Ford F150 Lightnings: Putting them Through the Paces Across VEC Territory

Last year VEC purchased four all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks to join our fleet. Three of those trucks have been deployed to VEC Utility Designers who work with members to get power to their properties, upgrade service, and more. The objective is to pilot electric vehicles under actual working conditions in the field, and to learn first-hand the benefits and drawbacks of this technology. At the end of the year, VEC will be analyzing our experience with these trucks. Here, two utility designers and a member of VEC's human resources team share their experience with the trucks, both working in the field and as transportation among districts and events.

“This Truck Doesn't Get Special Treatment Just Because it's Electric”

Bill Johnson, Utility Designer

I use this truck daily for site visits to members, storm restoration, any type of f ield visit – anything from pole replacements, member visits, solar installations, etc. Some of the things I like about the EV – all the systems are independent, not reliant on an internal combustion engine. Heating and cooling, for example is not connected to an engine, so there is no waiting for 2, 3 or 4 minutes for the truck to heat up or cool down.

And the “frunk” is useful. We carry a lot of gear with us – change of clothes, boots, rain gear, winter gear. This is a good place to keep that gear, dry and out of the way. In summertime, I’m finding it has good range in the battery. In winter, the battery depletes to about 150-170 miles range. That can lead to challenges when access to charging it not available, especially rapid charging.

Currently in Vermont, the availability of Level 3 fast charging is fairly limited, especially across a lot of our rural territory. Some final thoughts . . . drivability is actually very similar to any other vehicle. I thought it would drive differently but it doesn’t. The biggest difference is that you no longer hear an engine transmission working as you are accelerating. It’s linear. It’s very smooth. Another thought: I use this vehicle the same way as I would use any other vehicle for the work I do. It doesn’t get special treatment because it’s electric. It goes onto corn fields, it goes onto construction sites, gravel roads, dirt, or mud, it does just as good as any other vehicle I’ve ever driven. Overall, I’m satisfied with the truck. They are good vehicles. 

“It Made Me Think about Getting a Truck”

Norka Chamorro, VEC Senior Human Resources Generalist

It made me think about getting a truck, honestly. It was really comfortable and smooth. It was easy to maneuver. And when you accelerate, it really moves. It wasn’t complicated to drive – it was very similar to other vehicles. Even though with the driving distances I was traveling I did not need to charge it up, I plugged it in anyway, to top it off. Plugging it in was really straightforward. The truck worked great for my purposes. Quick advice – before you head out, get familiar with controls, like the windshield wipers for example. It’s Vermont – you never know what you are going to get, weather-wise.

“It’s Been a Great Truck for my Day-to-Day Use”

Jordan Doyon, Utility Designer

I’ve been piloting the Lightning since last December. I use it for my day-today, in the Chittenden County area mostly. I’ve used it in a variety weather and road conditions. So far, it’s been a great truck. The truck has a “frunk” which I think is a great use of space. I can store our outdoor work equipment, fuses, and tools in a dry confined space. This I find very useful, it’s a great use of space and has plugs and lighting in here. The charging issue can be a little bit of a downside in a storm situation. Running the roads over a full day during restoration, we can use a lot of battery. The key is to be sure it’s charged in the morning, but also pre-routing out where the charging locations will be where you will be working, in case you need to make a stop to charge up. In a recent three-to-four-day storm, it worked out ok, though. I only had to charge a couple of times throughout the storm. So far, this has been a great truck for my day-to-day use.