[csharptwdec19]

Well, There's speed, and then there's acceleration.

This new Lightning (putting it that way because F150 Lightning once corresponded to a gas-guzzling Supercharged V8 trim) has 775ft/lb of Torque. For reference, the existing models are between 265 and 510 ft/lb.

Additionally, one of the benefits of an electric motor, is that torque is essentially instantly available, compared to an ICE where there's only a slim power bad where that max torque range is hit.

Unless Ford 'governs' acceleration in software, I can see some lead-foots getting themselves into trouble quickly. They probably -will-, but I'd expect them to offer some sort of switch for that, lest the Ford zealots grab their pitchforks. Let us not forget that a lot of 'Car guys' are arguably insane. When Ford considered switching the Mustang to a Front Wheel Drive Mazda design, they had to deal with death threats!

[rootusrootus]

> Let us not forget that a lot of 'Car guys' are arguably insane.

You might want to look in the mirror. Car threads bring out really destructive attitudes, and mostly not from the 'car guys'. The stuff that gets said here is astounding...

[csharptwdec19]

> You might want to look in the mirror.

I provided a very real world example of car enthusiasts doing something that a sane human being would not do. Can you help me understand what I should be looking for?

[rootusrootus]

This is like pointing to a single self-identified Democrat or Republican and then claiming they speak for everyone else who also identifies as such. This is extremely pervasive and is one of the fundamental breaks in our political dialog these days.

And yeah, a lot of people on HN are also car enthusiasts. How many of us sent death threats in response to the Ford Probe? I was even a Mustang enthusiast at that time. I never sent any death threats, nobody I know did either. You are describing a sociopath, who may also be a car enthusiast, and then claiming that this means all car enthusiasts are sociopaths.

[Dah00n]

Are you a "car guy"?

[rootusrootus]

Yep!

And I've never sent anyone a death threat. I don't hate people for their choice in cars, or non-choice as the case may be. I enjoy interesting cars of all kinds. I'm not especially into trucks from an enthusiast perspective, though as a homeowner and RV owner I do happen to own a Ford F250. And I don't mind people that are into them. You have to be a bit of an enthusiast, IMO, to daily drive a super duty if you don't need it :). I'd own a Taco if I didn't need to tow anything, as it would be far more livable for daily use.

[itsoktocry]

Yes, what of it?

[Dah00n]

Hey, nothing wrong with that. Just trying to see where you both stand. Sorry if it sounded snarky.

[leetcrew]

first of all, despite its prominence in marketing materials, engine torque doesn't tell you much about a vehicle's performance characteristics. torque is meaningless without knowing the overall gear reduction. a 911 gt3 is about as fast in a straight line as a tesla, despite having way less torque.

> compared to an ICE where there's only a slim power bad where that max torque range is hit.

second, this is only true of naturally aspirated engines, which are pretty rare these days. engines with turbos or superchargers are usually tuned to make (roughly) peak torque all the way from 2000 rpm to redline.

this is a lot of fretting over the peak acceleration of a truck. I believe the thing does 0-60 in something like 4.5 seconds. that's really quick for a truck, but only above average compared to performance sedans. in any case, most people (even the crazy ones) do not often hit peak acceleration from a red light, especially in an EV.

[tmh88j]

>this is a lot of fretting over the peak acceleration of a truck. I believe the thing does 0-60 in something like 4.5 seconds. that's really quick for a truck, but only above average compared to performance sedans

Seems like the people in this thread arguing about a fast truck don't know about the original Lightning, nor are they familiar with modern sport trucks like the Ram TRX or Shelby F-150 Super Snake, both of which will give proper high end sports cars a run for the money in a drag race.

[kingsuper20]

...or simply how fast a modern pickup truck is generally.

It's worth checking out the 1/4 mile times from guys with RCSB F150s, whether it's an Ecoboost or a Coyote.

At this point, I'd say that the main limitation tends to be traction issues.

[stfp]

This. The crazy acceleration rates make speeding easier (you get to high speeds in no time) and more dangerous (you surprise other people) while offering no tangible benefit except maybe for killing the sports car market.

[GongOfFour]

One of the things I've seen in the Powerboost (their hybrid model) reviews is that even when people disable traction control to launch it, there is something happening that keeps it from spinning out. I think the electric engine might have a mandatory control mechanism in it that cannot be bypassed.

[edit]

Example: https://youtu.be/HGzlV4ggudM?t=425

[zip1234]

And yet we have gps controlled speed for e-scooters but none for cars...

[zzzeek]

this is my biggest concern. my dad has a tesla, and you put your foot on that thing it feels like a jet on the runway. electric motors are allowing everyday, consumer level cars that can do 0-60 faster than a Ferrari, and silently as well. it leads to doing more aggressive turns and stuff like that which you can only pull off with maximum acceleration, which means scenarios like the left turn where you're whipping out like silent lightning to beat the oncoming cars, and some kid on a bike suddenly entering the road to your left where you're going, and in the opposite way in which you are looking (at the oncoming cars to the right) is toast.

[zzzeek]

to all the idiot downmodders, I am not advocating against electric cars, I am advocating against their software allowing unfettered acceleration as well as the lack of audible cues to pedestrians (some hybrid cars are now adding artifical sounds for this issue).