The Automobile Thread

I leased the Ford Focus for 3 years. It was all electric, but essentially a compliance car for Ford. With no down payment or drive-off fees, I leased it for under $200 a month, which is close to what I was paying monthly for gas in my truck. I also got a state rebate which paid for most of the first year of payments. It only had a 120 mile range, but was great for around town driving, getting to the trailhead, and using the carpool lane for short highway drives. The battery didn't have too much degradation over 3 years, but when I turned on the a/c or heated seats it really hurt mileage. I would think that towing with the F-150 would not be good for the range. I planned to lease a Tesla, but was not impressed with their customer service so went a different route. I do like electric vehicles and love seeing all the new options--especially the ones under 100k!
 
Titus said:
I leased the Ford Focus for 3 years. It was all electric, but essentially a compliance car for Ford. With no down payment or drive-off fees, I leased it for under $200 a month, which is close to what I was paying monthly for gas in my truck. I also got a state rebate which paid for most of the first year of payments. It only had a 120 mile range, but was great for around town driving, getting to the trailhead, and using the carpool lane for short highway drives. The battery didn't have too much degradation over 3 years, but when I turned on the a/c or heated seats it really hurt mileage. I would think that towing with the F-150 would not be good for the range. I planned to lease a Tesla, but was not impressed with their customer service so went a different route. I do like electric vehicles and love seeing all the new options--especially the ones under 100k!
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That’s good to know. The Fusion’s battery has been cycled from full to empty most every day for 8 years, so it’s lived a hard life. My bolt usually goes from 90% to 40% every other day or so. A much easier lifestyle if you’re a lithium ion battery...

when I was shopping for the Fusion, the Focus’ range was shorter than my commute. I would have been at the mercy of the chargers at work being available. My goodness how far these machines have come.
 
mtnbikej said:
So Ford has dropped the new all electric Lightning.....thoughts?
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I think they are focusing on some very interesting features in a good way. For example, Tesla keeps focusing on acceleration performance and top speed, while Ford is focusing on utility - which I think for a pickup is smart. Note what they say about the frunk. Because there is no big gas engine, you have a trunk in front - and they are loading it up with electrical plugs so that you can pull into a job site (or camp site) and plug your electrical tools, or cordless battery chargers, or lights, or whatever into it. If you go camping you could literally plug a fridge into it. They say in the event of a power loss event (like hurricane or earthquake) you can run a normal house off your truck for 3 days... or up to a week if you just use lights.

Cleverly designed with bumper-height clearance, this water-resistant space comes equipped with four electrical outlets, two USB chargers and a drainable floor that can double as a food and beverage container. It can easily power a mobile work site or an epic tailgate. With 2.4 kilowatts of power, there’s enough capability to plug in power tools, TVs, laptops, speakers, crockpots and more.

And because Ford hasn't used up their electric vehicle credits, you get a $7500 tax credit from the Feds. Not sure about the incentives at the state level and whether you still get California carpool lane access. $7500 off a $100K car isn't that significant. But $7500 off a pickup that starts at $40K is huge.

I think they have a winner on their hands... the biggest downside being the 230 mile range, which probably means the "operational range" is more like 150-180 if you drive fast, or in hot or cold weather with the A/C or heater on. With EV's it is best if you don't charge the battery to full every night unless you are planning a cross-country trip and are immediately going to use the charge. That said, pick-ups aren't known for having mega range even in their gas versions.

The other "problem" they have is that they still have to work through their dealer network. So no national pricing... and you still have to go through the craptastic buyer experience, while the dealers will know they have a hot vehicle and will try to screw you every way possible.
 
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The Lightning ticks off a lot of my boxes but I would prefer less performance and more range. My 7.3 F-350 will never set speed records but always gets over 400 miles a tank in city driving unless I'm towing. It is getting close though.

The "Truck Shortage" is getting crazy. We've had three separate encounters at work with guys wanting to buy any of our trucks for cash, while whipping out the cash for emphasis. Feels a little like the toilet paper shortage.
 
OTHRider said:
The Lightning ticks off a lot of my boxes but I would prefer less performance and more range. My 7.3 F-350 will never set speed records but always gets over 400 miles a tank in city driving unless I'm towing. It is getting close though.

The "Truck Shortage" is getting crazy. We've had three separate encounters at work with guys wanting to buy any of our trucks for cash, while whipping out the cash for emphasis. Feels a little like the toilet paper shortage.
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The performance numbers are a side effect of maximizing range. The motors need to be big to maximize regenerative braking on a steep downgrade with a trailer. The fact that it will scream off the line when not loaded is incidental.
 
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Runs with Scissors said:
You are correct. Not a "manual" by definition. But as someone who grew up on clutch pedals in SoCal, I can state with some authority they are overrated here. For everyday driving I have zero use for a manual transmission.

Unless my 2x11 bike transmission counts....:inlove:
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Definitely a matter of opinion. I had 170,000 miles on my Fiesta, and not a day goes by where I don't miss my third pedal. I prefer a manual in traffic. If I could have a manual in my van, I would.



Titus said:
The battery didn't have too much degradation over 3 years
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Friend of mine just got rid of his Leaf after a few years and hated it. Battery degraded like 50%.

BonsaiNut said:
I think they have a winner on their hands... the biggest downside being the 230 mile range, which probably means the "operational range" is more like 150-180 if you drive fast
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I think while a lot of random buyers get range anxiety, most people don't recognize what contractor vehicles do. I RARELY drove my work vehicles farther than 100 miles a day doing HVACR work. Usually leave home, get supplies, go to the job site. Maybe do another supply run and go to another site. Usually close to 80 miles a day. Gas every few days (8 MPG?).


BonsaiNut said:
Age is a state of mind. I'm not old :)
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I'm middle old.
 
Sidewalk said:
Friend of mine just got rid of his Leaf after a few years and hated it. Battery degraded like 50%.


I think while a lot of random buyers get range anxiety, most people don't recognize what contractor vehicles do. I RARELY drove my work vehicles farther than 100 miles a day doing HVACR work. Usually leave home, get supplies, go to the job site. Maybe do another supply run and go to another site. Usually close to 80 miles a day. Gas every few days (8 MPG?).
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No car has done more to turn people off EV than the Leaf. The first affordable EV was a total piece of crap. People look at my Bolt, or the Niro, and they remember their friend’s Leaf that couldn’t get across town and back anymore. Air cooled batteries were the cheap way to go. You can count on Nissan to take the cheap way.

Contractors will end up loving the Lightning. As soon as they forget their friend’s Leaf.
 
My neighbor's Unimog arrived today.
He's going to convert this into an offroad camper.
It's Huge! Never seen one in real life. Looks pretty cool!
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RIGID said:
My neighbor's Unimog arrived today.
He's going to convert this into an offroad camper.
It's Huge! Never seen one in real life. Looks pretty cool!
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Love me a 'mog! NZ army ran these bad boys, they go freaking anywhere. I remember in my younger years cruising up the main highway in NZ through the army training grounds at Waiouru and looking across to see a mog keeping pace with me at 100km/h (60mph). I was on the road, he was bouncing along on a dirt track beside me!
Good choice for a camper if he is considering going a bit further afield than your typical american. Otherwise I'd wonder why he bothered. Offroad campers should be common as muck wherever your planning to spend most of your time so you can get spare parts when the inevitable happens and you break down. Travelling miles around here you need some unrefined Detroit steel.
 
Lost Kiwi said:
Love me a 'mog! NZ army ran these bad boys, they go freaking anywhere. I remember in my younger years cruising up the main highway in NZ through the army training grounds at Waiouru and looking across to see a mog keeping pace with me at 100km/h (60mph). I was on the road, he was bouncing along on a dirt track beside me!
Good choice for a camper if he is considering going a bit further afield than your typical american. Otherwise I'd wonder why he bothered. Offroad campers should be common as muck wherever your planning to spend most of your time so you can get spare parts when the inevitable happens and you break down. Travelling miles around here you need some unrefined Detroit steel.
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You sound just like him so it should fit him well. He and his wife definitely go off-grid deep into the woods in the PNW. I think of it as his "double black diamond". Some take it, other hit the blue line.
 
Runs with Scissors said:
File this under "conspicuous consumption." Right up there with The Who, x10.
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LOL! I would but the dude's a Paramedic with a passion. I saw him go through a lot of crap last year during the peak of the Pandemic and especially the Riots. He either slept in the garage or his 90's Montero in the parking lot on a recycled N95 mask. It'll take quite awhile to convert this beast and I'll gladly give him a hand (I also want a free ride to the PNW).
I'm sure he's thinking the same thing about my bike.
 
RIGID said:
Thank you! We were guessing what it was suppose to say. Best guess was Firestation and the location. Totally off:facepalm:.
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Freiwillig is the same as the English “free will” or volunteer

Feuerwehr is fire department - Germans live to just stick multiple words together.

Waldfeucht literally means “damp forest…”, but I was wrong. You were right… It’s the name of a small town on the border of the Netherlands. Home to all of 8800 people… I wonder what they replaced that beast with.
 
Faust29 said:
On their “former vehicles page”… Looks a little familiar. :thumbsup: The page says that it was in service until 2016.

https://www.feuerwehr-haaren.de/fahrzeuge/ehemalige-fahrzeuge/


Looking at their current vehicles, they have two more. A 1987 model and a 2001 model.
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Awesome little tribute page they have there! I was wondering what the cap in the front bumper was, and presumed it was a winch. Looks like it was a water distribution point that they peeled off it.
 
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