# What I Learned About EV Trucks While Driving To Vegas in The F-150 Lightning *By James Hills — Updated May 2023* Let's just get this out of the way - over the past year I've driven a dozen or so EVs ranging from compact cars to 10,000+ trucks. I remain as optimistic as ever in terms of the fact that electric vehicles have the potential to be a superior alternative to the classic internal combustion petrol and diesel-powered options that dominate the market today. As part of this though, I also refuse to sit back and simply select facts to promote the benefits. Quite frankly, while EVs are a fabulous option for homeowners with moderate commutes - long road trips are not the best measure of an EV's value. With that being said though, I like to push the limits. I want to see what it looks like doing something that will be normal in five years. That's why Heather and I decided to drive a 2023 F-150 Lightning from San Diego to Vegas. Here's what we learned from the experience. ***NOTE: We were not able to complete our drive and take original photos due to flying directly from Las Vegas to Ohio due to a family emergency.*** The [Ford F-150 Lightning](https://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/f150-lightning) is Ford's latest push into it's goal of having a fully electrified portfolio and it is based on one of the best mid-sized pickup trucks on the market today. In fact, unlike what GMC did by introducing it's EV truck as a halo vehicle in the format of the Hummer EV with crazy specs and a price tag to match, Ford decided to make the Lightning look at feel like the conventionally powered F-150. If you are a Ford truck customer ... you will have no problem transitioning to this one at some point in the future.  ### A. Erazo From Las Verandas Shares Why Men Love Roatán for a Caribbean Guys Trip A. Erazo of Las Verandas on planning a Roatán guys trip: villas over hotel rooms, Black Pearl golf, sunrise fishing charters and what first timers get wrong. ManTripping [Read More](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/9o26HZLvoj_lh87CWHBEQQ.2155) ### A Pride of America Cruise Will Change Your View of Hawaii Pride of America Hawaii cruise review, the only US flagged, large cruise ship to sail in Hawaii. ManTripping [Read More](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/9o26HZLvoj_lh87CWHBEQQ.1039) ### 6 Days 5 Nights Northern Vietnam Tour 6 day Northern Vietnam tour with hidden gems, local cuisine and passionate guides. Ideal for curious travelers seeking more than the typical tourist route. Viator (affiliate) $621.12[See Current Price](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/9o26HZLvoj_lh87CWHBEQQ.561) ### Book Your Next Alaska Cruise On Holland America Line Book your next Alaska cruise on Holland America Line and explore stunning glaciers and coastal towns. Holland America Line [Book with Flow Voyages](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/9o26HZLvoj_lh87CWHBEQQ.607) Promoted by FlowAds Hopefully the Silverado EV and ultimately the Sierra EV manage to pull themselves into the lineage alongside their gas and diesel brothers but that's a discussion for a different time. For our drive, we had the Platinum, Extended Range and that topped out at around $100k but it had every possible feature that you could possibly imagine - including massaging seats and Blue Cruise, two features we ended up using more than I expected. However, you can also get the F-150 Lightning in a Pro trim starting at $55,974.  With the extended range battery (131kWh vs 98 kWh) the truck is expected to have a range of 230 miles or 320 miles with the extended battery and a theoretical charging time from 15-80% of only 41 minutes on a 150kW DCFC. ## Man Gear Pick of the Month September's Pick Amazon (affiliate) ### Kenyon City Grill Portable Stainless Steel Electric Grill Why we picked it: a grill you can actually carry to the campsite, the tailgate or the cabin without borrowing a truck. Stainless, no propane tank to wrestle, and hot enough to cook for four guys rather than reheat for one. [Check The Price](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/R5tU6zTvxfpSubUQqgxHSA.2144) [August's Pick LiberNovo Maxis Electric Big and Tall Ergonomic Office Chair, Graphite 52cm $1,393.00](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/R5tU6zTvxfpSubUQqgxHSA.2350) [July's Pick Powerful Propane Torch Gun, Adjustable Flame Thrower Gun, Kitchen Torch with Detachable Design, Flamethrower Blow Torch for BBQ, Searing Steak, Welding, Camping Charcoal Lighter(Tank Not Included) $42.99](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/R5tU6zTvxfpSubUQqgxHSA.2397) [June's Pick OYASUMI Funny BBQ Man Hot Dog Holders, 4 PCS Reusable Stainless Steel Sausage Stands, Portable Hot Dog Roasters, Barbecue Grill Accessories for Camping & Party Gifts $7.98](https://ads.flowmediamarketing.com/go/R5tU6zTvxfpSubUQqgxHSA.2396) Promoted by FlowAds These numbers are about the same as the Mustang EV and for everything aside from a road trip ... well within the scope for commuting, errands, client meetings etc.  ## About Our Road Tripping Route: The route from San Diego to [Las Vegas](https://www.mantripping.com/united-states/nevada/las-vegas.html) is about 330 miles and usually we do that route in about six hours, maybe seven if we stop for lunch somewhere or a visit to a roadside attraction along the way. This route is fabulous for testing vehicles because it has long open stretches of highway, mountains to climb, and stop and go traffic. It can also have horrendous backups due to road closures if an accident occurs. This was one of those days ... and we didn't plan for that! ## What We Learned On Our Road Trip: Usually when we have a truck for a week it's simply a cool experience where we talk about features and such but this time, I want to talk more about what the future looks like and why should buy an electric truck like the F-150 Lightning and who should possibly wait five to ten years for more robust charging networks and better battery technology. ### Predicting The Actual Range Ford does an excellent job of leveraging data from your driving style and route to predict the actual range and recommend places to stop and charge. This however is VASTLY different than what you might plan using Google Maps the night before. There are two main reasons for this - real world conditions differ from theoretical ones and you will almost never run an EV battery from 100% to --- *Source: [What I Learned About EV Trucks While Driving To Vegas in The F-150 Lightning](https://www.mantripping.com/stuff/what-i-learned-about-ev-trucks-while-driving-to-vegas-in-the-f-150-lightning.html)* **Tags:** Road Trip, Trucks, Electric and Alternative Fuel