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‘This truck can’t do normal truck things’: YouTube star says towing with Ford’s new electric pickup is a ‘total disaster’...

no, not really and electric trucks probably aren’t ready to tackle that task. However it can haul plenty of shit in the city or for everyday use.

Or for a typical landscape company that doesn't drive >100 miles in a day, just hauling their stuff around to a few job sites...
 
What happens when you show up in a disaster zone let's say after a hurricane that doesn't have electricity with only EV's and battery powered tools?
They make these things called "generators" you can run on fuel.

But, unfortunately, they generally don't have a lot of fuel after hurricanes, either (because the pumps you use to get the fuel aren't working - but you COULD use the EV to power those pumps!!!)
 
Watched it. That dude is on the spectrum, right? Not being snarky, he seems similar to some high functioning autistic folks I know.

Anyway, the point about this being a bad truck for landscapers and contractors is such a “no shit” observation it’s ludicrous. This truck is aimed right at suburban cowboys and folks that “off road” when they tailgate at football games. Or, you know, 90% of pickup truck drivers. 🙄

Hoovie's tag line about his channel is "the dumbest automotive channel on YouTube".

He is a traditionalist at heart. He laments the fact that the types of vehicles that he grew up with - and in repairing basket case examples became rich off the views the videos generated - will be going away in roughly one more generation.

In short, the channel is him buying fixer upper vehicles (vehicles he loves, and famous vehicles) and paying others to do the repairs like us ordinary folks would have to do.

Again, he loves the truck. It's a rocket ship of a truck. He just wishes it was more real world pickup ready is all with regards to range and towing. And keep in mind, in his line of work (buying and selling vehicles), he's often towing vehicles he buys or needs repairing.

His latest video on the Lightning explains what he thinks is wrong with how the truck is being marketed. He considers it more a show truck...good for shredding tires, stoplight showing off, etc. Much like past trucks like the GMC Syclone/Typhoon, the Dodge Ram Viper truck...fast trucks you'd never do traditional pickup things with.
 
They make these things called "generators" you can run on fuel.

But, unfortunately, they generally don't have a lot of fuel after hurricanes, either (because the pumps you use to get the fuel aren't working - but you COULD use the EV to power those pumps!!!)
But we eliminated fossil fuels so we no longer have gas powered generators.
 
Hoovie's tag line about his channel is "the dumbest automotive channel on YouTube".

He is a traditionalist at heart. He laments the fact that the types of vehicles that he grew up with - and in repairing basket case examples became rich off the views the videos generated - will be going away in roughly one more generation.

In short, the channel is him buying fixer upper vehicles (vehicles he loves, and famous vehicles) and paying others to do the repairs like us ordinary folks would have to do.

Again, he loves the truck. It's a rocket ship of a truck. He just wishes it was more real world pickup ready is all with regards to range and towing. And keep in mind, in his line of work (buying and selling vehicles), he's often towing vehicles he buys or needs repairing.

His latest video on the Lightning explains what he thinks is wrong with how the truck is being marketed. He considers it more a show truck...good for shredding tires, stoplight showing off, etc. Much like past trucks like the GMC Syclone/Typhoon, the Dodge Ram Viper truck...fast trucks you'd never do traditional pickup things with.
I watched some of his Bronco vids when I was considering one and I like his channel.

But I really don’t think most people view the Lightning as a work truck or towing vehicle.

It is squarely marketed at suburbanites and eco-conscious folks who still want a giant vehicle.

That’s why I think his criticism is a bit silly.
 
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Hoovie's tag line about his channel is "the dumbest automotive channel on YouTube".

He is a traditionalist at heart. He laments the fact that the types of vehicles that he grew up with - and in repairing basket case examples became rich off the views the videos generated - will be going away in roughly one more generation.

In short, the channel is him buying fixer upper vehicles (vehicles he loves, and famous vehicles) and paying others to do the repairs like us ordinary folks would have to do.

Again, he loves the truck. It's a rocket ship of a truck. He just wishes it was more real world pickup ready is all with regards to range and towing. And keep in mind, in his line of work (buying and selling vehicles), he's often towing vehicles he buys or needs repairing.

His latest video on the Lightning explains what he thinks is wrong with how the truck is being marketed. He considers it more a show truck...good for shredding tires, stoplight showing off, etc. Much like past trucks like the GMC Syclone/Typhoon, the Dodge Ram Viper truck...fast trucks you'd never do traditional pickup things with.
 
But we eliminated fossil fuels so we no longer have gas powered generators.
We still have them. They're called "power plants".

And we'll continue to have them UNTIL we have a widespread enough grid and renewables sources to power it.

Really much like the early days of the gas powered auto, where you didn't have gas stations everywhere - that infrastructure has been built up over many many decades, and you're wanting to compare EV infrastructure to it that we've barely begun building.
 
bag, I have really enjoyed a lot of your posts over the years regarding old school stereos, cars, etc.., but I think your guy is missing it on this truck.

The base model is priced pretty close to the base model ICE model, but will cost dramatically less to operate. In addition to the homeowner with small hauling needs, they are targeting fleet buyers, such as municipalities, road departments, and power companies whose drivers often are just going to sites without much of a cargo load. The daily drive requirements for most of this target is well within the drive and haul capabilities.
I know of cabinet installers and trim carpenters who are drooling about the possibility of the Lightning with it’s small haul capability, multi power outlets, and low cost of operation.
The fact that big time hauling is not practical does not detract from what this truck will do.
 
We still have them. They're called "power plants".

And we'll continue to have them UNTIL we have a widespread enough grid and renewables sources to power it.

Really much like the early days of the gas powered auto, where you didn't have gas stations everywhere - that infrastructure has been built up over many many decades, and you're wanting to compare EV infrastructure to it that we've barely begun building.

For serious off-roaders who want to roam out in the middle of nowhere, range matters. You seriously have to do a lot better than 100 miles on a charge. That's ridiculous.
 
The green energy cult is in such a huff to kill fossil fuels that they haven't thought about adequate replacements for everything we need.

It's almost like the main goal of big green is to kill fossil fuels first then just figure it out after that.
Dunce. You continue that same argument day after day.
 
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For serious off-roaders who want to roam out in the middle of nowhere, range matters. You seriously have to do a lot better than 100 miles on a charge. That's ridiculous.

Do a ton of “off-roading” when you haul your “boat”?
 
Menards is 65 miles away from me. I couldn't drive an empty trailer there and bring back a load for a home improvement project. I absolutely love EVs and the idea of owning one. I couldn't part with my ecodiesel to get one. I pulled a 5000# load on 16" trailer and got 21 MPG at 67 MPH. The standard range Lightning wouldn't have made the trip.

A lightning would do 90% of everything I need it to do. My truck will do 100%.
 
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Menards is 65 miles away from me. I couldn't drive an empty trailer there and bring back a load for a home improvement project. I absolutely love EVs and the idea of owning one. I couldn't part with my ecodiesel to get one. I pulled a 5000# load on 16" trailer and got 21 MPG at 67 MPH. The standard range Lightning wouldn't have made the trip.

A lightning would do 90% of everything I need it to do. My truck will do 100%.
Obviously not the truck for you. Likely neither is an F550. Best to get what you need.
 
I didn’t read or watch what Hoover had to say regarding specifics, but it’s not surprising. Hell, a 2015 Tundra only gets 180 miles a tank hauling an Airstream from Minnesota to Texas. If it were going into the mountains you can bet it would be halved on the way up.
 
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For serious off-roaders who want to roam out in the middle of nowhere, range matters. You seriously have to do a lot better than 100 miles on a charge. That's ridiculous.
Serious off-roaders aren’t driving full size trucks. They’re too wide to be practical.

The rare deep off-road work use case is almost entirely covered by the Power Wagon.
 
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It's fairly unrealistic to expect a car manufacturer to design a new technology to meet the needs of the outlier when it can meet the needs of the vast majority of the market. The technology will improve and if it never meets the need of the outlier, so be it. It's not like on Day 1, the outlier will be prevented from using existing products that satisfies his unique needs.
 
It's fairly unrealistic to expect a car manufacturer to design a new technology to meet the needs of the outlier when it can meet the needs of the vast majority of the market. The technology will improve and if it never meets the need of the outlier, so be it. It's not like on Day 1, the outlier will be prevented from using existing products that satisfies his unique needs.
Game, set, match.
 
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bag, I have really enjoyed a lot of your posts over the years regarding old school stereos, cars, etc.., but I think your guy is missing it on this truck.

The base model is priced pretty close to the base model ICE model, but will cost dramatically less to operate. In addition to the homeowner with small hauling needs, they are targeting fleet buyers, such as municipalities, road departments, and power companies whose drivers often are just going to sites without much of a cargo load. The daily drive requirements for most of this target is well within the drive and haul capabilities.
I know of cabinet installers and trim carpenters who are drooling about the possibility of the Lightning with it’s small haul capability, multi power outlets, and low cost of operation.
The fact that big time hauling is not practical does not detract from what this truck will do.

And I agree 100% on that. This would make a great light duty pickup - a sort of grocery getter/kids to school/picking up some 4x8 sheets at Menards type of pickup (which is probably what 50% of pickup owners actually ONLY do with theirs). Hell, if I could afford ANY new truck this would be a consideration, because the longest I tow anything is roughly 10 miles. I could easily live with what this pickup could do right now.

If I needed a towing vehicle though, something where I'd tow with almost on a daily basis, no.

Was he over the top in his reaction, yes. Hell, it is after all an entertainment derived channel. But I also believe the people deriding the Lightning as a "cannot do a goddam thing" type of pickup are crazy - and those deriding the concept of selling a pickup right now because it cannot do what I'd call "heavy duty use" are nuts.

To me, it is a good start. Every review I've seen on it really like most all the new electric pickups, with the caveat that at the moment, they simply cannot do all the things only a few of the ICE types are required to do.

They'll get there eventually. Give it time. By 2030 my bet is that'll be in place - and you gotta start somewhere. Well, this is the start.

Hoovie himself states, he is stunned at how viral his initial review/test went. I am in that same boat. But I'm not going to bury him because of it.
 
I have an F-150 and it’s fit my needs 100% of the time. The Lightning would probably be 99% of the time. That being said, a Geo Metro would probably fit my needs 95% of the time… I just don’t want to throw an elk or moose on the top of a Geo Metro.
 
I have an F-150 and it’s fit my needs 100% of the time. The Lightning would probably be 99% of the time. That being said, a Geo Metro would probably fit my needs 95% of the time… I just don’t want to throw an elk or moose on the top of a Geo Metro.
That would be a sight to see. I did see a guy in Wisconsin with a buck strapped to the top of Renault LeCar once though.
 
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I’m completely the guy the Lightning is targeted to. And so are 90% of my neighbors. I just don’t trust it because it s a Fix Or Repair Daily. But the vast majority of us don’t care about “derp haulin’ derp.”
 
bag, I have really enjoyed a lot of your posts over the years regarding old school stereos, cars, etc.., but I think your guy is missing it on this truck.

The base model is priced pretty close to the base model ICE model, but will cost dramatically less to operate. In addition to the homeowner with small hauling needs, they are targeting fleet buyers, such as municipalities, road departments, and power companies whose drivers often are just going to sites without much of a cargo load. The daily drive requirements for most of this target is well within the drive and haul capabilities.
I know of cabinet installers and trim carpenters who are drooling about the possibility of the Lightning with it’s small haul capability, multi power outlets, and low cost of operation.
The fact that big time hauling is not practical does not detract from what this truck will do.

It does what "normal trucks do" for people who use it for their "normal truck stuff"

It DOES NOT do what "normal trucks do" for people who long-haul/tow with a truck.

So, once again - it all depends on what YOU use YOUR trucks for. There's a solid market for this model for folks with those particular needs. It's not for "everyone".
 
For serious off-roaders who want to roam out in the middle of nowhere, range matters. You seriously have to do a lot better than 100 miles on a charge. That's ridiculous.

So you mean the .01% of all trucks? Or the real serious off roaders who purchase Jeeps and not F150s?

Serious off-roaders aren’t driving full size trucks. They’re too wide to be practical.

The rare deep off-road work use case is almost entirely covered by the Power Wagon.


Just let him talk. He likes feeling like he made a point when it shows just how small thinking he is. "My what if completely shows it doesn't work for the 99.9%!" Just like every other "what about" he presents. The schtick is as predictable as it is uninformed.

edit - one of many articles written that forgot to include a F150 on the list.
 
GET OUTTA HERE WITH THAT TOWING MONSTROSITY CANT EVEN TOW OVER 100 MILES AND WHAT HAPPENS IN A PROLONGED TRAFFIC JAM???????? ILL TAKE MY GAZ GUZZLING RIG SO I CAN TOW LONGER DISTANCES AND WONT BE STRANDED IF I AM STUCK ON THE INTERSTATE IN A BLIZZARD WITH NO FOOD OR WATER AND JUST THE CLOTHES ON MY BACK TO SURVIVE SUCH AN ORDEAL
 
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