Why even Fox loves the Ford F-150 Lightning

Sometimes it’s easy to fall into an echo chamber, especially with social media. Dealing with like-minded people is more fun and less frustrating, and when it comes to electric cars, the sheer volume of misinformation isn’t something anyone has time for. We know what works and what doesn’t, and those electric vehicle enthusiasts and/or environmentalists are willing to make sacrifices to drive an electric car, often to a much greater extent than the average driver.

That’s why it’s important to note when publications and people who aren’t part of the stereotypical electric car crowd have good things to say or offer truly constructive criticism of electric cars. In today’s example, Fox News Motors Do a little of both.

It’s no secret that many conservatives love big, bulky SUVs, with Hummers being the most extreme example. The GMC Hummer EV has been able to beat other electric trucks on the market for months, but having something big, flashy, and inefficient really isn’t the point of trucks. People who like to drive pickups only often commute in them, but they usually have at least the occasional utilitarian use in mind for them, and in this case, the Hummer EV fell fundamentally short of the Ford F-150 Lightning.

It turns out that (as I’ve pointed out before in this article on country EV trips) full-size spares are important to many truck owners.

You don’t have to go far out of town to get to places where roadside assistance services, such as those offered by AAA or most insurance companies, take a long time to get to you. On the sidewalk they will almost always come, but my experience shows it can take more than 45 minutes. Even worse, if you’re outside of cell phone service areas, you may not be able to reach them at all unless you have a satellite phone or can call for help with something like amateur radio. It is very easy to carry a full size replacement part and change it yourself and drive on it until you can get to the tire shop.

Even worse, you don’t have to go very far from the curb before roadside services don’t come at all, so getting a spare part might be your only reasonable option.

The F-150 Lightning won the spare tire competition. Like other Ford trucks, it has full-size parts mounted under the bed, near the front bumper. No matter if you’re towing, putting a bunch of stuff in bed, or wearing a stroller cover of some sort, you can easily reach for your spare tire and make a quick tire change. This is easy, practical and safe.

competition yet? Not much. The Hummer EV doesn’t have room for a full-size spare, and you’ll have to use an inconvenient accessory rack to store parts in the rear cargo area. On trips, they may get buried or you may want to skip spare parts because they take up the space you need for your luggage. The Rivian R1T has plenty of room to spare, but it’s accessible from inside the bed, so you have to unload everything from the bed to get to the spare.

It may sound silly, but if you live in or visit rural America as frequently as many Fox readers and viewers do, that’s a big deal, and it’s something Ford did right.

Featured image of Ford.

Do we appreciate the originality of CleanTechnica? Consider becoming a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, Ambassador – or Patreon Sponsor.