I was bummed to see this too. Does this impact the ability of the truck to accurately predict range while towing?
It sure does…
“We know many
F-150 Lightning customers will be first-time electric vehicle owners who expect that familiar Built Ford Tough capability along with robust towing,” said Linda Zhang, chief engineer, F-150 Lightning. “That’s why we created smart technologies to help take the worry out of towing long distances by giving customers more reliable and accurate range calculations, and then automatically locate charge points along the way, if needed.”
Helping supply those smart technologies with data are onboard scales that measure how much
the truck is hauling or towing in order to better predict how far it will be able to go regardless of what’s being towed. Intelligent Range also collects data on traffic speed, ambient temperature, available energy, climate control, and even route topography to give drivers the best range predictions possible.
In addition, the system also samples similar towing and energy situations from the past to make its range calculations in real time. Over time,
Ford plans to make further refinements to the onboard scales to further enhance the Intelligent Range calculation with over-the-air updates to make it even better.
“Whether you’re towing with a gas-powered or electric truck, range degradation as a percentage is basically the same – determined primarily by overall cargo and trailer weight at low speeds and by the aerodynamic profile at higher speeds,” said Zhang. “That’s why we expanded the capabilities of Intelligent Range on the
F-150 Lightning with the available Onboard scales to also measure the load effects of trailers and cargo to further refine range calculations when towing.”
