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The Ford F-150 Hints at the Future of Fleet Electrification
Like many businesses, ReVision Energy maintains a fleet of vehicles to assist its sales force, service teams, and installers. We now have upwards of 180 vehicles, including seventeen plug-in electric vehicles, and eleven more on order, most of which are Chevy Bolts. Each branch also has charging stations on site for public, fleet, and employee use, with twelve Level 2 charging stations at our South Portland location alone!
Our workplace charging program has also encouraged a large number of ReVision employee-owners to buy electric vehicles (EVs) for their personal use. We continue to learn from our behavior (and it informs our strategic thinking and customer education) as we transition to fully-electric transportation, a task that is thankfully becoming easier. Our goal is to replace everything with plug-in electric vehicles as the products become available.
Eventually our entire fleet will charge using solar electricity, with vehicle batteries offering grid-connected bi-directional charging capacity to feed the building, avoiding demand charges and offering back up generation.
Does all this seem far fetched in 2023? Nope. The Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck is the poster child for the future of fleets at businesses such as ours. Recently we received our first F-150 Lightning; let’s take a moment to review it, considering the larger context of what this technology means.
The Ford F-150 Lightning
While the F-150 has been the best-selling combustion vehicle in the U.S. for the past 40 years, its newest and all-electric family member is sure to bring even more shine to the lineage. Sporting a battery sized from 98 kWh to 131 kWh and with over eleven outlets for appliances (including one that offers 30A 240V connection!), this vehicle is literally a power station.
Consumers can purchase a Home Integration System that allows for bi-directional charging at 9.6kW. The average residential household uses 20 kWh per day (likely to increase as we electrify everything), which means the truck’s battery is sufficient to power a residential home for 2-5 days before needing a recharge (which can be done with rooftop solar during daylight hours). When driving, the battery provides range of 230-320 miles at an average of 2.3 miles per kWh – not bad considering this is a BIG truck.
The front trunk (“frunk”) is large and lockable (the first locking trunk embedded in a pickup design to our knowledge). It is a full-sized pickup with 4 x 8’ payload capable of carrying 2235 lbs and towing capacity of 7700 lbs (capable of 8500Lbs with the upgraded towing package)! Of course, towing dramatically impacts range which, depending on trailer weight, means 50% or more decrease in range. On the plus side, energy savings range from $50-$70 per 300 miles when compared to gas versions like the Raptor. As battery technology continues to improve, so will these numbers.
ReVision uses pickups for many tasks, including project management and deliveries, service calls, and marketing (we have to tow our Tiny Climate Classroom around the region!) Everyone who has driven it loves it. Look for our fully branded Lightning (soon to be joined by others) driving around your neighborhood, and expect to see it at EV events in your community as well.
For more info check out this great summary by Tom Moloughney: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning: InsideEVs First Drive Review (Charging, Towing, and More!) – YouTube
