What's it like to take a road trip in a truck like the Terra (F-150 Lightning)?

[SpaceEVDriver]

Does the lightning show an estimated range continuously or is there a point where it decides you don’t need that information and just tells you to charge soon?

All the way down to 0%.

I only have at ready-access to a photo with 6%, though.

The Mustang too.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Does the lightning show an estimated range continuously or is there a point where it decides you don’t need that information and just tells you to charge soon?

It also gives warnings.
The range at which the warnings start popping up is user-configurable.

 

[RodorW]

All the way down to 0%.

I only have at ready-access to a photo with 6%, though.

View attachment 12496

The Mustang too.

View attachment 12495

Thank you for the info! I hope scout goes this route. My Bolt just says “low” at 10%, I’ve only driven the bolt and probably about 20 different Rivian EDVs but the bolt is the only one that does that and it’s really annoying to lose that estimation

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Thank you for the info! I hope scout goes this route. My Bolt just says “low” at 10%, I’ve only driven the bolt and probably about 20 different Rivian EDVs but the bolt is the only one that does that and it’s really annoying to lose that estimation

I understand why they might choose to only say, “low,” but I agree with you that I’d prefer an estimate. Maybe in the first three months of driving it I wouldn’t quite know what “5 miles” means when the battery is very low, but eventually I would get to understand the ballpark accuracy of the range estimate and be able to use it to my advantage.

 

[J Alynn]

Yeah, I get it.

I mean, you know I wouldn’t hesitate to take an 800 mile trip (obviously). But I also think it’s entirely sensible to do some practice runs. Maybe even get a hotel in Chicago with an L2 charger so you can practice that part too.

The worst thing would be to get home from picking up your Scout feeling resentful and unhappy with that first experience all because you didn’t take a few trips in an EV before then to get a sense of how to take a long road trip.

If you do decide to rent an EV and stay overnight, you’ll want to consider several more things. Let us know if you decide to do it and those of us with experience can chime in on what you might want to consider.

Awesome idea

 

[maynard]

Thank you for the info! I hope scout goes this route. My Bolt just says “low” at 10%, I’ve only driven the bolt and probably about 20 different Rivian EDVs but the bolt is the only one that does that and it’s really annoying to lose that estimation

My ELR (Volt) used to do the same thing - 10% then low...

 

[cyure]

My ELR (Volt) used to do the same thing - 10% then low...

I would not like that. I want to see the number.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Thank you for the info! I hope scout goes this route. My Bolt just says “low” at 10%, I’ve only driven the bolt and probably about 20 different Rivian EDVs but the bolt is the only one that does that and it’s really annoying to lose that estimation

One thing I really like about the Bolt (maybe other GM EVs too?) is that they provide an upper, middle, and lower estimate for the range instead of a single number.

 

[cyure]

One thing I really like about the Bolt (maybe other GM EVs too?) is that they provide an upper, middle, and lower estimate for the range instead of a single number.

So with time do you just know which one to go with?

 

[Chaz26]

I never have the range in miles displayed on mine, only the battery percentage. I find miles of range changes so much based on driving, I prefer to just see the percentage and I can figure out in my head when/if I'll need to charge based on that.

 

[apex96]

One thing I really like about the Bolt (maybe other GM EVs too?) is that they provide an upper, middle, and lower estimate for the range instead of a single number.

Hyundai/Kia does this. Can't say I've seen this in the Equinox... I'll look this evening to see if there's a display that shows these estimates.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

So with time do you just know which one to go with?

I've only driven a family member's Bolt a few times and never far enough to gauge the best way to use their estimates.

But my guess is you will tend to stick with the middle and use the lower as a "normal worst case." That is, if the little things that reduce efficiency all added up, you'd probably get the lower estimate. But if something really unusual happened (sudden cold, high winds, rain, etc), then you might not achieve the lower estimate you had before that came up. They're dynamic, so that lower estimate would update after a time.

 

[cyure]

I've only driven a family member's Bolt a few times and never far enough to gauge the best way to use their estimates.

But my guess is you will tend to stick with the middle and use the lower as a "normal worst case." That is, if the little things that reduce efficiency all added up, you'd probably get the lower estimate. But if something really unusual happened (sudden cold, high winds, rain, etc), then you might not achieve the lower estimate you had before that came up. They're dynamic, so that lower estimate would update after a time.

Honestly my ICE vehicle changes range too I just never think about it. Most of my driving is city. So 13 to 14 MPG. Then when we go on the freeway I can see mpg slowly ticking up and it usually tops out around 17. I don’t know why an EV doing the same thing seems so unsettling. It’s really the same.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Honestly my ICE vehicle changes range too I just never think about it. Most of my driving is city. So 13 to 14 MPG. Then when we go on the freeway I can see mpg slowly ticking up and it usually tops out around 17. I don’t know why an EV doing the same thing seems so unsettling. It’s really the same.

It's exactly the same, including the inaccuracy and inability to read your mind and predict with perfect confidence your true range.

But we've been conditioned to be anxious of EV range. So seeing the estimate on the display reinforces that anxiety.

 

[cyure]

It's exactly the same, including the inaccuracy and inability to read your mind and predict with perfect confidence your true range.

But we've been conditioned to be anxious of EV range. So seeing the estimate on the display reinforces that anxiety.

If people in Norway with their weather can be all in on EVs so can I.

 

[Chaz26]

It's exactly the same, including the inaccuracy and inability to read your mind and predict with perfect confidence your true range.

But we've been conditioned to be anxious of EV range. So seeing the estimate on the display reinforces that anxiety.

I've noticed this on my wife's Kia Telluride, depending on how we've been driving, sometimes I fill up and it says the range is 415 miles, other times it's around 375 miles. We just fill when it's getting low, but when EVs do the same thing a lot of people comment on that or get worried about the range always changing.

 

[RodorW]

So with time do you just know which one to go with?

So on Christmas Eve I left home with 250 miles of range, with positive driving I could get 280, while negative was 220, roughly 30 miles either way from the predicted number, with roads like my trip was consistent with (a mix of positive and negative) the 250 was spot on, but if you’re doing the interstate the entire way at 68+ plan to stop and charge that 30 miles earlier, if that makes sense, however the middle number has been correct 98% of the time, unless the weather snaps and the range needs to adjust over the first 5 or so miles

Edit: I found a good image of the gauge cluster with max and min so you can see the difference in estimated ranges

 

[RodorW]

Hyundai/Kia does this. Can't say I've seen this in the Equinox... I'll look this evening to see if there's a display that shows these estimates.

In the bolt you have to set the cluster to “advanced” but It’s from an interior before the newer EVs

 

[dreamweaver]

So on Christmas Eve I left home with 250 miles of range, with positive driving I could get 280, while negative was 220, roughly 30 miles either way from the predicted number, with roads like my trip was consistent with (a mix of positive and negative) the 250 was spot on, but if you’re doing the interstate the entire way at 68+ plan to stop and charge that 30 miles earlier, if that makes sense, however the middle number has been correct 98% of the time, unless the weather snaps and the range needs to adjust over the first 5 or so miles

Edit: I found a good image of the gauge cluster with max and min so you can see the difference in estimated ranges
View attachment 12500

Thant's cool.

 

[apex96]

So on Christmas Eve I left home with 250 miles of range, with positive driving I could get 280, while negative was 220, roughly 30 miles either way from the predicted number, with roads like my trip was consistent with (a mix of positive and negative) the 250 was spot on, but if you’re doing the interstate the entire way at 68+ plan to stop and charge that 30 miles earlier, if that makes sense, however the middle number has been correct 98% of the time, unless the weather snaps and the range needs to adjust over the first 5 or so miles

Edit: I found a good image of the gauge cluster with max and min so you can see the difference in estimated ranges
View attachment 12500

Unfortunately I checked and this is no longer offered on 2024+ Ultium vehicles. The new 2027 Bolt will use GMs current driver information center (DIC) as well and will not have the max min and median range estimates as part of the DIC