The EPA has rated the F-150 Lightning Extended-Range for up to 78 MPGe city and 63 MPGe highway, so that would work out to somewhere between a penny and a nickel a mile if I were buying this virtual gas! Did you notice that it gets better city mileage than it does on the highway? Even more so than with the Hybrid, the regenerative breaking of the Lightning puts energy back into the battery when you stop or when you are going downhill.

What completely blindsided me, is that each vehicle has a maximum charge rate, and the fastest advertised speeds at any EV charging station are only attainable with the most expensive models, rarely from American manufacturers. The Ford F-150 Lighting sits in the middle of the road with a 150 kW charging rate. I had a bit of frustration with this discovery, and even more when I learned that many chargers won’t ever each their advertised charge rate. However, I feel much more sympathy for some of the more inexpensive EVs like the early Chevy Bolts and Nissan Leaf’s that maxed out in the mid-50s. That would not work with my lifestyle, and I would have had to sell at a loss promptly! So, hey I guess it’s not so bad then after all. Oh, and if you are curious, the Cybertruck and the Lightning get about the same charge rate.

South of the Border, despite advertising 150 kw, typically only provides a 50 kw charge based on plug share reports. So unless you just love hanging around a place that lives somewhere between kitch and sketch, it’s best to just pass it by if you are trying to make decent time. However, when nature calls: it’s a quick stop and it’s only $0.43 a kw on the Shell Recharge Network.

The ABC’s of EV’s: Always Be Charging.

From the first trip that I ever brought a OneWheel with me on, I have always wondered what it would be like to ride a PEV on Baldhead Island. It is a beautiful and tranquil destination located off the coast of North Carolina, known for its stunning natural landscapes, pristine beaches, and charming coastal atmosphere. What makes this place truly unique is that there are no cars allowed on the island, making golf carts and bicycles the primary mode of transportation.

In 1981 Fred Rogers was in his 11th season of making television for PBS. Mr. Rogers always had an uncanny ability to break down complex ideas for children, and started this season with a series of episodes on divorce, however he always managed to weave other important topics into his programing. In episode 3, he created one of his most memorable moments, when he invited a young Jeff Erlanger onto his program to explain how his electric wheelchair worked and share his story.

For a lot of young people this was a powerful moment, so much so, that we can all be forgiven for forgetting how the episode began. In clips of the original conversation between Jeff and Mr. Rogers, he mentions that he once rode in an electric vehicle. That part of the program is a little more difficult to find, but it shows him driving around in a tiny, blue electric pickup truck. The Internet provides, and here it is my friends: Mr. Rogers cruising around in an Electric Vehicle in 1981, looking like a BOSS in his jumpsuit.