[Lou C]

I just read in the Lightning eSource book that the charging port for the Lightning is located on the driver's side of the truck. I had been under the impression (looking at the Lightning pictures) that a charging port would be available on both sides of the truck.

Can anyone confirm that the charging port is located only on the driver's side of the truck?

If it is true that the charging port is located solely on the driver's side, this fact will certainly be an important consideration for where my electrician installs the 240v wall charger receptacle.

Thank you. Lou C.

 

[corradoborg]

Yes, the charging port is only on the driver side. The panel on the passenger side is purely cosmetic. It doesn't open and there's nothing behind it.

 

[Lou C]

Yes, the charging port is only on the driver side. The panel on the passenger side is purely cosmetic. It doesn't open and there's nothing behind it.

Thank you for your input. I made the mistake of assuming that the panels on both sides of the truck were functional. Now I can provide better info to my electrician. Really glad to find out now!

 

[corradoborg]

Thank you for your input. I made the mistake of assuming that the panels on both sides of the truck were functional. Now I can provide better info to my electrician. Really glad to find out now!

Also keep in mind that charging cables are typically long enough that as long as the EVSE is within 15-20 feet of the vehicle's charging port you'll be fine. For example, if you have a 2-stall garage and you think you might get a 2nd EV in the next few years, you may want to put the 240V receptacle centered on the back wall of the garage so it can reach both vehicles.

 

[Lou C]

Also keep in mind that charging cables are typically long enough that as long as the EVSE is within 15-20 feet of the vehicle's charging port you'll be fine. For example, if you have a 2-stall garage and you think you might get a 2nd EV in the next few years, you may want to put the 240V receptacle centered on the back wall of the garage so it can reach both vehicles.

I have two garages. I plan to park the new Lightning and my 2020 F-150 in the same garage. Knowing that the Lightning's charging port is located on the driver's side of the truck will let me position the 240v charger receptacle so that it will be in close proximity to the charging port yet easily service either side of the garage.with a 20 to 25 foot charging cable. Thanks for your reply. Lou C.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

I had this same concern, too, coming from owning two EVs with center front charge point(Nissan Leafs), and have grown accustomed to being able to have the cable on either side, or in the front, to easily plug in. A large truck is a different story, and I'm not really sure WHY Ford has not considered having BOTH sides a charge point, since it's obvious, especially for 'Pro' users, contractors, etc., they will need easy access in many different situations.
DC Fast chargers are another concern, as how the unit/facility is located/designed, can make for some awkward parking. For instance, if you pull 'IN' toward a fast charger, and the cord is coming from the other side(passenger side) of the charge pedestal, having to drape the heavy cord over the truck's front end will not be a happy moment. Backing in is also not the easiest option, though it's fairly common with all Teslas, but maybe having the 'backing' video will help, but that can still be a long distance from the pedestal to the near front quarter panel of the truck.
While some fast chargers allow for pulling up along side the pedestal, many are not designed that conveniently, especially if other EVs are already parked there, leaving you little parking options. EA(ElectrifyAmerica) units seem to be designed with chargers that mimic typical gas station 'pull up next to' designs, where Chargepoint and Tesla tend to be 'park in front of' designs, though I've also seen EA setups just like Tesla's.
I can only imagine that Ford will provide the 'other' side charge point option in the future, and maybe some of us will resort to an additional cost to 'retrofit' our originals. I've seen the internal 'wiring scheme' from Ford, and it looks like there is no reason why a 'dual' charging wire scheme can't be easily done.

 

[Lou C]

For those of us rookie EV owners (hopefully), another Lightning forum member posted a webpage URL regarding the 80A Charge Station Pro. If you check out the producr description pdf at this URL, you'll find out that the 80A Charge Station Pro can be adjusted to lower amp ranges to accommodate lower valued home circuit breakers. I was thrilled to find this out. It will be a money-saver!

See the following: https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/f150-lightning/2022/features/ev-charging/ford-charge-station-pro/ .

Thank you. Lou C.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

yes Lou C, and I've put in my info to SunRun to see if they can 'sell' me one to install myself. I like the idea of having the capability of providing the higher power to the TRUCK, but at the same time, since I'll two EVs, the ability to 'dial down' the power if I don't need as much on a regular basis.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I'm not really sure WHY Ford has not considered having BOTH sides a charge point, since it's obvious, especially for 'Pro' users, contractors, etc., they will need easy access in many different situations.

It's probably a simple answer of cost. Double charge ports will cost more.

 

[Leaf to Lightning : )]

for sure, but to offer it as an included upgrade with a higher line trim level should be an option ... I imagine that no one in the 'engineering' department at Ford has ever considered that having an option on both sides might be something we would 'need'... every parking and carport and garage situation is different.

 

[GDN]

for sure, but to offer it as an included upgrade with a higher line trim level should be an option ... I imagine that no one in the 'engineering' department at Ford has ever considered that having an option on both sides might be something we would 'need'... every parking and carport and garage situation is different.

My guess is the additional engineering just isn't worth what it would cost for the parts. If you are plugged into one side, how do you disable the other side, etc. I know there are ways, but it over complicates things that are already fairly complicated and new.

I personally am surprised it ended up on the front since all fuel fillers for the most part have been on the back drivers side for years (for Ford.). Regardless of where they put it, it would be inconvenient for some and all of us will learn to adapt - I hope.

 

[corradoborg]

for sure, but to offer it as an included upgrade with a higher line trim level should be an option ... I imagine that no one in the 'engineering' department at Ford has ever considered that having an option on both sides might be something we would 'need'... every parking and carport and garage situation is different.

Would it have sold more Lightnings to offer dual charging ports? No. People are clamoring for them as is, and to such a degree that many won't get a Lightning for years. Therefore, it isn't worth it to Ford to bother.

There will not be an aftermarket upgrade available either, as it would require taking the entire front end of the truck apart, many expensive new parts, and a whole new system (hardware, software, or maybe both) to lockout the original charge port when using the secondary one. The cost would be astronomical for such a small reward.

Meanwhile, the solution to using the single charging port is simply to get the truck - a machine that moves under its own power, mind you - near enough to the EVSE for the charging cable (usually 20-25' long) to reach it.

I'm sure Ford considered putting the port on the front center. They did so on the e-Transit van. But it would've had to have been part of the "grill," preventing the frunk from having the tailgate-level opening height the final design ended up with. I'm sure the designers felt the ease of using the frunk was more important than putting the charge port on the front center of the truck, especially considering ICE vehicles have had their fuel fillers on one specific side of the vehicle for decades. Which brings up a good point...

Think about it this way: It would be very easy for automakers to provide fuel filler doors on both sides of ICE vehicles, too. After all, it's just plumbing, and sometimes the side of the pump you need to be on isn't available. You either have to turn the whole car around and park facing the other way or hoist the filler hose over/around the end of your car. Many cars used to have the fuel filler on the rear center in the 1960s. But have automakers ever offered duel fuel filler doors on opposite sides of the vehicle, both leading to the same tank? Nope.*

*Please don't respond with examples of trucks with multiple fuel tanks, each with their own filler. That's comparing apples to oranges. Likewise, don't come back with individual examples of home gas tank hacks. Some wacko with welding skills may have added a second filler to his vehicle on a one-off basis. But it's never been offered as a standard feature or a mass market option.

 

[PatrickC]

Would it have sold more Lightnings to offer dual charging ports? No. People are clamoring for them as is, and to such a degree that many won't get a Lightning for years. Therefore, it isn't worth it to Ford to bother.

There will not be an aftermarket upgrade available either, as it would require taking the entire front end of the truck apart, many expensive new parts, and a whole new system (hardware, software, or maybe both) to lockout the original charge port when using the secondary one. The cost would be astronomical for such a small reward.

Meanwhile, the solution to using the single charging port is simply to get the truck - a machine that moves under its own power, mind you - near enough to the EVSE for the charging cable (usually 20-25' long) to reach it.

I'm sure Ford considered putting the port on the front center. They did so on the e-Transit van. But it would've had to have been part of the "grill," preventing the frunk from having the tailgate-level opening height the final design ended up with. I'm sure the designers felt the ease of using the frunk was more important than putting the charge port on the front center of the truck, especially considering ICE vehicles have had their fuel fillers on one specific side of the vehicle for decades. Which brings up a good point...

Think about it this way: It would be very easy for automakers to provide fuel filler doors on both sides of ICE vehicles, too. After all, it's just plumbing, and sometimes the side of the pump you need to be on isn't available. You either have to turn the whole car around and park facing the other way or hoist the filler hose over/around the end of your car. Many cars used to have the fuel filler on the rear center in the 1960s. But have automakers ever offered duel fuel filler doors on opposite sides of the vehicle, both leading to the same tank? Nope.*

*Please don't respond with examples of trucks with multiple fuel tanks, each with their own filler. That's comparing apples to oranges. Likewise, don't come back with individual examples of home gas tank hacks. Some wacko with welding skills may have added a second filler to his vehicle on a one-off basis. But it's never been offered as a standard feature or a mass market option.

I think the Lotus Espirt had twin fuel tanks and fillers. But the tanks were interconnected do you could fill both tanks simultaneously from either side.
But, generally, your point is correct.

 

[Calvin H-C]

OK, so it seems the Lightning will have just one charge port on the driver's side. As a Focus Electric driver for 4.5 years, I'm used to that, though I had been looking forward to having a feature I've only personally seen on a Porche Taycan.

But I noticed in the commercials running today during the Kentucky Derby that they kept showing an F150 Lightning with a charge port in the centre of the front grill. It seemed to me in the brief shot of it that it may only be a J-1772 port and not a full CCS port.

Anyone have any info on this?

 

[208]

OK, so it seems the Lightning will have just one charge port on the driver's side. As a Focus Electric driver for 4.5 years, I'm used to that, though I had been looking forward to having a feature I've only personally seen on a Porche Taycan.

But I noticed in the commercials running today during the Kentucky Derby that they kept showing an F150 Lightning with a charge port in the centre of the front grill. It seemed to me in the brief shot of it that it may only be a J-1772 port and not a full CCS port.

Anyone have any info on this?

No, there's no charge port in the grill. It is just in front of the driver's door.

 

[ChasingCoral]

OK, so it seems the Lightning will have just one charge port on the driver's side. As a Focus Electric driver for 4.5 years, I'm used to that, though I had been looking forward to having a feature I've only personally seen on a Porche Taycan.

But I noticed in the commercials running today during the Kentucky Derby that they kept showing an F150 Lightning with a charge port in the centre of the front grill. It seemed to me in the brief shot of it that it may only be a J-1772 port and not a full CCS port.

Anyone have any info on this?

That’s video of the eTransit. It has a J-1772 on the front.

 

[Calvin H-C]

No, there's no charge port in the grill. It is just in front of the driver's door.

I understand that, and I've read through Ford's F-150 Lightning Sourcebook (all 146 pages) that confirms there is only the driver's side port.

So why are they showing such a charge port in commercials?

 

[208]

I understand that, and I've read through Ford's F-150 Lightning Sourcebook (all 146 pages) that confirms there is only the driver's side port.

So why are they showing such a charge port in commercials?

They aren't. What you are seeing in the commercial is a different vehicle, the van.

 

[Calvin H-C]

They aren't. What you are seeing in the commercial is a different vehicle, the van.

That makes sense as they do show the Transit van in the commercial. The presentation has some who've seen it thinking the shot was of a Lightning and I've been trying to convince them the Lightning only has the driver side port.

I'm going to have to see it again to see why some have thought it was the Lightning.

 

[ChasingCoral]

That makes sense as they do show the Transit van in the commercial. The presentation has some who've seen it thinking the shot was of a Lightning and I've been trying to convince them the Lightning only has the driver side port.

I'm going to have to see it again to see why some have thought it was the Lightning.

If someone finds the commercial on YouTube please post it here.