We own EVs. Ask Us Anything.

[SpaceEVDriver]

I'm not going to volunteer anyone else for this, but I also didn't want to exclude anyone by writing it in the singular. If you own an EV, you're welcome to answer questions in this thread or in your own.

If you have a question, please feel free to ask. I reserve the right to ignore your question if it's rude or obviously not being asked in good faith. I also reserve the right to forget to answer your question.

I've owned hybrids and EVs for more than 20 years.
I currently own two EVs:

• Ford F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup truck
• Ford Mustang Mach-E all-electric.

I do a lot of road tripping (>43,000 miles in the Mustang and >9,000 miles in the Lightning). I also tow a tractor, trailer, utility trailer, dump trailer, and other stuff behind the Lightning. We used to do a lot of offroading, but that's decreased as we've aged. We do a LOT of camping, mostly tent camping at the moment. Haven't pulled a travel trailer with the Lightning yet.

The Mustang is kind of too short for me to comfortably sleep in for more than one night or so, but I was able to get a decent night's sleep while charging to full at an RV park along the I-10 in Texas.

Camping in Kodachrome State Park, Utah

Out doing some solar installations in the middle of the Northern Arizona desert:

Driving fence posts with the Lightning acting as a power source.

Here's a map of all the places I can remember taking the Mustang and/or the Lightning. The blue is where we plan to go to get home in a few days.

 

[J Alynn]

These are the awesome posts I love. Sharing your knowledge and helping us newbies become more comfortable with EV lifestyle. I appreciate and applaud your efforts on this, and the time you are putting into it. Debates about colors and fusion technology are fun but threads like this is where people can find comfort in range anxiety (or not!) and learn from real life members who are willing to teach without an agenda (you don’t have an agenda do you? Have I already fallen for it?).
Seriously-thanks again-this is awesome

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

[...] and learn from real life members who are willing to teach without an agenda (you don’t have an agenda do you? Have I already fallen for it?).
Seriously-thanks again-this is awesome

I do have an agenda. I'm a huge proponent of EVs and I like to share what I know about them and my experiences with them. That's it. That's my agenda.

 

[LastDayScout]

I see that I need to trade in that LS for a Kubota!

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I see that I need to trade in that LS for a Kubota!

I'm pretty happy with my LS MT125. I wish it were electric, but you know, the prices are way too high for me right now. The LS is good enough for what I use it for. My property is 5 acres, so I don't need anything bigger--and the bigger family ranch is only 80 acres and mostly desert, so I don't need to bring the tractor out there very often.

 

[LastDayScout]

I'm pretty happy with my LS MT125. I wish it were electric, but you know, the prices are way too high for me right now. The LS is good enough for what I use it for. My property is 5 acres, so I don't need anything bigger--and the bigger family ranch is only 80 acres and mostly desert, so I don't need to bring the tractor out there very often.

Sorry, I am highjacking your thread. Kubota usually tests products in Europe before they bring them to the US market. This is their current traditional style small electric test model.

Compact Electric Tractor LXe-261 Released in European Markets | News 2022 | Kubota Global Site

News release from Kubota Corporation

www.kubota.com

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

@MaddMatt said the following in another thread and I thought I would respond here instead:

Driving from the Denver area to Fairplay tomorrow in the snow, and will be topping off the gas tank before I go in case of delays, 4wd use, etc.. Based on your posts I am thinking I would do the same with my future Scout and just stop worrying about it, and I'm continuing to wonder if the Harvester option will be necessary....

With a 320 mile range on the Lightning, we've found one single scenario so far where we think the range is too limiting. From our home to one of our favorite boondocking spots near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is 410 miles round trip. There are no DC Fast chargers on our route. With the speeds (65 mph and slower instead of 75 mph or so), we would be traveling for much of that trip, we would likely see closer to 350-370 miles. We need somewhere between about 40 and 90 miles recharge somewhere during that trip. We can get that at a couple of the Level 2 chargers along the way, but that would add a goodly amount of time to our trip. We haven't tried the trip yet to see what the various elevation changes, etc., would do.

But that's one camping trip that seems a little out of range to us at the moment. There will likely be a DC Fast Charger installed in the next year or so and we'll reconsider.

Regarding the Scout: We didn't reserve a Harvester. To us, it's not worth the extra maintenance, trouble, fueling stops, and everything else. Just not our bag. We have had some absolutely fantastic adventures and haven't felt limited by the EVs (except this one instance and it's not been a big deal).

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Sorry, I am highjacking your thread. Kubota usually tests products in Europe before they bring them to the US market. This is their current traditional style small electric test model.

Compact Electric Tractor LXe-261 Released in European Markets | News 2022 | Kubota Global Site

News release from Kubota Corporation

www.kubota.com

Does that have a front hydraulics implements mount? I can't tell from the marketing materials.
There have been some false starts for electrics in the tractor world and I'm hoping those false starts don't crash that entire field.

 

[LastDayScout]

Does that have a front hydraulics implements mount? I can't tell from the marketing materials.
There have been some false starts for electrics in the tractor world and I'm hoping those false starts don't crash that entire field.

Most of that series do have front hydraulics, or they can be dealer installed. At least this is Kubota and not a start up. They are not going anywhere.

 

[Moates442]

I do have an agenda. I'm a huge proponent of EVs and I like to share what I know about them and my experiences with them. That's it. That's my agenda.

No offense, it's fine to have a personal agenda. But I hope you are open minded and not locked into "my way or the highway" and anyone who disagrees with your opinion will not be tolerated type. I love my ICE vehicles( cars, motorcyles, etc.). I have also worked for an EV manufacturer. So I appreciate BOTH sides. What has happened to the Tesla and Rivian forums has basically a take over of one opinion, one opinion only. That isn't very welcoming, productive, or good for the brand if you want to gain new customers. Just as the "I only want a gasser vehicle, EV's suck" guy who post things isn't appreciated, neither should the "EV's are the greatest, and anyone who disagrees shall be banned" person be given any extra validity. There are many people who can, and do appreciate both. I think there is the realm where Scout has chosen to be. And I think that is where they will find their greatest success.

 

[J Alynn]

No offense, it's fine to have a personal agenda. But I hope you are open minded and not locked into "my way or the highway" and anyone who disagrees with your opinion will not be tolerated type. I love my ICE vehicles( cars, motorcyles, etc.). I have also worked for an EV manufacturer. So I appreciate BOTH sides. What has happened to the Tesla and Rivian forums has basically a take over of one opinion, one opinion only. That isn't very welcoming, productive, or good for the brand if you want to gain new customers. Just as the "I only want a gasser vehicle, EV's suck" guy who post things isn't appreciated, neither should the "EV's are the greatest, and anyone who disagrees shall be banned" person be given any extra validity. There are many people who can, and do appreciate both. I think there is the realm where Scout has chosen to be. And I think that is where they will find their greatest success.

Well said!!! And I would say as a long timer here there are a lot of us (speaking for too many probably) that completely agree. I think this forum is open to a lot of points of view-except maybe the day 1 members who start their journey with hating on EV’s-which is exactly to your point and they get shut down/black balled pretty quickly.
The open mind to learn on both sides is great-and this forum seems to foster that approach.
I will, until they are completely eliminated or EV’s hit 500 mile range, always own an ICE but with that I’m very excited about the prospect of my Traveler EV.
Thanks again for your great response

 

[Scoutsie]

What made you land on your current EVs? What have you had in the past?

 

[R1TVT]

Here are a few things that landed me in a R1T Launch Edition, FWIW:

1. I had always been a truck owner, and appreciated a trucks specific capabilities (haul, tow, go off-road, or over-sand).
2. I knew an EV truck was coming, and started following Rivian early - appreciated their messaging & prototype design
3. I am an outdoorsman, fisherman, surfer, MTB'er, skier, etc... If you care at about water, air, climate, etc., EV's are the way
4. I had solar on my roof-top, knew ownership costs would be even lower with solar & decrease my payback period
5. I had locked-in early pricing for the Launch Edition (so good value, even if more expensive than any of my other trucks)

A few other things. There was a distinct difference in the approach RJ Scaringe was taking to build the company, and to create an "experience" around the brand and trucks - basically to prove to the world that he cared about the future for his kids and was a very smart, but also humble and genuine person. That resonated with me. For him, there was a much bigger play at hand / there was more at stake than just a truck. I wouldn't be surprised to see more from that guy.

Additionally:

PROOF & CONFIDENCE - They weren't just selling theoretical prototypes - once ready, they beat the living crap out of their trucks
EWAN MACGREGOR - Long Way Up provided more evidence that these trucks were going to be game changers and deliver on their promises
PERFORMANCE - Hard to beat 4 motor performance in a truck that goes 0-60 in 3 secs and drives like a dream.
TECH -SW, cameras, OTA's, Gear Guard, Driver+ HWY Assist, Towing functions, Drive Mode Settings, etc.
INFRASTRUCTURE- The promise of RAN chargers helped for sure, but DCFC was already in place in the NE
SERVICE CENTER - Had to be within a reasonable distance, and being centrally located in BOS was adequate for me, (with remote service too)
GEAR TUNNEL - Love it, use it all the time, gamechanger

All things considered, and had Scout and Rivian launched at the same time, it would have been a tough choice, and I probably would have purchased a Scout Terra EV. The bed length is just a little too short on the R1T, not interested in long term ownership with air suspension, and it is a "little too nice" for a truck! I seriously worry about it too much... It is the nicest truck I have ever owned, and the aluminum panels are probably a little softer than I would like. Hope that is helpful.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

What made you land on your current EVs? What have you had in the past?

I've been an automobile nut and truck user since I was a kid. I learned to drive in a Chevy C-60 2-ton flatbed truck starting when I was about 6 years old (I would either stand and steer or my father would steer and I would operate the pedals as instructed). I grew up rebuilding all kinds of vehicles and Frankensteining together weird combinations.

In 2002, we bought the first generation Prius as our first new vehicle. It was expensive but we recognized how much we were saving on gas during around-town driving and it gave us incredible range on the highway (550 miles highway range on a single tank is my record).

I've owned and used a truck for most of my adult life. I do a lot of weekend building and we do a ton of camping. Our typical vehicle combination has been a Tacoma and Prius or a wagon of some sort.
I've always wanted a muscle car. I had a 1968 Mercury Cougar for a time, but didn't have the money to properly restore it so I sold it to someone who did. I could never justify the cost in both time and money to keep one running.

EVs have always been of interest to me because all automobiles are interesting to me.

When Rivian announced the R1T, I was seriously interested, but the likely price was way outside of the affordability envelope for me, so I followed it with interest but wasn't seriously considering it.
When Ford announced the Mustang EV (without showing it), I jokingly said I wanted to buy it, but we didn't follow up. It was obviously a muscle car and I've wanted one since I foolishly sold my Cougar in my teens. But I could never take that desire seriously. By the time the Mustang Mach-E was announced, a 2-door, low-riding, uncomfortable sports car was not something either of us really wanted.

Then they announced the Lightning and I put in a reservation on the off chance it turned out to be what I wanted.
While looking at the Lightning, Ford's website offered up the Mustang. It was completely different from what I expected and I really liked it. I showed it to my partner and she liked it too. So we put in an order and sold our Golf Alltrek for $3k more than we'd purchased it for (those wild days of the pandemic used car value inflation).

We were down to one vehicle (a Tacoma) for about six months, and that really exposed some of our dislikes of the Tacoma. But buying two new vehicles in one year was just not going to happen, so we waited and waited for the Mustang and lived with one vehicle. It was easy because it was during the pandemic and my work travel had decreased from once or twice a month to not at all.

When the Mustang arrived, we were (and still are) thrilled with it. We took it on an 1100 mile round trip within the first couple weeks of owning it. It was fantastic.

In April of 2024, we roadtripped for the total eclipse. It was about 2200 miles round trip. We took the Tacoma because the Mustang doesn't have the room for our kind of camping and my partner didn't want to slow down the other people we were caravanning with (it wouldn't have slowed down anyone, but...). The Mustang had spoiled us and we hated road tripping in the Tacoma, despite having taken it all over the US Soutwest while towing a travel trailer. On the drive home, we decided to do what we could to find the money to buy an electric truck.

We considered both the R1T and the Lightning (by this time, we let our reservation lapse). The needs being met by either truck would be similar but different enough to have to sit down and do a bunch of objective/subjective analysis. We did that and settled on hoping to get a good deal on the R1T.

A few months later we moved and sold our house for more than we expected to get so we had some cash to buy a truck. We hadn't found a fantastic deal on the R1T, but were in the process of purchasing one when a Ford dealer sent us a message offering almost the exact Lightning we wanted for almost $30k less than the R1T we were considering. We snapped it up.

Both the Mustang and the Lightning are, by far, the nicest vehicles we've ever owned.

So, we have a Ford Lightning Lariat with extended range battery (320 miles EPA) and a Mustang Mach-E AWD with extended range battery (312 miles EPA).

Why the Lightning instead of the R1T or any other electric truck: Availability and cost. The Lighting we bought was quite a bit cheaper than the R1T for a similar range and capability. And it has a larger bed. No other electric truck was available at the time.

Why the Mustang instead of some other SUV? We test drove a few vehicles and decided that the Mustang offered the best match to our use cases and desires. Also it's still one of the longest-range electric SUVs at any price, much less a reasonable price.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Here are a few things that landed me in a R1T Launch Edition, FWIW:

1. I had always been a truck owner, and appreciated a trucks specific capabilities (haul, tow, go off-road, or over-sand).
2. I knew an EV truck was coming, and started following Rivian early - appreciated their messaging & prototype design
3. I am an outdoorsman, fisherman, surfer, MTB'er, skier, etc... If you care at about water, air, climate, etc., EV's are the way
4. I had solar on my roof-top, knew ownership costs would be even lower with solar & decrease my payback period
5. I had locked-in early pricing for the Launch Edition (so good value, even if more expensive than any of my other trucks)

A few other things. There was a distinct difference in the approach RJ Scaringe was taking to build the company, and to create an "experience" around the brand and trucks - basically to prove to the world that he cared about the future for his kids and was a very smart, but also humble and genuine person. That resonated with me. For him, there was a much bigger play at hand / there was more at stake than just a truck. I wouldn't be surprised to see more from that guy.

Additionally:

PROOF & CONFIDENCE - They weren't just selling theoretical prototypes - once ready, they beat the living crap out of their trucks
EWAN MACGREGOR - Long Way Up provided more evidence that these trucks were going to be game changers and deliver on their promises
PERFORMANCE - Hard to beat 4 motor performance in a truck that goes 0-60 in 3 secs and drives like a dream.
TECH -SW, cameras, OTA's, Gear Guard, Driver+ HWY Assist, Towing functions, Drive Mode Settings, etc.
INFRASTRUCTURE- The promise of RAN chargers helped for sure, but DCFC was already in place in the NE
SERVICE CENTER - Had to be within a reasonable distance, and being centrally located in BOS was adequate for me, (with remote service too)
GEAR TUNNEL - Love it, use it all the time, gamechanger

All things considered, and had Scout and Rivian launched at the same time, it would have been a tough choice, and I probably would have purchased a Scout Terra EV. The bed length is just a little too short on the R1T, not interested in long term ownership with air suspension, and it is a "little too nice" for a truck! I seriously worry about it too much... It is the nicest truck I have ever owned, and the aluminum panels are probably a little softer than I would like. Hope that is helpful.

These are very similar to our checklist for an EV truck. We just couldn't come up with the extra money needed to get the R1T. I'm a little sad about it from time-to-time.


Also, my partner isn't super happy with me that I ordered a bright blue Mustang and wanted our EV truck to disappear into the background--people who hate EVs accost her a lot when she's driving the Mustang and she wanted that to stop. I get those idiots too when I drive the Mustang, but they are a bit less aggressive with me.

 

[dleepnw]

I have a Launch Edition Quad Motor R1T with 20" AT, large battery back, Ocean Coast (light grey) interior and Meridian sound system. AMA.

 

[R1TVT]

I also forgot to add - American Made - American company... Love that Rivian and Scout are US companies with US factories.

 

[IHScout]

These are very similar to our checklist for an EV truck. We just couldn't come up with the extra money needed to get the R1T. I'm a little sad about it from time-to-time.


Also, my partner isn't super happy with me that I ordered a bright blue Mustang and wanted our EV truck to disappear into the background--people who hate EVs accost her a lot when she's driving the Mustang and she wanted that to stop. I get those idiots too when I drive the Mustang, but they are a bit less aggressive with me.

It is unfortunate the visceral reaction a small group of people have to EVs. Keying, aggressive maneuvers or confrontations with their drivers is an unacceptable. Sorry to hear both of you have experienced this.

 

[LastDayScout]

It is unfortunate the visceral reaction a small group of people have to EVs. Keying, aggressive maneuvers or confrontations with their drivers is an unacceptable. Sorry to hear both of you have experienced this.

I had some of that behavior when I had a Tesla. I do not so much now in the BMW, but probably because the uninformed aggressors do not know it is an EV. Terrible and unnecessary.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

It is unfortunate the visceral reaction a small group of people have to EVs. Keying, aggressive maneuvers or confrontations with their drivers is an unacceptable. Sorry to hear both of you have experienced this.

It is unfortunate. We also sometimes get coal rollers, but that's more funny than anything else. We can be through the next light before they're out of the intersection.