Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology - July 2021
Lightning bolt
2021-07-23 05:30:31
The F-150 is already North America’s best-selling vehicle. Now powered by an electric powertrain Ford believes it has the ability to overhaul people’s perception of battery power WORDS: JOHN CHALLEN
In 2019, Ford sold nearly 900,000 F-Series trucks in North America – nearly two-thirds more than the industry as a whole managed when it came to electric vehicles (331,000). Vehicle sales might have been down overall during the pandemic-affected totals for 2020, but those initial numbers illustrate that battery-powered transportation has some way to go.
Undeterred, Ford believes that the introduction of an all-electric F-150 – dubbed Lightning – will change the perception of battery-powered vehicles in the region. It’s part of a carefully orchestrated plan that has seen Ford jump firmly on the EV bandwagon.
“About three and a half years ago we decided to change the company’s strategy and electrify our icons,” explains Darren Palmer, general manager of Ford battery electric vehicles. “We have the best-selling sports car [Mustang], commercial vehicle [Transit] and truck [F-150], so why would we not lean on them? But they also have to do things that gas vehicles never did, because that’s what will get people interested.”
In the case of the other Mustang and Transit, it’s an approach that has paid dividends already. Palmer reveals that for the Mustang Mach-E, 70% of buyers have never owned a Ford – and 90% of those customers have chosen the highest-spec vehicle. Meanwhile, Transit has been well-received by businesses all around the world, proving that delivery vehicles and battery power is an efficient combination. Ford has also confirmed that Explorer will be the next icon in the range to undergo electrification.
Much of the new F-150 truck has been carried over from the standard version – allowing the US$40k Lightning to be cheaper than the equivalent ICE version, when factoring in EV tax incentives. But the bottom half of the truck is all new. There’s independent suspension front and back – double wishbones with coil-over shocks and semi-trailing arms with coil springs respectively, for example.
The F-150 Lightning is also the first vehicle to be built on Ford’s new dedicated EV platform. The skateboard chassis features a new frame, which positions the battery pack between the rails, extending to between the front and rear motors. A waterproof casing and metal skid plates are designed to protect the battery.
Power details for the battery and electric motors have not yet been revealed by Ford, but the core technology is based on that seen in the Transit. Therefore there are lithium-ion batteries, with high-energy density cells using a nickel-manganese-cobalt cathode chemistry with low cobalt loading. “We haven’t shared details about the size and power information because this truck is so big and important that it will pull a lot of people in from gasoline trucks,” says Palmer. “Some early adopters are obsessed with every number in kilowatts, which scares people off. So, we’re focusing on what Lightning can do for customers, such as a targeted 300-mile range and the ability to power your home for three days.”
There are two battery options: standard range and extended range. Using a 150kW charger (included with the truck), its charge goes from 15% to 80% in 44 minutes (standard) and 41 minutes (extended). With a 50kW setup, it’s 91 minutes and 122 minutes respectively.
Palmer says competitive charging times are critical, but the most important element that the engineering team wanted to nail was range accuracy. He acknowledges this is quite rare in the BEV world. “Our system measures the energy that you use when driving the car and adjusts the range accordingly,” he explains. “Each driver has their own profile, according to how they use the vehicle.”
It’s a similar system to that seen on the Mustang Mach-E, but F-150 Lightning takes it to the next level.
“It has an onboard scale and profiles for trailers, detailing the dimensions and also whether the trailer has electric or friction push brakes,” reveals Palmer. “Then the system updates the range for those specific details. It is also dependent on the type of trailer attached – whether it has advanced brakes or not.
“We also have ‘Intelligent Range’, which looks at factors such as wind direction and topography and potential traffic jams.”
The system cuts the journey up into segments – allowing for increased power needed for hills – so that the range stays constant because the truck already anticipated it would need more power. “If we keep changing the range around, it stresses the customer out,” reasons Palmer. “So whatever range you see, you can rely on that.”
Get the frunk out
One of the most talked-about elements of the Lightning is the front trunk (frunk) and how Ford has repurposed the space left by the elimination of the internal combustion engine.
“Early on in the development process we asked customers if Lightning should be a radical design,” recalls Palmer. “While they wanted the EV to be different, they didn’t want big changes just for the sake of it.” The development team decided to go with closed, lockable storage, something that the F-150 doesn’t have. “People wanted it to be like an SUV – the most amount of space, regardless of the shape,” he says. “Now it means they can fit irregular things in there, like two golf bags, which are difficult to get in, as well as other long objects.” In total, the powered frunk offers 2.4kW of power and the ability to hold up to 400lb.
With tens of thousands of orders already, the Blue Oval clearly knows the value of the product. “We’re not here to make cars for the one percent, we’re here to do it for everyone,” says Palmer. “Nor are we here to build a couple of trucks; we’re investing in plants to massively increase battery capacity to meet demand.
“We think what might happen is that F-150 Lightning gets everyone’s attention – and we’ve removed the price barrier to an EV. It’s a turning point in our history.”
“We’ve removed the price barrier to an EV. It’s a turning point in our history”
Darren Palmer, general manager, Ford battery electric vehicles,
COMMUNITY CHARGE
Away from the actual driving experience, F-150 comes into its own as a community resource, thanks to the integration of bidirectional power. In the event of a power outage Lightning has the ability to offload 9.6kW to help power appliances and security systems in the home. Based on the average daily use of 30kWh, an F-150 Lightning fitted with an extended range battery will be able to fully power a home for up to three days or up to 10 days, if used conservatively.
The system will also able – at a later date – to undertake home energy management. “That means it will take power when it’s cheap and give back power when it’s expensive,” Ford’s Darren Palmer explains. “This is very relevant for the industry. We’re working on it, but not announcing anything more yet.”
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Lightning bolt
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