What one thing would you like to see changed from concept to production?

[SpaceEVDriver]

I like how Tesla does it, vehicle wakes up when I open the door but isn't ready to drive. Once I put my foot on the brake then I can put it into gear and start driving. Once I put it in park that stops the driving mode and then when I get out it will auto turn off. I also have a setting to leave it unlocked at home since it's in my garage and it still powers off just fine (and I can manually lock it through the app if needed).

At my property, I spend many weekends using the truck for work. I often have to drive a few feet, stop the truck, get out, use the bed power outlets for five minutes to drive a fence post (or do something else), get back in, drive the truck for a few feet, stop, get out, etc., etc., etc.

If the vehicle were power cycling every time I got in and out, I’d give it back and get something else. I don’t want to fight with the vehicle, I just want it to do what I—not what someone far away who has never tested my use-case—tell it to do.

I also don’t want to leave the key in the vehicle because I don’t trust my ADHD to remember that the vehicle is both on and drivable because I forgot the key is in the console because I had to trick the vehicle into thinking I was still there. When I get out of the Lightning with the key in my pocket, it flashes a warning that the key isn’t detected. It leaves the truck powered up but not drivable. So I can still use the bed outlets, but if I get distracted and leave the truck to work on something else for a few minutes or an hour, it’s not drivable.

 

[chucchinchilla]

Kinda tough though with battery packs and a generator engine. Gonna be very tight

Actually had that in mind when I posted but just made a quick post instead and didn't go into those details. I agree, if there's enough space for an engine there's enough space for a spare, but not both. IMO here are the options

1. BEV:
   1. Spare tire under cargo floor where Harvester would have been. (my choice)
   2. Option to skip 1.1 and go for tire carrier.
2. Harvester: No spare tire under floor, have to opt for external tire carrier.
3. Tire carrier:
   1. Official Scout carrier that I would hope is easily removeable because I don't want/need to be carrying around that thing all the time.
   2. Aftermarket via tow hitch
4. No spare tire: Customers who do this are asking for a bad time.

 

[cyure]

Actually had that in mind when I posted but just made a quick post instead and didn't go into those details. I agree, if there's enough space for an engine there's enough space for a spare, but not both. IMO here are the options

1. BEV:
   1. Spare tire under cargo floor where Harvester would have been. (my choice)
   2. Option to skip 1.1 and go for tire carrier.
2. Harvester: No spare tire under floor, have to opt for external tire carrier.
3. Tire carrier:
   1. Official Scout carrier that I would hope is easily removeable because I don't want/need to be carrying around that thing all the time.
   2. Aftermarket via tow hitch
4. No spare tire: Customers who do this are asking for a bad time.

I have a question. I love that tire carrier and planning on mine staying on, but for the owners that want to remove it how do you envision that happening? Even a 33” tire is a big tire. So you aren’t just removing the “tire carrier”. It’s a large, heavy wheel and tire with a large heavy tire carrier that need to be removed. Even if they somehow make it “easy”
I still see that being a process just by the size and weight of the thing.

 

[chucchinchilla]

I would agree but the Lexus GX’s I looked at Sunday had plastic bumper cover and it did t look like a pop off cover but I could be wrong. Needless to say it surprised me seeing it that way

Just looked the GX550 up and yeah theirs doesn't look very pretty. Rivian seems to have that one covered a bit better in the form of a flush removeable panel.

 

[6-ScoutFamily]

That's fine, but I wouldn't want a car that doesn't have a positive-action start. I can imagine a dozen or a thousand different ways for that to fail with disastrous results.

Agreed! “Engines to power, turbines to speed”…

 

[nolen]

Agreed! “Engines to power, turbines to speed”…

Voice command: “Engage” or “Full ahead, Mr. Sulu”

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Voice command: “Engage” or “Full ahead, Mr. Sulu”

Proceed with voice print identification.

 

[cyure]

Voice command: “Engage” or “Full ahead, Mr. Sulu”

Okay understand with my question that I have never driven an EV. My Wrangler still has a key key. I drive our Supra and it is basically a Z4 inside. So start stop button. The Supra has a little light on the dash where it either says ready or off because literally it’s difficult to tell if it’s on because it has that stupid feature where the engine shuts off at stoplights. I just put it in sport mode all the time so it turns that feature off.

Anyway, is there a way I could walk away from an EV and I have left the car “on” without realizing it?

 

[chucchinchilla]

Okay understand with my question that I have never driven an EV. My Wrangler still has a key key. I drive our Supra and it is basically a Z4 inside. So start stop button. The Supra has a little light on the dash where it either says ready or off because literally it’s difficult to tell if it’s on because it has that stupid feature where the engine shuts off at stoplights. I just put it in sport mode all the time so it turns that feature off.

Anyway, is there a way I could walk away from an EV and I have left the car “on” without realizing it?

On our ID.4, the "ignition" turns on when you sit in the drivers seat and the car "fires up" when you touch the brake pedal. When you're done driving, putting it in park "kills the engine" and getting off of the drivers seat turns the car off automatically. If you want to force the car ignition to stay on there's a start/stop button on the steering column however it'll time out and automatically shut off after 30m.

Edit: Posting the ID.4 start/stop button because they clearly used a standard part from a gas car...aka one with an engine.

 

[J Alynn]

I don't want programmers in some office in SC or SFO to be guessing my intentions. Give me an action to indicate my intentions. Sitting in the seat with my key in the car isn't enough to indicate that I want the vehicle to go into driveability mode.

Agree with this. Realizing button may not be necessary it offers peace of mind and for non EV drivers converting to a new way of driving the push button is a recognizable comfort item and since already shown with it why not let it there. Offer an app based setting to convert to the no touch start for people not wanting the button. I have a start with my hybrid and I don’t hear or feel car start up after I push it which is still something question regularly so not even having that action I’d worry there would be times I’d park and open the door forgetting it was still running

 

[J Alynn]

On our ID.4, the "ignition" turns on when you sit in the drivers seat and the car "fires up" when you touch the brake pedal. When you're done driving, putting it in park "kills the engine" and getting off of the drivers seat turns the car off automatically. If you want to force the car ignition to stay on there's a start/stop button on the steering column however it'll time out and automatically shut off after 30m.

Edit: Posting the ID.4 start/stop button because they clearly used a standard part from a gas car...aka one with an engine.
View attachment 8216

That begs the question, compared to the VW ID. So you are rock crawling and throw it in park to lean out the door and looks a nasty chunk of rock. Just like my riding mower I lean to far and well that shifts the seat senses that and shuts off the car. I could see that system on a commuter car but something designed for odd roading there are times you need to shift, lean out, sorta stand up to look over hood and now the engine shuts off. I still say a push of a button to start is 1/2 a second effort that ultimately helps comfort new buyers not use to hands free EV vehicles. And SM is still promoting buttons, switches and manual/physical touch points

 

[chucchinchilla]

That begs the question, compared to the VW ID. So you are rock crawling and throw it in park to lean out the door and looks a nasty chunk of rock. Just like my riding mower I lean to far and well that shifts the seat senses that and shuts off the car. I could see that system on a commuter car but something designed for odd roading there are times you need to shift, lean out, sorta stand up to look over hood and now the engine shuts off. I still say a push of a button to start is 1/2 a second effort that ultimately helps comfort new buyers not use to hands free EV vehicles. And SM is still promoting buttons, switches and manual/physical touch points

Even on a street car it can be frustrating, say you're parking in a tight spot and lean over/back to get a better view (so butt off seat) and bam it throws it into park. Of course that's probably when the car is going 1mph or less, it's not going to shut off if you shift in your seat while driving down the highway. So yeah, this wouldn't work doing any kind of real off-roading unless you could disable the feature in a menu somewhere.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Agree with this. Realizing button may not be necessary it offers peace of mind and for non RV drivers converting to a new way of driving the push button is a recognizable comfort item and since already shown with it why not let it there. Offer an app based setting to convert to the no touch start for people not wanting the button. I have a start with my hybrid and I don’t hear or feel car start up after I push it which is still something question regularly so not even having that action I’d worry there would be times I’d park and open the door forgetting it was still running

The EVs without a start/stop button would likely shut off when the seat pressure sensor disengages.
I might not want the vehicle to shut off when I get off the seat or get out of the vehicle, for many reasons.
And I might not want the vehicle to shift to “ready mode” when I sit in the seat.

It’s presuming too much to assume that I want to drive if I sit in the car with the key in my purse or pocket.

 

[J Alynn]

Even on a street car it can be frustrating, say you're parking in a tight spot and lean over/back to get a better view (so butt off seat) and bam it throws it into park. Of course that's probably when the car is going 1mph or less, it's not going to shut off if you shift in your seat while driving down the highway. So yeah, this wouldn't work doing any kind of real off-roading unless you could disable the feature in a menu somewhere.

Wow. Didn’t think about when parking. Guessing that can be annoying sometimes

 

[R1TVT]

I don't want programmers in some office in SC or SFO to be guessing my intentions. Give me an action to indicate my intentions. Sitting in the seat with my key in the car isn't enough to indicate that I want the vehicle to go into driveability mode.

I totally get the sentiment. I think the difference in my R1T is that there isn't any difference if your sitting, or if you want to drive. You can just "go" when you put the truck in Drive, or you can just sit in the truck in park. Your intentions are made when you place the truck in Drive.

If you want to reduce lights or open doors or do anything else while parked you can do that. Its putting the truck in Drive that sets the intention once you are in.

If you walk away, it locks.

If you leave your "key" inside (normally my phone), it stays open.

Its all very thoughtfully designed IMHO.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I totally get the sentiment. I think the difference in my R1T is that there isn't any difference if your sitting, or if you want to drive. You can just "go" when you put the truck in Drive, or you can just sit in the truck in park. Your intentions are made when you place the truck in Drive.

If you want to reduce lights or open doors or do anything else while parked you can do that. Its putting the truck in Drive that sets the intention once you are in.

If you walk away, it locks.

If you leave your "key" inside (normally my phone), it stays open.

Its all very thoughtfully designed IMHO.

I don’t want it to lock when I walk away while I’m using it to work, though. I want to be able to go, grab a fence post, come back, set the jackhammer, drive it into the ground, go set another fence post 20 feet away, drive it, etc. And I want to bring my phone with me so I can listen to my audiobook. And I don’t want to deal with waiting for the truck to power cycle each time I need to move it.

Or I want to operate a water pump or a power washer on an extension cord 50 feet from the truck without worrying about it shutting off, locking, and disabling the power in the bed.

There are dozens of scenarios where I want to have my phone/key with me away from the truck and still want the truck to stay on, and the outlets to remain powered.

 

[Chaz26]

Never been in a Tesla. Do they have Lock/unlock buttons on the inside door panel as well?

There is a lock/unlock button on the main screen. If the doors are locked when you're in it and someone tries to get in it also makes a bigger pop up you can just press to open (assuming you want them to open the door).

 

[Chaz26]

I don’t want it to lock when I walk away while I’m using it to work, though. I want to be able to go, grab a fence post, come back, set the jackhammer, drive it into the ground, go set another fence post 20 feet away, drive it, etc. And I want to bring my phone with me so I can listen to my audiobook. And I don’t want to deal with waiting for the truck to power cycle each time I need to move it.

Or I want to operate a water pump or a power washer on an extension cord 50 feet from the truck without worrying about it shutting off, locking, and disabling the power in the bed.

There are dozens of scenarios where I want to have my phone/key with me away from the truck and still want the truck to stay on, and the outlets to remain powered.

I know on mine you can change the setting for walk away door lock so you can leave it open easily. You can also leave it running, including having the outlets for power/phone charging turned on when you're away from the vehicle (obviously mine isn't a truck so doesn't have full power outlets but assume it would work the same if it did) if you want.

 

[dreamweaver]

At my property, I spend many weekends using the truck for work. I often have to drive a few feet, stop the truck, get out, use the bed power outlets for five minutes to drive a fence post (or do something else), get back in, drive the truck for a few feet, stop, get out, etc., etc., etc.

If the vehicle were power cycling every time I got in and out, I’d give it back and get something else. I don’t want to fight with the vehicle, I just want it to do what I—not what someone far away who has never tested my use-case—tell it to do.

I also don’t want to leave the key in the vehicle because I don’t trust my ADHD to remember that the vehicle is both on and drivable because I forgot the key is in the console because I had to trick the vehicle into thinking I was still there. When I get out of the Lightning with the key in my pocket, it flashes a warning that the key isn’t detected. It leaves the truck powered up but not drivable. So I can still use the bed outlets, but if I get distracted and leave the truck to work on something else for a few minutes or an hour, it’s not drivable.

I was looking through F150 Lightning interior photos and I didn't see a Start/Stop button. Does it have one?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I was looking through F150 Lightning interior photos and I didn't see a Start/Stop button. Does it have one?

Yes. It’s on the dash behind the steering wheel. It’s difficult to see when looking straight-on.