It is fairly common while covering the tech community that new developments are heralded as unprecedented and life-changing.
The problem is that many of them are not — who can forget Amazon’s (AMZN) – Get Amazon.com, Inc. Report health tracking Halo or Google’s (GOOGL) – Get Alphabet Inc. Class A Report ill-fated glasses — and thus an already fatigued consumer based becomes more cynical about which technological advances could really change the world.
A weary public has now seen tech gadgets come and go in dozens of iterations, from the seemingly hundreds of iPhone configurations, multiple Alexa generations and, of course, an ever more relentless Fitbit (FIT) – Get Fitbit, Inc. Class A Report.
So how do tech lovers know if something is the real deal?
Well, the most successful pieces of technology almost all have one thing in common: They meet a need at the intersection of real life and solving a major real world issue.
That’s where electric vehicles come in, and one case has stood above them all lately, even shining brighter than the brilliance glinting off of Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc Report.
That is the newly debuted electric F-150 Lightning.
And if you’ve been waiting for tech to change your life while saving the world and revolutionizing how America does business, Ford (F) – Get Ford Motor Company Report is betting that it has the truck for you.
Here’s What You Need to Know About The Ford-150
The Ford-150 has long been America’s favorite truck.
It consistently beats every other truck in its class for sales, while attracting more and more consumers, who use it for everything from ranching to just gussying up and driving around for fun.
Ford sells more than a million of them a year, a scorching pace that has been estimated to weigh in at the automaker handing them over to a new owner more than 100 times each hour of the day.
It has fan clubs, more repeat buyers than a suite of other trucks and even its own hashtag on Twitter (TWTR) – Get Twitter, Inc. Report.
And now, it has an electric version that is causing both fans and analysts to go wild.
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How Will The Electric F-150 Work?
The onus on Ford to create a truly useful electric F-150 is substantial.
For a truck that is driven in some of the remotest parts of the world, and in some of the widest empty stretches of America, analysts have long wondered how long its range may be before being charged.
That is even just assuming that nearby civilization has an electric charging station, and that the station is compatible with the truck’s charger.
Many electric vehicle buyers have driven right out of juice only to find that the station they saw online in Google Maps is for a completely different charging apparatus.
Mostly, though, possible business and agricultural buyers want to make sure the electric version of the F-150 Lightning is just as tough and able to complete its tasks without constantly needing a long, time-consuming charge.
Ford Explains Charging The New F-150
Ford says that it has considered all that, and has even created a frequently asked questions page for people needing answers.
The company said that the truck will have a range of between 230 miles and 320 miles, depending on the model.
All versions of the Lightning can be connected to the Blue Oval Charge Network, a string of 70,000 chargers throughout North America and maintained by Ford.
Each charger on the Blue Oval network can add about 54 miles of range per 10 minutes of charge, and it comes with an app that allows you plan your trip around where the neared chargers are located.
The truck also has plenty of extra power: Ford says that buyers can use its Mobile Power Cord and an additional aftermarket adapter charge other J1772-equipped EVs with certain features.
Can You Charge Your F-150 Lightning at Home?
The Lightning also can be charged at home.
Buyers can either use their washing machine electric outlets to charge their trucks, or sign on to Ford installing a home charging station, know as the Charge Station Pro.
However, that option is handled via a separate company, Sunrun, which installs and powers the station at rates set depending on where you live.
If a buyer wants to work with their own electrician — or is an electrician themself — Ford can provide them with instructions on how to install a Mobile Power Cord or Ford Charge Station Pro.
