that fixed, one person said it worked when truck was parked close to charger, not sure what the truck has to do with the unit pairing to app but I’ll figure it out

[@jdlutz1965]

So many people could benefit by slowing down and giving more space between vehicles because in winter you'll need range and space to stop if something requires a panic stop. Great advice, Tom!

[@kinkong1961]

You're right I keep my distance as I use regeneration which saves power we don't get very bad weather anymore in the UK but we still get cold weather up to minus 10C but this year it's only gone down to minus 3C and we never get much snow anymore just a sprinkling an inch or two and it still causes chaos as people have no clue how to drive in the snow so they all jump into there cars and get stuck and I used to have to pull them out of the ditches and god know what and smacking into other cars because they carried on driving at normal speeds in the snow I used to work For the Royal Automobile Club as a patrol RAC for short Like your AAA but ours is the oldest 1892 it was formed by Edward Simms and the royals sponsored it the last was prince Michael of Kent people over here do drive slowly in the towns but on freeways, they are well up to ban speeds 100 plus in all weathers as well its madness now they are fitting speed cameras to stop this so happy Christmas to you and a happy new year from john from Rugby UK.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

@@imtheonevanhalen1557 Try stopping the Hummer EV that weighs over 9,000 pounds without passengers or cargo and the roads are going to fall apart even faster with heavy Rivians, Hummers and Cybertrucks on the roads. Heavy EV's should pay higher highway taxes, because they pay nothing now.

[@4rwayner7]

Electrics DO pay road taxes with an extra charge when purchasing plates, at least in Indiana.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

@@4rwayner7 I hope by weight, not just by price.

[@4rwayner7]

@@mitchellbarnow1709 honestly not sure but probably on assumed average miles driven. ICE vehicles pay more if consuming more fuel but nearly impossible to make the charge perfect as one might have a lightweight car that gets terrible gas mileage. Indiana is a little more than $0.50 per gallon.

[@Dw-hw2ks]

Lightning owners lariat long range 8k and avg 2.5kw I totally satisfied. Also, lyft driver, which pays for note 😊

[@DirectCurrentRides]

Video content aside, I can't get over how good the tinted light bar looks

[@bostondan77]

A couple questions for anyone: 1. Does just auto starting to warm my cabin also precondition my Lightning battery? I start my day at different times, so setting departure times can be a pain in the butt. 2. What actually happens in the winter, does the battery hold less charge or is the system less efficient? Great video Tom and guests, although I doubt it will make headlines on Infowars like Hoovie's video did 🤣.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

The battery still accepts the same amount of energy, it just cannot use it as efficiently.

[@francoiscarrier8745]

I drive an EV6 and I really appreciate the "driver only" option for climate control. Gives another way to manage where car's energy goes.

[@MisterBech]

Great video. I liked listening to the Ford guy. The info on keeping it plugged in was helpful as was the info on setting a departure schedule for preconditioning. I could have used that this morning when I departed Austin for Houston after a full charge overnight on my daughter’s Tesla charger. I notice the 100% charge was less than it has been for warmer days. Reducing your speed on the highway really does increase your mileage. I’ve noticed in my weekly trips to our ranch that’s 100 miles NW from Houston. I have an XLT with the standard battery so we full charge at home and charge while at our ranch for a day trip. On Wednesday we drove from Houston to Austin for Thanksgiving. Started with a 230 mile full charge on a sunny day. We made it to Austin on a single charge and it showed we’d arrive at her house with about 15 miles to spare however someone in the car was a little nervous so we found an Austin Energy fast charger to charge at for 15 minutes to give a better buffer. Coming home, we came a different route and stopped near Columbus at an Electrify America station at Snappy’s. Pulled up, plugged in, no credit card, it charged. I went in, used the RR, bought a drink, came out, unplugged after 15 minutes of high speed charging and added 60 miles which left us with 67 miles of range upon arrival at our driveway. I’ll charge back to 80% tonight on my 40amp Juicebox.

[@joevigil5274]

Thank-you Tom for all the great content you provide on real demonstrated EV experience and the data to show it. I have used your test data to really understand the performance characteristics of the battery pak in the Lightning. No one provides this level of understanding as you have. I have had a-lot of anxiety over my impending purchase given all the comments by others out there. I am not looking for the perfect EV, just one that fits my needs with reasonable approaches to preserving range when unloaded, towing, and cold temperatures. Not really any different then anyone with an ICE vehicle should do and understand as well. My 2023 Lightning is in transit as we speak and I think you just helped me make the final decision… to purchase.

[@gasbelle3420]

fantastic content and I learned a lot to help me this winter with my Lightning!

[@kawabungah20]

This is really helpful. I learned a lot from this video!! I try not to charge over 80 percent unless I know I'll be needing full range. During warm months I "store" the truck at about 50 percent. During winter, I'll probably just keep it at 100 percent and plugged in so my HIS will be ready if my grid drops out.

[@JosephHerzog]

Love the blacked out light bar 👌 looks great on a Black Lightning. Wouldn't do it on most other paint colors but looks great on yours

[@efrancis19]

This is a great channel. Certainly the most informative and unbiased KZbin channel for potential EV buyers like myself. I hope to buy a new Lightning Pro in the next year, and it will likely be my last new vehicle purchase.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Thank you!

[@efrancis19]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney as a follow up, I bought my Lightning at the end of November. Loving it.

[@TeslaJohn]

Very informed video Tom. Thanks for putting the truth straight on electric vehicles and cold weather.

[@regaltilapia]

Dear Darren I am the owner of the very first Lightning in Iceland……. What I noticed is that the battery and engine temp gauges ALWAYS SHOW THE SAME TEMP (in the “middle” of the range) And that even after a - 5°C night WITHOUT having the car plugged in…and WITHOUT LOOSING ANY BATTERY CAPACITY……. How is this possible ? Is the battery THAT WELL INSULATED or do these gauges simply not work ??

[@GeneP-h7h]

I have a 2023 Platinum Lightning and I love my truck. I live in Northeast Ohio and the winter this year has been cold, but not snowy. My only issue is that I’m losing between 25 - 50 RANGE miles each way on trips between 10 and 60 miles. This is my 1st EV and my 1st winter, but this getting frustrating. Ford and my dealership both say this normal because of the cold. I finally asked Ford what weather is COLD and I was told 40 degrees.

[@kinkong1961]

Tom, I have to say your opinion on driving in winter is spot on so thank you for giving true advice yes my ev in the UK does not charge fully for about 20 miles which isn't a lot when it was minus 3 centigrade but as soon as it goes up to 8 centigrade the miles go up with distance travelled my car you probably haven't heard of as its a Vauxhall Mokka ultimate EV I must say I am glad I bought it I am very pleased I've had it a month now so I am a newbie with evs so I have been watching the fully charged show and the state of charge which has taught me a lot mine on the app has pre-heating and a timer for it but I am not sure if it has preconditioning I have looked it does call it preconditioning and says you have to give it 45 minutes so that could be battery conditioning because I have used the heater on remotely 15 mins before I used it and it was nice and warm I have leart so much with this video and will be applying the tips with my mokka like leaving it plugged in even if not charging and I will use my heated steering wheel and seats and the massager but will turn the heater down for 25c to 20c . so thx tom for the valuable information I am so glad I subscribed and liked all your videos and clicked the bell as you always give great info so thanks have a happy Christmas from john from Rugby UK.

[@kulaengineering]

Great stuff 👍 very well explained and summarized.

[@irfanhusein1445]

Tom you and Alex on autos provide the most reliable information on KZbin and other media. Thank you.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Thanks, Alex is a great guy, we're friends.

[@stephanelandry]

Damn this was so informational...Thank you

[@11jcurtis]

Thanks Tom, here are my tips: 1. Drive with caution. Roads are slippery try doing the speed limit - you’ll be surprised at the range delta Vs 10mph over. 2. If you have a moon roof, close the shade it will improve insulation and heat the cabins easier. 3. If the roads are snow covered or worse ice covered - avoid one pedal driving. It’s more predictable in slush as well. 4. Set two precondition times. Warm it up ahead of time for regular commutes. Why two? One to defrost the windows, another to create volcano like warmth. 5. Use rainx - it reduces the amount of windshield washer you need and less wiper usage in rain. Put it on side windows and rear. I’m even gonna test it on inside too, see if it helps on defrost. 6. Set the heat to a consistent temp, one that you’ll use often. 7. If you’re trying to hypermile A. Swap the whip antenna for a stubby. B. Heated seats. C. Tonneau cover. D. Heat when you’re on a DC charger. Ignore fords recommendation. E. yes, brush it off. 8. Tire pressure for sure. For every 2 PSI you’re off you’ll lose 1-2% of range. 8. Park with the windshield facing the sun. Open sunroof shade if it’s sunny. 9. Dim the screen. 10. Turn radio down a little. This is a little much but if you’re trying to gain range even little bit helps. 11. Use winter tires, not ALL Weather. Nokian are phenomenal. If you only do one thing - drive a little slower. Things I would like to try: 1. 12v heater. Would it use less juice but provide decent heat. 2. Aero kit. Am going to look at bits that are impacting drag, suspect with a 3D printer one could find some efficiencies. Other things … I’ve left out some from your video as I’m assuming folks will watch and apply those. I’ve been towing a number of different trailers and the aero of the trailer has the biggest impact. Then the number of axels and then weight. If you are the type of person that finds all these instructions too much… Avoid the Jack rabbit starts, try driving a little slower and see the range improve. Clean off the truck and precondition it. Try rainx it’s awesome and you’ll love it in the rain. Read how to apply it.

[@gadielsantiago8813]

Rain x is good, if you can do ceramic coating thats better and will keep them slick and clean.

[@gsftom]

Wow - glad I don’t go for auto hype.

[@JMgiarritta]

Nice job explaining winter worries Tom. I'M waiting on my EV to arrive and gathering as much info as possible. Thanks.

[@justaguy6837]

Thanks Tom... for real from another Jersey guy. Just picked up my F150 Lightning ER yesterday, and it is fantastic so far. This was practical and helpful information to maximize range, especially on our weekly trips to Vermont. Also have a Mach E, and all these tips will help with that too.

[@thomaskerkhoff579]

A voice of reason...thanks

[@nevea2be]

Great video as always Tom! Hopefully Ford will take the more information then they need approach in the future so everyone can see what information they’re looking for.

[@ZenEndurance]

Hey Ford - Make batch functions completely customizable. You’ll be the hero of car companies. Remote starting, pre heating… And let drivers set cruise control speeds and following distance per road, per time of day, per weather, per day of the week. Why am I putting in the same settings for the same stretch of road every day on my way to work? Let’s do it once and then move on to other things.

[@johnpoldo8817]

You can always count on Tom for excellent EV advice. But, imagine what EV naysayers will do with this list regarding EVs in winter. You’ll hear: EVs require a garage in cold climates; you must charge a parked EV; preconditioning is required; EVs are chilly because cabin heat is off and you must use seat heater; and drive EVs much slower in winter or risk getting stranded with no charge. Numerous times I’ve heard, EVs lose half their range in winter. None of them acknowledge the benefit of getting into a warm car and never stopping at a gas station.

[@ronaldking1054]

It's not even hard to figure out with consumer products what a person might want to do to pre-condition their cars. Power sources were developed for electricity generation, but portability has increased recently. The amount of these portable batteries with inverters should be more than what is necessary to pre-condition the vehicle. Even if it is impossible to charge from your home, the portable battery is easily charged from the home. It just requires being able to move the battery to the car and making sure it is plugged into the vehicle.

[@dav14pawest]

You’re the best Tom! Great info and very much needed because some people have decided to demonize EVs for political purposes. One comment from your guest that I would like more clarification was setting departure times daily. Is he saying the battery is conditioned differently with a departure time vs just plugged in? Ford needs to articulate that information in more detail so we know what the best practice is.

[@benwinslow3101]

Off topic, but the blacked out light bar looks awesome!

[@ohger1]

Here in the north, they also give us "winter blend" gas which takes at least 70 miles of range off both my ICE cars.. My 2018 Tesla S loses about 50 miles on a cold weather trip.

[@timgurr1876]

Good video. About half of the recommendations apply to any vehicle; just common sense ideas. There are still a lot of things to learn about EV’s. It would really be interesting to do some overnight parking outside in very cold temperatures : +15 F to -20 F. There are a lot of people who cannot park inside a garage and may even have difficulty plugging in overnight and have to rely on public charging stations. Looking forward to testing in winter conditions. I think EV technology offers some distinct advantages over ICE. However, there are always tradeoffs with any type of technology when comparing. I think you’re practical approach that “one size does not necessarily fit everyone” is realistic. Right now there is too much politics involved in attempting to transition people to EV’s. I am concerned about rising EV pricing and affordability for people. The base model Lightning is now around $56K and might be a struggle for small business owners and growing families. Thanks again.

[@lgrantnelson2863]

Thanks. Great info on electric driving in an EV. I will look into applying some of it to my Leaf.

[@kenmcclow8963]

Ford is not letting people have heated steering wheels on the 23MY My build date is in January and my biggest worry right now is after watching Kyle from Out of Spec drive around Denver and not find any of the new EA BTC chargers that worked. He was able to get a charge from older ABB units that so often have issues, and he was able to charge at some other charging networks and some didn't work in the cold. Many CCS cars were going to motels because they couldn't get a charge. The Tesla cars had no problem charging at any temperature. The Lightning has a 50-50 weight distribution and it's heavy, both of which help it keep traction in snow. Most pickups are very light in back unless you load some sandbags or something to add weight to the rear end. I used to have an Expedition which was superior to many cars on slippery roads. I just went to and back from the airport in my Explorer and had no problem in an ice storm aside from 20 minutes to chip a quarter inch of ice off the windows after waiting four hours for my flight to be canceled. The Explorer used about 170 miles of range in a 100 mile trip in bad conditions I have a 2015 Tesla that works very well in winter with no heat pump, but I do turn on the climate about 15-20 minutes before I am going somewhere. In the Tesla app it is 3 button presses to turn on the climate and whatever seat heater setting you had. You can change things with more button presses if you want. At home my Tesla is always plugged in, but at work it will use about 10 miles of range warming up not plugged in after sitting outside all night. I mostly do it to have the windows clear so I can be moving immediately without waiting or scraping the windows. All that said, I am completely on the fence about keeping or canceling the Lightning order because of the CCS charging issues. My Tesla is not as capable as a pickup, but it is very reliable for getting around even if the destination is thousands of miles away. Even though I reserved in the first hour of the Lightning, I was not able to get a 22 Lariat ER, and I have ordered the 23 XLT SR (same range as my Tesla) because of the price increases. I may not get the heated steering wheel or onboard scales even though I wanted both but Ford is deleting them. On the plus side, if I keep the order I will get the full tax credit, although I would have to wait til the next years taxes. But if I wait I might get a longer range towing vehicle a year or two later from Chevy, Tesla, or maybe a midsize Ford EV truck

[@jeffballphoto]

Thank you, Tom. Great video.

[@anthonyR9768]

Wonderful information and how great is it to have Ford paying attention to your channel. Got to give them a thumbs up for paying attention to their consumers. For what it is worth, i picked up my Lightning June 3rd. I charge to 85% so if I calculate 320x .85 I would have 272 miles but one day this week, I got 185 (32% less). Is this your experience as well?

[@tomlower3341]

Tom, I picked up my 22 MME Xe in february and have not had a lot of cold days in CT this year. As we know next year will be different! i am garage kept but have pre conditioned a few times and love it. the ford rep did mention something about cold air coming into the Lightning?, is that the same on the MME? Any how love the channel and the MME! keep up the good work. perhaps i will see you in Brewster someday as i want to test the tesla magic dock!

[@GAdontplay]

Thank you for the excellent content as always. I live in Texas and I’m wondering if excessive heat conditions can cause the same problems with battery range or battery health. I park my Lightning in the garage every night and it can get very hot in there, well over 100 degrees, with our West facing garage door. Should I be conditioning my battery because of that amount of heat? For example, after work I’ll park in the garage, turn off the truck and close the garage door. When I turn the truck off the cooling fan shuts off as well and it sits in the garage at well over 100 degrees until the next morning. If I plugged in I’m wondering if the fan would turn back on and help keep the battery cooler? Thanks for any comments.

[@thethingsyouwillfind7493]

Just Got a pro, thanks for this video. It’s 19 F here so i need all the info i can

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

All wheel drive system is amazing

[@dycsail]

I love that Jeff sort of implied, "no, I haven't driven it in deep snow. only 10 inches." We get snow here in Detroit, but 10 inches would be considered VERY DEEP.

[@berthogendoorn2133]

Oh that Blue cruise 1.2 absolutely awesome upgrade, likely now the best AD AS driving system not just my opinion but many EV KZbin presenters!

[@brandonbolt3579]

Wish I could give you more thumbs up, it's so hard to find quality information on KZbin these days.

[@fredcarnes9507]

Wow awesome like how you tell it like it is , thank you . Yes i see videos of on you tube on how people loose range in cold weather and are disappointed and quickly are selling it . Myself i still want a EV and i knew you would loose range in colder climates , but like you explain there a tips in how to do things for your Ev.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Check out my winter driving range test coming out tomorrow!

[@marshprowler2739]

I’ll stick to my 600 mile range and a 5 minute refuel for another 600 miles without having to plan anything. And when it’s zero outside I can run the heat as high as I want. When I tow, I don’t change anything.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Go for it! I say drive what you want to

[@petebremy49]

Thanks, Tom, good advice for all EVs. I only wish my Tesla had a heated steering wheel. 😢

[@MalcolmRowley]

As a Jersey resident to another, do you think it's worth the effort to own an electric vehicle if I don't own a garage or access to level two charging?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

The garage isn't a big thing. Not having the ability to plug in at home is a much bigger issue. You can make it work, and I know a lot of people do, but there's definitely more planning necessary. A big question is how many miles do you typically drive in a week?

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

Deep snow is amazing … lightning feels heavy and it is .. all season tires are fine for my driving .. be careful on Icy roads and intersections when stopping ..

[@madlucio70]

I have a question about preconditioning the traction battery before charging. Is this only really useful for full EVs that will supercharge, or are there ways to prepare PHEV batteries before charging? I do not see any option in my app that would relate to preconditioning. I live in Montreal, so it is very cold many months of the year and I have been wondering about this lately. Typically I try to drive in EV only mode on the way to the charger so that I know my battery is heated to some degree.

[@cjonesplay1]

Great Content Tom. Keep up the great work I think Since ford isn’t using a dedicated EV platform yet. They decided not to go with the Heat pump for now. The next ford EV’s will definitely included them.

[@stephenholland5930]

The Ford guy said they were developing a more efficient system than a heat pump.

[@richlederer4393]

Always enjoy and learn all the time from your episodes. Thank you . I live in Vermont and was wondering what town you inlaws live in? I live in the small town of Arlington. Merry Christmas to you and your families.

[@brucec954]

The advantage the EV truck has in handling is that with the heavy battery mounted between the wheels and at the bottom, it has even weight distribution and low center of gravity unlike an ICE truck which is front heavy. This is why people have to put bags of sand or other weight in the bed for winter.

[@rcfreeman]

That was good

[@ericcomer8750]

Awesome as always, pick mine up in a week

[@TassieEV]

Love to know what this new heatpump type tech that Darren mentioned which is far more efficient than standard heatpumps now.

[@usa-ev]

I disagree with Ford's #5. Most DC Fast Chargers can supply more energy than is being used to charge the battery. So I recommend using the extra energy that the charger can supply and blast the heater while DC fast charging.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I think they also are referring to the fact that when you take some heat/cooling for the cabin, the battery system gets less, so the heating/cooling of the battery is reduced a bit.

[@usa-ev]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Yeah, I considered that too, but I think the windows of time and conditions for that are also pretty small. However, I don't have any experience with the Lightning.

[@chrisdiceart]

My Lightning is due to be delivered next week. My excitement is now a bit muted after finding out that "Whole home Backup Power" will cost about $8500 OVER THE COST OF THE TRUCK. Ford really "missed" on the messaging here.... I'm disappointed enough after waiting 2 years that I'm thinking of just selling it and getting a Tesla with Tesla's price cut.

[@barryw9473]

Tom, thank you. Heat pump seems like a no brainer given current price of truck. I suspect Ford may change its mind after this winter.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Darren does make a point, though. Heat pump systems aren't necessarily the holy grail, they have disadvantages, especially when it's very cold.

[@barryw9473]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney I am pretty sure any EV that has a heat pump also has PTC heater as backup for very cold conditions where heat pump alone can’t provide enough heating to cabin. My 2017 e-Golf has both heat pump and PTC heater, but since I live in the SF Bay Area, I doubt PTC ever turns on - the way I drive the car and maybe I need to record PTC amperage using OBD dongle on a “cold” day here to find out. Some day I will take the e-Golf into the mountains in the winter and see how a passively cooled battery pack performs- no battery preconditioning for my car.

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

Great information on your video

[@sbhajian]

Excellent information. Thank you.

[@581rma]

Great to see that Ford is Taking EV adoption seriously by providing great products such as the E150 and mustang MachE.

[@CoxJul]

I encounter people who believe that car batteries should never be charged over 80%. I educate them that - constantly charging your car to 100% is not going to be good to your battery degredation, but my point 9 to add to the list - if you are about to go on a long trip then charging your battery to 100% at home before you set off is fine, and that extra 25% you get you 25% further on a charge ( Why 25% - well 20units over the usual 80units is 25% extra...)

[@berthogendoorn2133]

Darren, many of us have come to depend on the KW charging level on the standard display, will this be on a future update? For example EV Dave loves his lightening more so than his Tesla for long road trips, but time again with the problems of the CCS fast DC charging infrastructure it is critical customer see this charging level immediately so they know the EV charger is faulting out and not delivering its rated charging capacity.

[@digger450r]

So can you only precondition by scheduling it? Or is there a function to start preconditioning in the app like a remote start?

[@xsterawesome]

I wonder if just remote starting it also preconditions the battery, I didn't see anything about it in the owner's manual. I really wish they let you schedule an entire month for preconditioning for us guys that work rotating swing shift.

[@billhelmer9694]

Like the blacked out light bar how did you do it

[@pstoneking3418]

I set my cabin to 60 because any lower it goes to lo and throws cold air. This keeps the windshield from fogging up so I don't have to worry about that.

[@rnursemd]

The thing about all the EV naysayers is, they forget that the infrastructure for ICE vehicles didn't just pop up over night. It took decades for the support for ICE to mature. Yet, they expect EV's to skip that same decades-long maturation process and be equal to ICE immediately. When I hear these complaints, I just roll my eyes on move on.

[@sotek2345]

If I missed it in another video I apologize, but what tires do you have on your Lightning and what was the range impact?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

They are BF Goodrich KO2s. I haven't had them long enough to notice the difference.

[@richardwilts2042]

Why don't Ford have a heat pump package for winter driving in states that has winter ,called the winter package

[@JK-gr3sg]

I noticed you had different tires on? What kinda tires and how much I’d it affect your range ?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Yeah, I just put BF Goodrich KO2s on it. Haven't noticed the difference yet because I haven't driven much lately

[@regaltilapia]

FYI With temps at approx - 5°C, BF Goodrich tyres and some snow cover and an average speed of 100 km/h I have a range of approx 180 km (small battery)

[@steffenfrkjr1424]

Do the Ligthning Defrost the mirrors on the preheat ?

[@mrdsn189]

Thank you!

[@peterq.7348]

In Canada, on the 2023 f-150 Platinum, Ford have removed the Multi contoured seats, the heated steering and the onboard scale/towing hitch. Which is a disappointment as I was expecting those features for a $124K truck before tax here in Canada. And the refund for each of those features is only $350 when you know that it would cost a lot more if we were to purchase each one of those features:(

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

Thanks for the video

[@johnpoldo8817]

While I respect Darren’s EV knowledge, he gave a salesman’s answer to why no heat pump in Lightning. Ford designers didn’t have time to design and integrate a heat pump into the F150. Surely, the next generation will have one.

[@justaguy6837]

Well, as an engineer, he sounded like he gave an engineers answer candidly. They made trade offs, like in every engineered system. The F150 Lightning is a first gen product for them, and like we all do in every car, airplane, computer, cell phone, etc, we make trade offs. Sometimes, after enough field experience with any product, you may kick yourself and regret your trade off decision. Other times, 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other, and either way would have compromises....

[@Chris21709]

Fossil vehicles don't go as far when it's cold. 😁

[@insanvini1203]

I have a tesla and my issue with lowering the cabin heat is the fogging of the windshield, are there any way to prevent this?

[@mattreb06]

1) Dress VERY warmly 2) Set temp to "LO" 3) Set fan to blow at window I've done this...works even at -30C without fogging up. Doesn't work when it's sleeting - then you need heat to keep windows clear.

[@highrafterranch1982]

Tom, Great info!!! Love the Lightning series. I'm really interested in your HIS install. I've been trying to get my system set up but SunRun doesn't cover central Texas. I'd like to get Qmerit to install or recommend an installer but repeated emails have gone unanswered. Haven't called them direct as I don't know the correct person to contact. Do you have an email address/contact that can help with home integration issues? I need to speak with someone knowledgeable with the Ford CSP and associated HIS hardware. Looking at the forums I believe many are in the same boat as me. Maybe you could let Qmerit know thru your contact that a market exists/will exist and they could become a leader in these installs. Thanks in advance.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I will send them a copy of this message. Would you like to share your email?

[@highrafterranch1982]

Tom, Awesome. Thanks for the reply and help. I’ve sent you all of my contact info through your EV Charging Stations website. I realize I could call local electrician to try and install but afraid it will end up in a nightmare. Hopefully Qmerit can help or steer me in the right direction and/or offer technical support to their local contact. Thanks again. Brian

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

@@highrafterranch1982 Please resend it to [e-mail]. I'm still working out the bugs on that site, which is why I haven't promoted it yet!

[@billthompson9482]

Tom do you make to Vermont 220 miles on the same charge?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

I did in the summer....I will do the drive soon so we'll see. It will be very close, IMO.

[@justaguy6837]

We're going next week. We'll see how it goes. Our trip is 200 miles door to door. Our Mach E does it fairly accurately range wise when its a bit warmer, haven't tried it in the winter as we general use our pickups. But our newly arrived Lightning will take us there weekly starting next week

[@juniorvazquez207]

Tom, what kind of tires did you put on the truck.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

BF Goodrich KO2s

[@anedone]

When I use departure time, it heats up nicely. When I hit the button to start the steering wheel cools down and won’t get hot. If I turn off the truck, it will start heating again.

[@sotek2345]

Yeah, lots of folks, including me, with that issue on the F150lightning forum

[@usa-ev]

Strange. At least it should be fixable with a software update.

[@coldnnh6983]

In a world of instant everything how many people want to deal with steps to drive, people hardly change their oil on time… I like turning my key and driving with a full tank of diesel 500 miles … it might cost more but trucks paid for and when it’s parked I don’t have to do anything.

[@billjones5391]

Are the batteries heated?

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Yes

[@FactsAboutTheWorld.]

The suggestion to use heated seats instead of regular HVAC is quite odd in this day and age lol.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Not really. Pretty much every OEM that makes EVs will tell you to do so.

[@FactsAboutTheWorld.]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney I guess compared to an ICE car, just seems archaic! hopefully it improves in the future.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

How much range would be lost in the winter if he lived in Fairbanks which is in the interior and is much colder in the winter. Temperatures are often -40ºF/C !!

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

With preconditioning, I would say about 33% to 40% of the range on the coldest days.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

@@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney Thank you so much! Your channel is awesome!

[@usa-ev]

My FIAT 500e only operates down to -22F according to the manual. Wonder if the Lightning has a limit.

[@usa-ev]

Oh, and at that temperature the heater had a hard time keeping up and the range was down 2/3 or so.

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

They should have the one pedal switch on the steering wheel ..

[@misterbulger]

I could only see using an EV as an older wealthy retired person. Isn't leaving your battery on charge bad for it and doesnt it waste energy? Lithium batteries do best between 20% and 80%. Can you shut the charging off before 100% then try to get home before you drain below 20? I try to keep all my lithium devices in this range. But my biggest question is where do I plug in at an apartment complex with no chargers or garage? A lot of the population rents a tiny apartment with no amenities like this.

[@dansanger5340]

You can set how high you want it to charge, usually 80%. Once it reaches 80%, it stops charging. It would be nice if more laptops and cell phones had this feature.

[@gsftom]

Prob not a great financial decision to pay $125k for a truck. Especially if u wind up having range anxiety. On the up side, u will be cool and “green”

[@michaelpoworoznik3159]

Also car companies should give an estimation on summer vs winter ranger … like ice vehicles highway vs city Let’s be realistic to consumer

[@tomoch2008]

All great ways to improve cold weather use, but it really irks me that Ford gives advice to use heated seats and steering wheel and then they axe my heated steering wheel! So frustrating

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Yeah thats unfortunate. But I think it's because of the chip shortage, not something that they wanted to do.

[@h2rider953]

How many ICE trucks/cars need a block heater to start in deep winters, how much energy is used?

[@mikeflanary642]

Great video! I want to see if it can plow. Just to see what happens. It would get views! 😄

[@stang393]

There is a lot of people being dramatic about EVs for sure. But i would say thers more people that wont admit any flaws of Evs or try to downplay every problem.

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Yeah, there's definitely some of that for sure. I try to keep it real - hope I'm doing a fair job of it.

[@JustinEsquibel]

How did you tint the front light bar trying to get it done

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

It's Luxe headlight tint

[@JustinEsquibel]

Thank you did you do it yourself

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

@@JustinEsquibel No, I had a local tint shop do it

[@shawnofthedata]

Too bad they pulled the heated steering wheel chips out

[@StateOfChargeWithTomMoloughney]

Yeah - that sucks.