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I'm quite interested in an electric truck (for camping/kayaking/skiing/off-roading/etc. trips). However, I'm quite wary of the range. I was talking to my dad ab

by dvt 5y ago

I'm quite interested in an electric truck (for camping/kayaking/skiing/off-roading/etc. trips). However, I'm quite wary of the range. I was talking to my dad about this a few weeks ago, and I'd be a little nervous to take a truck in the wilderness with "only" a ~350mi range (in perfectly ideal conditions). Your vehicle is your lifeline out there and if you run out of power, it can turn into a life-or-death situation (especially in the winter or at high altitudes). I'm not sure how a Rivian or the new F-150 Lightning would compare to a more typical rugged off-roading vehicle (e.g. Raptor, a TRX, or a Rubicon), let alone a truly heavy-duty one (Land Rover Defender, H1, or G-Class). Maybe bringing some gas + a generator would be a viable contingency? At the expense of some weight, of course.

amelius 5y ago
Bring a satphone.
dangrossman 5y ago
I'm having a hard time imagining the scenario you're worried about. You can run out of gas just as easily in the wilderness as electric; in either case you have a fuel meter in your truck telling you how much is left so that you don't run out. If roadside assistance can reach you to deliver gas, they can also reach you to tow you to a charging station. If you're stuck in a blizzard while low on gas, that's much worse than being stuck while low on electric: a gallon of gas will only idle the engine to provide heat for 1-2 hours, while a 5% charge in an F-150 Lightning can run a cabin heater and charge your phones for about 21 hours (and no risk of CO poisoning).
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  >if roadside assistance can reach you to deliver gas, they can also reach you to tow you to a charging station. That's a little bit of a stretch. You can walk a 5gal tank all sorts of places roadside assistance won't go, though that's largely a reflection of corporate policy than physical inability. Also it's way harder to get someone to give you a charge if you run out due to circumstance in the middle of nowhere whereas pretty much anyone will give you a gallon of fuel if you're truly out.
- 6figurelenins 5y ago
  > You can run out of gas just as easily in the wilderness Not really. You can count on a gas pump existing within some distance of a sparse population. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find an outdoor "public" power outlet when you need one.
  - dvt 5y ago
    Not to mention that just about every offroading trip I've been on, everyone brings at least one NATO jerry can, just in case. Can't really bring an "extra battery" along with you when it comes to electric trucks.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
6figurelenins 5y ago
Perhaps future electric vehicles could ship with an internal-combustion engine in the "front trunk," and a storage tank for the fuel.
0x640x6D 5y ago
I have a 2016 F-150 that I only use for getting around and recreation (software eng that works from home that likes to fish/hunt/camp/hike/paddle/snowshoe). It has the 36 gallon tank and has a range of around 650 miles (+- 40 based on weather and type of driving). I use it in the north woods of New England and the Adirondacks. It's not uncommon for me to wake up at 5am, drive 200 miles, top off at the last gas station before entering the woods, and then drive 50+ miles on logging roads to wherever I'm going for a couple of days. Having that number on the dash saying 600 miles left as I enter into remote-ish areas is so comforting. So much so that I've already ruled out upgrading to the Lightning and instead am targeting the Powerboost, which keeps my range, increases my fuel efficiency (though not by a ton) and has a world of possibilities for utilizing the battery for heating a camper or a toy hauler -- I don't have one of those but if I had a Powerboost I might consider one for snowmobile camping or ATV camping.

by dvt 5y ago

amelius 5y ago

Bring a satphone.

dangrossman 5y ago

I'm having a hard time imagining the scenario you're worried about. You can run out of gas just as easily in the wilderness as electric; in either case you have a fuel meter in your truck telling you how much is left so that you don't run out. If roadside assistance can reach you to deliver gas, they can also reach you to tow you to a charging station. If you're stuck in a blizzard while low on gas, that's much worse than being stuck while low on electric: a gallon of gas will only idle the engine to provide heat for 1-2 hours, while a 5% charge in an F-150 Lightning can run a cabin heater and charge your phones for about 21 hours (and no risk of CO poisoning).

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
>if roadside assistance can reach you to deliver gas, they can also reach you to tow you to a charging station. That's a little bit of a stretch. You can walk a 5gal tank all sorts of places roadside assistance won't go, though that's largely a reflection of corporate policy than physical inability. Also it's way harder to get someone to give you a charge if you run out due to circumstance in the middle of nowhere whereas pretty much anyone will give you a gallon of fuel if you're truly out.
6figurelenins 5y ago
> You can run out of gas just as easily in the wilderness Not really. You can count on a gas pump existing within some distance of a sparse population. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find an outdoor "public" power outlet when you need one.
- dvt 5y ago
  Not to mention that just about every offroading trip I've been on, everyone brings at least one NATO jerry can, just in case. Can't really bring an "extra battery" along with you when it comes to electric trucks.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

6figurelenins 5y ago

Perhaps future electric vehicles could ship with an internal-combustion engine in the "front trunk," and a storage tank for the fuel.

0x640x6D 5y ago

I have a 2016 F-150 that I only use for getting around and recreation (software eng that works from home that likes to fish/hunt/camp/hike/paddle/snowshoe). It has the 36 gallon tank and has a range of around 650 miles (+- 40 based on weather and type of driving). I use it in the north woods of New England and the Adirondacks. It's not uncommon for me to wake up at 5am, drive 200 miles, top off at the last gas station before entering the woods, and then drive 50+ miles on logging roads to wherever I'm going for a couple of days. Having that number on the dash saying 600 miles left as I enter into remote-ish areas is so comforting. So much so that I've already ruled out upgrading to the Lightning and instead am targeting the Powerboost, which keeps my range, increases my fuel efficiency (though not by a ton) and has a world of possibilities for utilizing the battery for heating a camper or a toy hauler -- I don't have one of those but if I had a Powerboost I might consider one for snowmobile camping or ATV camping.