Driving an EV Ford F-150 Lightning to the Arctic Ocean Was HALF THE BATTLE, Now Can We Get Back?

[@pilotleader]

Now imagine doing this trip in the dead of winter, decreased battery performance, -40 degrees, heavy snow, total darkness (but at least there wouldn’t be any mosquitoes 😀)

[@SuzukiKid400]

Doing that trip in the dead of winter would be terrible in any vehicle, but in an EV it could be potentially deadly.

[@Tempsho]

Would pretty much need the generator running in the box of the truck charging it the entire time!!!

[@lesstevens2370]

@@Tempsho so you think batteries when they drain or charge they don't produce heat and electric motors also don't produce heat the cab heater in the ford is a 2kwh heater you can run that for 66hrs 100% to 0% your gas truck maby 40 hrs..... I actually want to see it now a good comparison at minus 50

[@Cloud30000]

@Les Stevens Even the least efficient new trucks use less than 1/4 gallon an hour at idle, which produces far more then 2kW heat (what makes a ICE inefficient is the power that is converted to heat instead of HP, which is actually greater than the HP the engine makes). Even a 20 gallon tank will produce exponentially more heat then the Lightning, and keep producing for longer time. Toss in the Powerboost, that only runs the engine to get to temp, then shuts off the other 75% of the time, and the Lightning doesn’t even compare. There is a reason they don’t sell portable battery powered room heaters.

[@derekk6906]

Yea but it does 0-60 in 3 seconds, apparently the 0-60 is the only selling point of these toys.

[@kimthompson1618]

This trip couldn’t have happened without David’s skills and ingenuity. He’s a great addition to the TFL crew.

[@michaelwhite7275]

David is The MacGyver of the group

[@Jupiterider1]

This was an interesting challenge but it’s pretty obvious you guys were miserable. The Lightning is a wonderful piece of technology but it has some severe shortcomings for a truck. I would rather have the hybrid specially since Ford has raised prices significantly. Thank you for the great content. Y’all are the best!

[@johnmeeboer6044]

I am sure the lack of sleep did not help

[@iankovac1878]

You can tell they had a little fun, but I am sure waiting sucks azz.

[@sternumboy1]

It's fun to watch, but it's not a realistic use case. 99.99% of people never drive anywhere this remote.

[@Robwelds]

@@sternumboy1 I lived in Alaska for 5 years you would be surprised how many people come up to Alaska and explore !!! A lot of people do from all over the world.

[@T-Mo_]

"has some severe shortcomings for a truck". For some people. For others it is a perfect truck. Towing anything but small distances, driving long distances bad. Driving short to medium distances to work and towing around town, good to great depending on your home electric rate. The lightning is def not a gas/diesel truck killer but is a great choice for many peoples use.

[@robwalker4548]

LOL - The geo stash was probably found by someone putting the bag where it was supposed to be holding the sign so it does not blow over.

[@zachariewright1690]

Please keep David on the show! He's awesome!

[@toyyoda3710]

If he promises not to sing anymore ... lol

[@dalejones4322]

I've learned a lot about EVs in general from these videos. Generally they are put in their best light but this has shown some of the bad. Your eternal optimism made the series fun to watch and the generosity of Alaskans is inspiring. Thank you for doing this because I know it was tough but you made it fun to watch.

[@neutrino78x]

Dale, just remember, the vast majority of people don't have to drive this far. Even if you're a construction worker, you know, you're not going to be driving hundreds of miles every day, generally speaking. The average commute is only like 30 miles. I saw a study that said most work trucks go less than 250 miles total per day. This truck has plenty of range for MOST PEOPLE. 🙂

[@andrewb325]

I don't give you all grief for bringing the Powerboost as a backup generator. You guys pushed beyond the limits of the Lightning and in the process you showed what it is and is not capable of. Electric isn't quite ready for this type of journey and that's OK. Great job.

[@AlanDayley]

You all need to make an edit of the trip that is just all the B-roll of the landscape and wildlife. Such beautiful shots!

[@325xitgrocgetter]

When we bought our first Chevy Volt in 2015...I was setting up the charger in my garage...my son, who was 14 at the time asked "Dad, where does the electric power come from?" I said, "probably from some coal fired generating plant in North Dakota." He responded, "So the car's exhaust is happening in North Dakota right now as you are charging it." Interesting perspective as we go over how our electrical grid is powered.

[@lesstevens2370]

Yes I see all the coal trains in Canada heading down to the states we up here use hydrodamn for power 59% comes from and then solar wind and nuclear but we didn't let our politicians sell our environment regulations out so coal fired power plants wouldn't poison our atmosphere all it is down there is profit first worrie about everything else later and coal is cheap just ask Manchin his in politics and owns coal fired plants talk about conflict of interest that how corrupt politicians are down there ours isn't much better but that's what happens when you let money dictate politics

[@karatecanine]

@@lesstevens2370 Canada supplies like 35% or all electricity in America.

[@karatecanine]

That may be true, but you have to charge something like 50x on a coal fired generator to get the same emissions as a tank of gas.

[@lesstevens2370]

@@karatecanine yep up here in Dawson creek we have wind turbines and that power goes down to the states and electricity travels 90% of the speed of light or 270,000km/s so pretty much the second it's generated it at a socket near you 😀

[@Krunch2020]

We have a good mix of hydro, geyser thermal,nat gas, solar and wind. I pay separate charges for electric generation and infrastructure so 1/2 my money goes to solar and wind projects. It’s slightly cheaper than the power company’s generation charge. Of course the electricity comes from the grid but there’s more renewables every day and people who choose community power schemes are helping to finance that.

[@jwg34]

Ford makes a PHEV F150 available and I’m in. Charge my vehicle for free or cheap at home and still drive a cross the country towing a trailer with no range anxiety.

[@haendel2004]

Someone bigger than you or me can revoke those low prices or free charging at any time. It is called subsidy. There's Never gonna be free lunch.

[@jwg34]

That’s the beauty of PHEV, you get to take advantage of both worlds. Right now I’m changing at home for the equivalent of less that a dollar a gallon but if they decide to increase the subsidies on gas you can use that. Full electric works for some in populated areas but out here in the county it limits your life. My current PHEV gives me the best of both worlds. The increase in gas prices just made the investment pay off quicker.

[@todddunn945]

A PHEV would be a good replacement for my wife's car which is parked inside. However, my truck is parked outside. Since I am in Maine, that means that charging a PHEV or full EV truck at home would be very difficult or impossible for 4 months a year. I would have to build a new heated garage to charge a full EV truck and a PHEV would mostly be a gas truck due to limited charging in the winter without a new garage.

[@ferrisr]

@@todddunn945 That's silly. You don't need a garage to charge in, let alone a heated garage. Chargers are installed outdoors all of the time and work just fine, even in severe weather. I can tell you first hand that charging outdoors without any cover is no problem at all, even with winter weather.

[@todddunn945]

@@ferrisr the issue is that to charge lithium ion batteries in below freezing temperatures you have to heat the battery. The power to heat the battery comes off the charging circuit and increases charging times particularly in below zero weather which we get here in Maine. Yes, I could charge when it is below zero, but the charging rate would be very slow. I don't drive every day, so my truck might have sat outside in very cold weather for days between uses and take a LONG time to heat the battery to the point where it could accept charge.

[@zekerodarte8132]

Another thing to add, is that the new Ford Lightning, being a new production Truck, it seems it has not had any electrical and/or mechanical malfunctions, so far.. 👍

[@Pihrana]

The dude (Jay?) that went into the water? Absolute Legend !! In fact, each and every one of you that made this series possible deserve the credit

[@neutrino78x]

Fast Lane Truck -- I think it's interesting that you made it almost 100% of the way without having to use the hybrid chaser to recharge. All it would take is one or two more Level 3 stations on that highway, and you would have been good! 🙂

[@nicolasbsmith78]

I liked the Lightning before this series, and I still like it now, but I'm really liking the Powerboost a lot more! 😍

[@CautiousDavid]

The Powerboost is a real beast! I was hoping they’d offer it on the Tremor trim next year as those are the two things I really want, but they rolled out the V8 instead :(

[@Cloud30000]

Powerboost is too heavy for the Tremor; it would be like towing or off-reading the Tremor with 1000 lbs of sand bags in the bed.

[@CautiousDavid]

@@Cloud30000 Fairly confident this is overblown. Ford’s reasoning is that they’re matching the vehicle to the customer and wanted max towing, which I get, I understand Powerboost would decrease capacity and add weight, but it’s a trade I would happily make.

[@Quidy27]

This entire series, has virtually sold me on the powerboost.

[@swinesavant]

This has been great to watch, highlighting the positives and limitations of EV's. Especially in remote area's, which is much of North America. I'd really like to see similar content in the dead of winter in the North.

[@ep9691]

never happen. you wanna charge in minus 60 degree temp? HELL NO

[@ronaldlindeman6136]

Is it that you like to see other people suffer? Just winter in the North is suffering.

[@atodaso1668]

@@ronaldlindeman6136 You sound weak

[@lesstevens2370]

@@atodaso1668 lol I'm Canadian worked as a carpenter worked in -50 now I work for oil and gas the only job left you can still make a living out of unless your a doctor or engineer architect or ceo... everything else has been wiped out in the last 8 years you have to make 100k a year just to scrape by

[@swinesavant]

@@ronaldlindeman6136 I live in a rural area in Canada, that's called life. Temps ranging from -40 to over 100 and go further North where it gets colder. Fuel prices are insane and the government is forcing EV's on us whether we like it or not. It's called educating yourself with unbiased sources, instead of the manufacturer's or government. Vehicles are rarely designed for any Northern climate.

[@hardcoreep]

Thank you for this video. Having similar issues here in my home country of Jamaica as our government tries to push EV adoption, but without proper thought to charging infrastructure. Great video.

[@krasnaludek298]

Jamaica is brutally disorganized & lacking infrastructure to say the least. I was there visit 3 years past from Europe. Very dirty & much crime in area outside resort.

[@rushd45]

I drove up to Prudhoe Bay in 1997 on the Haul Road with a Ford Explorer and had trouble getting gas once I was there! There were no public gas stations at all, all the gas stations were owned and operated by the private companies and could not sell gas to private individuals. I finally found somebody that would let me fill up my tank so I could drive back down to Coldfoot where the next public gas station was.

[@thepittman4g63]

I'd love to see a video for what it's good at. On a farm moving stuff around all day, around a city or suburbs as maybe a pretend plumber(or another pretend business like a landscaper) going between customers(maybe even renting some heavy equipment to trailer to some of the sites), and then maybe some time pretending to be a local government employee workday in a fleet use-case. This current video series is great to show it's biggest weakness, but I believe there are some amazing use cases for others where it would shine.

[@Ryan-LetsGO]

I love how the channel has evolved - please do more like this!

[@tlewisAK]

Great video! I live in Fairbanks, and Ive done the drive to dead hoarse it’s an amazingly beautiful drive. You’re right, there isn’t a lot of infrastructure here for charging. Great trip guys, and I hope you enjoyed your journey.

[@bantizzle79]

Thanks for doing this series. Loved seeing all the beautiful scenery. I plan on waiting for battery/charging technology to improve before I make the leap to an electric truck.

[@scottyellis3442]

I'll never give you any grief for doing what you have to do, I've said it before and I'll say it again, thanks for carrying us along on the journey & thanks for the education. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@YeOldeTraveller]

Great Trip! My wife and I did Ann Arbor, MI to Fairbanks, AK round trip in February a couple decades ago. We did the ferry in the same direction as y'all,. We returned home across Canada.

[@rickkinnison9573]

This test of yours solidified my opinion EV’s might be ok for local/regional use, impractical for long hauls or hauling heavy.

[@jrherita]

Still depends - the EVs are generally OK - it’s the charging network that’s the problem. It’s absolutely inadequate for hauling heavy though.. unfortunately

[@AkioWasRight]

Their Lightning was ~$81,000, and that price is going to $88,000 for the 2023 model year. If you want to buzz around town, buy a regular gas F150 for $58,000, if not less, and pocket $30,000 in cash, which you can use to buy a commuter car, or to fuel your gas truck for the next 15+ years. Use your heads, people.

[@CommonSense823]

@@ferrisr “They’re fine for short distance towing”. This is laughable. They can only tow for very short distances before needing to recharge, thus fine for short distance towing. Circular logic.

[@CommonSense823]

@@ferrisr most trucks have to return home from the lake too. The Lightning isn’t capable, but an ICE or hybrid certainly is for a fraction of the cost.

[@CommonSense823]

@@ferrisr we often tow our boat over 100 miles round trip. Never a worry about range or capability. Anyone who pays the premium for a Lightning to accomplish this task truly deserves all the headache that comes with it.

[@Tempsho]

I really like that cooler you guys have in the back of the truck. You never really went into much detail about eating, drinking and sleeping along the way. Where you bought food from, showering (if you did that at all), etc.

[@larrysmith6797]

Wind a long bungee cord around a rear half-shaft and drive off a cliff. The lighting will regen as the bungee unwinds. When the cord reaches its end, the bungee will rewind and unwind a few times and regen on each bounce.

[@steinwaymodelb]

Props to Jay for dipping! Didn't expect that.

[@jamesbeaman6337]

Jay is a legit polar bear! This was a week or two ago but seawater temp at Prudhoe Bay today, 8/14/22 is 35 degrees F.

[@DavidThomas-sv1tk]

At spots like that, even with ice floating on the water, my wife always goes for a full swim, like she did in Antarctica and many spots in Alaska.

[@geoffreydeweese4493]

What a great series. Having driven the Haul Road from Anchorage years ago, this brought back so many great memories, including of the wonderful people we meet along the way. And to do it in an EV! It makes me excited for the future. Well done!

[@paulbugden7708]

Great content guys 👍 Lived many years in Northern Canada and yeah, it's not EV country. I would really like to see the Hybrid overall mileage and cost. I travel a lot for work and had many hybrid rentals. Never had one yet that did any better than a normal gas vehicle.

[@DavidThomas-sv1tk]

Not northern northern Canada yet, but northern BC and southern YT is now well served with Level DCFCs. I just drove Seattle to Kenai Alaska in a Chevy Bolt - 2500 miles in 3.5 days. I do it faster in an ICE, but it's now viable in an EV without relying on Level 1, Level 2 or campground RV plug-ins.

[@lego4virgo]

I've noticed a LOT of YT auto channels are using the TFL experience with the Lightning to talk about the pros/cons of the vehicle, so you guys are doing something right! I appreciate that you all decided to take an objective position to see how this would work in more rural/remote areas, and in ways a truck would be used. I think that we should eliminate the CAFE rules, and come up with something that rewards a manufacturer for having a good mix of straight ICE, PHEV, and EV products in their portfolio.

[@bill29456]

Very cool trip. This quest of TFL has shown just how inadequate the charging network is for ev’s. You guys are pioneers in that you tried and had to get a lot of help along the way. Ev’s aren’t really road trips yet in my opinion but the door is slowly opening toward that. Thanks for sharing.

[@daved6464]

Thanks for making it very clear that an electric truck is not in my future.

[@marshall0792]

I can’t believe that truck weighs the same as a 3/4 ton pickup. And something tells me that EV Rally is going to be supported by large Diesel Generators.

[@charlesmetherd9136]

Those batteries are very heavy.

[@larrysmith6797]

Because Large Diesel Generators will power enough EVs to save the planet.

[@krnwhitlow]

Roman I want to thank you and your team for the best effort I've ever seen regardless of what the truck did you guys did a super job

[@BestDraftClass]

David! Man this guy again! What a beauty as Don Cherry would say

[@davidws5439]

It's a 32 amp EVSE, not a 30 amp EVSE. The 40 amp EVSE was your BEST thought, plus carrying two EVSE was good for backup. Just wait one or two more seasons and the charging stations will improve.

[@glenngore6609]

You guys had better luck finding a place to charge than you can while driving from Oklahoma City or Amarillo to Denver along non-Interstate, US or state highways. There are currently no DC fast chargers anywhere between I-25 and I-35 and I-40 and I-70. Only Level 2 or privately-owned chargers. This part of the US is a major no-go area for EV’s.

[@douglasvieira1990dv]

You moved that sand bag that’s supposed to hold the sign haha

[@pstoneking3418]

I'm still getting my lightning, never planned on using it other than local driving charging at home and when the suns available charging off my home solar system. In that respect it is the absolute perfect vehicle. I enjoy luxury when I'm driving and I need a truck to tow my trailers. Trading in both my 2014 F150 & 2018 Prius to get the price of the lightning down a little. I only need one vehicle but I do need a truck at times. My F150 got 10 mpg but when towing closer to 5 mpg. So it's going to be great not paying for gas any more and most the time not even paying for electricity.

[@WolfHowl71]

Please stop worrying about the haters. Can't please everyone and you guys are doing some good work! Thanks for it!

[@davidws5439]

The main thing to keep in mind is that you only have the equivalent of 3.88 gallons of gasoline. 33.7 kilowatt hours is equal to one gallon of gasoline. 131 kwh ÷ 33.7 = 3.887 gallons of gasoline.

[@lesstevens2370]

Why do people keep saying this ice motors are at best 30% efficient and that's diesel.. gas is less worst 5% best 20% so in reality that 33.7 kwh is more like 6.74 kwh of fuel per gallon so in a 30 gallon tank that's 202 kwh but I know people are going to say how come the lightning can't go farther well the battery is still heavier once they get weight down like tesla is by using 4680 structurel battery and eliminating all of the housing for the old modules that 2170 needs like what ford is using right now weight will be shaved off I think Elon said 30% of the weight is lost and 40% more room for more batteries because of the structure 4680 batteries

[@michaelhendrix75]

I’ve really enjoyed the series, but can’t help but wander why you didn’t prioritize weight saving. Let the hybrid carry more of the burden weight? No camper cover, just sleep in the cab with the fold flat seats. I’m sure you had your reasons. Great show!

[@abc123fhdi]

You should do this now in the dead of winter -20 degrees and see what range you get.

[@wolfman9999999]

The only grief I'm gonna give is that you didn't invite me along for the actual drive. This is one of those bucket list places I want to go and see. Someday......

[@jrherita]

You’re not alone.. they visited some really beautiful places this trip.

[@Hammy1TV]

That cheat hair patch, I immediately mistaken him for an Alaskan Brown Bear🤣😂

[@brentruss2168]

Fantastic stuff. The performance of an AC induction motor can't be beat in terms of torque and efficiency. This trip highlights the weaknesses of our charging infrastructure, the weakness of the battery systems, and the weakness of our power generation systems. That is where our technological progress and innovation needs to be pointed to catch up with Nikola Tesla's ancient AC induction motor technology. Great stuff!

[@ribbit1964]

Sit back and relax cuz misery is fun! The people make the final frontier so awesome!

[@scottgabbard662]

Great adventure you shared guys, something to reminisce with the team for many years to come. I know that people are dogging it but you and Ford both deserve a nod. It CAN be done and now it’ll just be done better. Here’s to 2.0.

[@veralto3411]

This trip was a wonderful experience to watch 😃 I think the side story is, Alaska is beautiful but it would have been nearly impossible without the help of friendly locals

[@ElliottTucker1050]

My mother after sitting on a few judicial benches. Was a lobbyist for BP/Arco. On my last trip up there with AS. I did a tour of their Platform

[@johnparker-home253]

Now that you are back... I'm curious how much charge a solar tonneau cover or solar camper roof could produce in one day. Not enough for a road trip, but how much range for a daily commute could you get with no plugging in? A 120v full charge would have been a 5 days from the video. I believe charging is disabled while moving, so I guess it would only work while parked unless there is a hack to bypass that for slow charging.

[@matao87]

I'd love to see a mini series that kind of combines this one with the towing range test. Get two identical travel trailers and document a road trip to a couple different campgrounds or national parks.

[@xfactor5876]

Nice job guys! I really like the real world information you are giving on electric vehicle ownership. I dont like electric vehicles because in my opinion they lack any soul. So, I was a biased watcher to begin with. But what you had to do to pull this off made me double down on a fuel powered vehicle. I dont have the kind of time it takes to go 38 mph everywhere just to have a chance to get there. I travel the US and have watched this series with interest. It confirmed my personal choice. Good stuff.

[@OgleBilly]

This was a great series! To me it shows this Country isn’t ready for electric vehicles. I live in a rural area and there’s NO charging station’s within 30 miles of my location. Was at my local Chevy dealership and was told any electric vehicle sold usually goes to folks in cities that’s over 70 miles from me. I don’t think we’re ready for electric vehicles in this Nation as a whole because the infrastructure just isn’t there yet. You know you guys are pathfinder’s on this subject now! Again, great video friends!

[@TFLtruck]

Thanks for the kind comment but with an EV you live in the charging station. Most EV owners just charge up over night at home and never go to a fast charger…..unless they are on a road-trip.

[@OgleBilly]

Point taken! I live about 35 miles from my job so an electric vehicle probably would work for me as long as I remembered to plug it in every day lol! But,I’d still be nervous about any lengthy trips. Not saying that electric isn’t the future, but you can tell it’s still in its infancy as far as rural areas go. I can’t wait for you guys to lay your hands on a hydrogen vehicle and see how that works! TFL does a good job on giving unbiased information! I wished I lived in Colorado just to be able to hang out and learn! Good job TFL!

[@ronaldking1054]

@@OgleBilly You could even forget a night and still be fine. That's this vehicle. A car probably could be forgotten for a couple of nights.

[@derekk6906]

Thats fine if they own a home with a garage they park in. GM and Ford going All Electric in less than a decade when over 40 million Americans are renters, most live in large homes converted into multi family rental homes... No Garage and parking is along the street. What options will they have?

[@ab-tf5fl]

One thing you'll discover when you get an EV is that, so long as you charge at home, the charging stations within 30 miles of your house are almost irrelevant, as it will nearly always be both cheaper and easier to just plug in at home, instead. The charging stations that do matter are the ones 50, 100, and 150 miles from your home, as those are the ones that actually extend your range in a meaningful way. From from you're saying, it sounds like you have plenty of chargers in a good "range extender" position, including an entire city full of them, 70 miles away. Just get a car with 200+ miles of range and a level 2 home charger, and you should have nothing to worry about. Also, for what it's worth, I do live in a city, but I take my EV out into the countryside many times to remote trailheads, with round-trip distances ranging from 100-250 miles. Occasionally, I will even seen another EV parked at the same trailhead. EVs absolutely do work in the countryside, especially the part of the countryside you are talking about, within easy battery range of cities. Now, if you lived 500 miles from the nearest city and 300 miles from the nearest charging station, then, I would say that's a problem, but outside of Alaska, and maybe a few stretches of Montana/North Dakota, most rural areas in this country are nowhere near that remote. The argument that 30 miles from a charger, 70 miles from a city is too far to consider an EV, I've heard time and time again, but it is simply not true.

[@RysterARCEE]

"We charged for free" No, you charged due to the kindness of the residents. You would have been dead in the water without those people. They made your trip possible.

[@themillennialcoffeeguy9732]

Loved this series but wow did you all miss an opportunity! I know your channel is all about the vehicle but you could have taken 2 to 3 weeks to enjoy living out of the camper and doing more of a documentary like the long way down/up/around series. I wish more people did this.

[@edwardpeters4700]

Thank you, TFL Truck, for taking on this type of excursion. You've proven my suspicions re electric vehicle's progress perfectly. Electrics are ready for mass adoption for urban use but still fall short in rural/remote environments. This trip also proved why Toyota has continued to dabble in hydrogen technology. Fuelling instead of charging will probably continue to be a primary means of energy use in undeveloped areas (i.e. remote and minimally technologically serviced sites where Toyota sells many vehicles).

[@ab-tf5fl]

On the contrary, I think this video shows well why electric is far superior to hydrogen in remote areas. If your vehicle runs on electricity, every wall outlet in every building can be used as a charging station, and you can even charge off of a gasoline or diesel generator if you get really desperate. Yes, it's slow, but a whole lot better than not being able to charge at all. On the other hand, let's imagine going to Deadhorse in a hydrogen vehicle. Once you leave California, there are no hydrogen fueling stations anywhere, and none of the power outlets - including the hybrid truck - would have been usable. Short of being outright towed by the support truck the entire round trip, a hydrogen-powered vehicle would have no chance of making it to Deadhorse at all with current infrastructure. Of course, if there existed hydrogen fueling stations all along the route, things would be different. But, compared to EV charging stations, hydrogen fueling stations are far more expensive to install, and have far fewer vehicles able to use them, so it's very unlikely that a remote area would install a hydrogen fueling station to begin wtih.

[@Dularr]

Sure you can do it. Install a 20 kWh 60 Amp solar farm. Charge a few hours a day. Hydrogen is better for urban. More infrastructure.

[@edwardpeters4700]

Compressed gas storage and transport infrastructure to create fueling points is likely to be more realistic in some places than initiation of a green power grid. Charging an electric off of a deisel generation system profoundly reduces the greener nature of pure electric.

[@jimandvalstravelchannel]

I think this proves EV's have a long ways to go before they are useful in the real world. I did this trip on a motorcycle. Filled up in Fairbanks, then filled up again in Deadhorse for the ride back down to Fairbanks. Worse part of the trip was the mosquitos for sure.

[@doolittlegeorge]

Just gives Tesla another opportunity to prove that *THEIR* future is right now and not existing in some Fantasy Land. Great news for Rivian as well! Ford? Some *INVALUABLE* lessons learned for Ford Motor Company here so it ought to be interesting to see how those lessons be applied have done the drive from Homer, Alaska all the way back to Upstate New York ... and via Los Angeles California for that matter. Almost all Fords were pieces of junk then and still are for the most part even today...but that truck *almost* made it back dying out about 80 miles from completion. All accident free miles tho!

[@danielramsey1959]

I live in rural Alaska north of Wasilla, hardly anyone i know wants an EV, they are viewed as a kneejerk political solution of the Green New Deal and they do not want to be forced into an EV changeup, especially in its inefficient early stages.

[@leedanielson7452]

I think the majority of Americans would agree with you myself included!👍

[@ronaldking1054]

You shouldn't want it because the 40% use of energy would disappear for battery maintenance. Of course, the United States is not all the same climate zone either.

[@ronaldking1054]

I forgot to mention that "inefficient" electric vehicle has a battery which is the equivalent of 4 gallons of gas. Extended range is actually 3.88 gallons of gas in battery form.

[@nealpitts9147]

Please redo in a few years when Alaska has DC Quick charge infrastructure!

[@yankeehillraymie1296]

Roman, I like David's personality. Good dude

[@jorgesalinas3998]

I really enjoyed this series. Now you need to travel to the southern most tip of the US to the Gulf of Mexico at South Padre Island. Luckily, you will have more infrastructure down south to test the Lightning’s beach capabilities.

[@matthewgrear3260]

You may only pay $20 or so to charge. But if it’s over night you have to factor in hotel rooms which aren’t cheap and food and drinks too. So factoring all of that in I’m sure it comes out the same money wise

[@jimbob1096]

Plus these people think electricity is going to be cheap. Get used to it electricity is going to go up dramatically. The man is not going to let get off cheaply.

[@jimbob1096]

Hotels and meals are expensive and most don't have chargers.

[@drewelliott9062]

Cross country trips with EV is a perpetual state of range anxiety.

[@ferrisr]

Depends on where you are in the country. I've done plenty of trips with very little range anxiety. In past trips in a gas car, I've spent more brain-cycles trying to figure out the best/cheapest place to fuel up than I have figuring out where to charge on EV trips (where the price is usually pretty much the same no matter where you charge).

[@dmandman9]

True to a point. But let’s be honest. Alaska is the most remote place in the USA. It’s much different than simply driving up and down the East coastline on I 95 or I 10 on the southern USA

[@larrysmith6797]

I think they stole electricity off the ferry as the floated alongside Canada.

[@speharjason]

Can you charge while You drive both vehicles? Just get a longer cord and a way you go. In flight refueling

[@ElysiumsJourney]

I would imagine not. I'd wager, at least, the lightning has to be fully stopped before allowing a charge like that. And even if it did, it becomes the question of should which would be a no. I can think of many problems with such a thing

[@jerrycomo2736]

I asked a similar question a few videos ago and the replies I got were very serious "probably nots". Forget the EV's, how about recharging our sense of humor.

[@ferrisr]

If you want to do that you might as well tow the lightning with the powerboost and let it recharge via regen (just like how they gained range coming back down Atigun Pass; except the powerboost is doing the work instead of gravity). But then it wouldn't be moving "under its own power."

[@kennyfordham6208]

I believe that the F-150 Lightning (and most electric vehicles) will only charge in 'park', and will not allow the vehicle to shift out of 'park' until the cable is disconnected. This prevents the driver from tearing off the cable accidentally.

[@campshortclip]

I love this. It shows what still needs to be done. As well as where skeptics had wrong. I love the idea of EV"s. I will eventually own one.But don't think they are ready for everyone. Especially when the Ev industry thinks affordable is 45 to 60 k.

[@ajsturtz]

This trip represents 0.01% of what typical owners do. This is a bucket list type trip. It was a great journey, there are many ways to make it less stressful.

[@sammgrady]

I love the show! Keep creating guys! I love the whole team. ❤️ I'm currently away from my home of Colorado. I am living in the United Kingdom. I do miss her dearly. Your helping me stay in touch with the adventure while away from Home. 🏡 Also had one question 🤔..... I am 100% sure it's not recommended but wondering if you guys have tried or had to tow/pull the Lightning F-150 at all with the Hybrid F-150? Thanks Keep up the great adventures! 🙌🏽

[@mylesb3578]

If u make it back , take it to a truck pull I’m curious to see how it would do .

[@admranger]

"It's all very clean" says David. The rusty oil barrels in the background ask: "Are we a joke to you?"

[@lo1bo2]

Yeah, I was wondering why the locals haven't dug those out.

[@gcburkett]

They could have towed at Generac MLG15 to maybe do it without a support truck but kind of good on that road to have two vehicles anyway.

[@ep9691]

you wanna tow something up there in the north with all the possibilities of problems doing that vs a reliable vehicle that you can charge whenever it's needed and also drive you home if you get stranded. i wouldn't.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

@@ep9691 I’d rather just take one of my 4Runners lol.

[@gcburkett]

@@ep9691 Personally, I don't want to own an EV vehicle because of the problems with a long road trip. I just think it would be funny having an EV vehicle tow their own charging device because in many locations remote locations that is how the power is generated.

[@pel6586]

Exactly right ! I wouldn’t buy an electric truck right now until there’s an infrastructure and everything is more settled towards EV’s. Now question, when everyone goes EV and thousands of people have to charge at stations, will we have to wait for days to charge our truck in case of a road trip? Cause imagine the wait time if your waiting for 2 trucks to charge in front of you.

[@lesstevens2370]

Really...... you do know installing fast chargers takes a fraction of the time it does to put gas stations In and the permits are easier too not as much red tape due to environmental issues but still where ever there is power going they can put in charging infrastructure fast olso tesla is opening there for none teslas which is way more developed

[@symorlinthecaster5882]

@@lesstevens2370 Not true, i work in underground electric infrastructure, while its quick to tie in the stations them selves to the grid, its is incredibly expensive and difficult to get to power to those chargers.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

Shhh don’t let anyone know that 3 chargers per 20 miles isn’t enough 😆

[@zerothis23]

12:10 that reminded me of that time that first guy flew his plane over the Atlantic Ocean to prove, uhm, something, I don't quite remember now what it was... Anywho, as I recall, he landed his plane on a boat that took him halfway across. I might be remembering a few insignificant details the wrong way.

[@craigcampbell1843]

Ocean water in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans can be as low as 28 degrees. It freezes at lower temperatures because of the salt.

[@williambenoit5712]

Time is money and when I travel I don't want to sit there and wait at least 6 hours to charge. I can be over 300 miles farther down the road, my truck is paid for and for 80000 dollars, for that price I could drive my truck for another 350,000 miles and go another 20 years. Not practical for long distance.

[@traviskorda3262]

Damn Roman that looked alot like Poison Oak under that structure you stuck the box at! Awesome series guys well done!

[@zerothis23]

Look for the places the semi trucks load and unload. Moving 25 tons on and off a truck is most efficiently done with electricity and doing so in a reasonable time requires amps.

[@darrellbest1800]

Did you ever figure out whether the air spoiler had any effect on the amount of electricity per mile? It seems like you switched to a strategy of doing 30 mph pretty quick making me believe it had no positive effect.

[@mariomarez2223]

This series has definitely made me rethink getting a tall lightweight hard shell camper. The aero dynamics of a pop up is what I will need for my Lariat! Thank you for doing this journey. I have learned a lot.

[@mariomarez2223]

@@Jbs6187 No, I got it for commuting to work until I retire next year, fixing up my home, charging my home when it needs it. Camping is mostly done in my Bronco. I live in the County. Camper was an afterthought.

[@tazeat]

When it comes to range... Aero aero aero.

[@phatmeow7764]

EVs are fine if and only if the charging network that supports then is within reasonable range i guess is the takeaway? Oh and also working (under load/towing) real range is vastly less than advertised "passengers only" range?

[@getcreative01]

Will you be taking theses trucks to Vegas for the 2022 SEMA show in November?

[@philhyde983]

Wow, another Saturday and another claim of driving "over 3500 miles" from Boulder to Deadhorse. Why am I surprised?

[@larrysmith6797]

TFL has gone from real world testing to high school bullshit jive.

[@herculesinwyoming]

Roman's own words, if we were in a gasoline truck there would have been no drama. Well now I know what truck I want.

[@peiguy1982]

It would have been reasonable up the Alaska highway until Fort St John BC (where I use to live). Then after that the range test would have begun. Too bad you didn't try it guys.

[@MarkPdot]

I live in Palmer, AK and I'd offer power to you just because I can. It's only 30 amp but it's all yours if you need it.

[@ricgal50]

The episode I liked was when you passed a sign that, when I paused the video, said 1 mile to Galbraith.

[@dansanger5340]

How come no sticker for British Columbia? You had to have driven through British Columbia to go from Haines, Alaska to Yukon Territory.

[@joshbrucksch]

Awesome series - thanks guys!

[@tuner066]

This was a great experiment to watch. It has showed me not to buy an EV vehicle. One there to expensive to buy. Two take to long to charge. If I can’t pull up to a charger and be in and out in 5 minutes like I am at a gas pump then that’s not for me. You guys did a great job on this trip. Thank you guys very much.

[@Cloud30000]

If you needed this video series to tell you that EVs take longer than 5 minutes to charge, then this must be your first time hearing about EVs.

[@tuner066]

@@Cloud30000 no this proves what I already know ev’s suck and gas will always rule.

[@Cloud30000]

@@tuner066 “always” is a long time; many horse enthusiasts made that same kind of claim 100 years ago, but were very mistaken.

[@dansanger5340]

One thing you need to understand is that most EV owners do almost all of their charging at home. Some NEVER charge outside their home. When you charge at home, you don't have to wait an hour to charge, or 5 minutes to charge. You don't have to wait at all. You just plug it in at night, and in the morning you have a full tank of electrons. That's quicker and more convenient than gas.

[@wb5mgr]

Also, I believe that as more of these vehicles hit the road less and less folks Will be willing to just let you charge off of their house or barn for free. Right now people are willing to help you out because of the novelty of the EV but once they realize everybody is just leeching off them they’ll be like go find something somewhere else. The campgrounds are already figuring that out and starting to charge for it. Also I can only imagine trying to evacuate from a natural disaster in an EV. Seeing them abandoned everywhere on the side of the road.

[@JAMESWUERTELE]

You nailed the same thoughts in my head! Nope, nope, and nope.

[@somebodymcperson]

You guys are crazy I would have at least had solar panels covering the topper as a last resort charger. Good stuff though 👍

[@drew-hb1mz]

This was a 10/10 series

[@machfive916]

Love this video series. One of my absolute favorites. Is there a link to a TFL video that introduces David or gives his bio?

[@LosPeregrinosdeCamino]

The driving is better than the singing… but this is cool.. thanks fellas

[@fredhinck9685]

Your comment of " Wouldn't have prove anything" is incorrect. It would prove that EV's aren't feasible away from urban areas. No charger, no travel. You didn't drive from Colorado to Alaska. How many miles were on the ferry?

[@CommonSense823]

How many gallons of diesel were burned to ship the Lightning to Alaska from Washington? How much did that ferry ride cost?

[@risby1930]

Enjoyed your trip, but I already spend too much time in a car or truck for my business. I can't imagine trying to arrange meeting customers etc. and then worrying about trying to charge the thing up to get home. I often put 3 to 4 hundred miles on my car or truck a day. They are just are not there yet and my accountant would have a stroke if I told him, instead of those 2 base model F150's, I'm buy two Lightning trucks.

[@codycoquat5953]

Appreciate videos like this that don't just gloss over the real, and many times obvious shortcomings of EVs. One thing I don't think that is discussed enough is the expensive pricing schemes associated with many fast charging systems. If gas stations priced gasoline the way fast charging companies charge for electricity, they'd be accused of price gouging.

[@jaketallorlin223]

Difference is that most ev owners charge at home. Supply/demand. Relatively small amount of ev vehicles on the road, small number of chargers, high cost.

[@codycoquat5953]

@@jaketallorlin223 Yes, that works for people with a garage, but if EVs are going to be forced on the larger buying public via regulation, the rest of the driving population needs to be considered. I've been a phev owner for 10 years and have experienced the inability to charge at home when living in apartment buildings and condos, and that was in the ev friendly DC area. Every time I used a public charging station (not a fast charging station) I experienced the price gouging.

[@jaketallorlin223]

@@codycoquat5953 just because it's expensive for you doesn't mean it price gouging. Take a loan out and install a charger by you at a lower price and make a profit if you think so.

[@codycoquat5953]

@@jaketallorlin223 charging many times more than the price per kilowatt hour is price gouging. Also, you missed the point...many living situations don't allow individuals to install a home charging. Can't really do that in an apartment building garage, at a condo with communal parking, or if you have streetside parking only. Your response is very similar to what I get when pointing out disadvantages. I share experience based on 10 years of ownership and I get replies from people who have very strong feelings and opinions about EVs but never seem to base them on their ownership experience....almost like they've never owned one.

[@996driver1]

Way to go guys! Cool adventure except maybe for the We Are The Champions singing

[@psikot]

The generator at those other places were already there. Cheating means you don't need support. Try the Darien Gap in a gas truck.

[@slmjake]

Big fan of TFL! But I find the out of sequence videos for the Alaska trip disjointed thus not watching as much as I should