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The United States Forest Service (USFS) is now testing the Ford F-150 Lightning as it begins transitioning its 17,000 vehicles (fossil powered at the moment) to a rugged, sometimes off-road fleet of more than 17,000 battery-electric vehicles. In addition to being used in remote areas, the vehicles must be top-notch and able to withstand extreme weather conditions.
Image credit: USFS
The pilot program will assist the forest service in meeting the requirements of Executive Order 14057, Stimulating America’s Clean Energy Economy Through Federal Sustainability. The order mandates that all new federal agency procurement of light-duty vehicles be zero-emissions vehicles starting in 2027, with all other types of vehicles to follow by 2035.
Photo credit: USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
Outside reported that the sites for the long test were chosen to test in the most stringent conditions. The White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine, the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, and the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan received three F-150 Lightnings. Perhaps the Forest Service will also test some of the water, answering the question “Can an EV drive on water?”
The test could benefit all outdoor enthusiasts by providing solid information on the complexities of severe weather, especially in the White Mountains, as well as a more solid foundation for the transition to electric vehicles. .
“The Forest Service is embarking on an exciting study of the first use of electric vehicles in a natural resources field setting,” US FS spokesman Jason Kirchner said. Outside magazine. “The research will determine the feasibility of electric vehicles in field-work settings, helping the agency determine the right tool for the job when it comes to electric fleet vehicles.”
Kirchner also reported that the F-150 Lightning is the only EV pickup truck currently available through the Government Services Administration (GSA). The USFS uses the base version of the Lightning, which features a 230-mile range, four-wheel drive, and a 2,000-pound payload.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning in Alaska. Photo courtesy of Ford.
EV Charging in the Forest
The vehicle will be used as part of a fleet and spend the night at a designated location to recharge. As a result, extraordinary infrastructure investments are not required. If there aren’t already charging stations, EV drivers already know to look for regular 240-volt outlets in rest areas for faster charging. The F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck can be charged at any USFS location with a standard 240-volt outlet.
Photo courtesy of Ford
Fleet-spec F-150 Lightnings are cheaper than mainstream consumer-level fossil-fueled F-150s. The USFS operates 8,775 light trucks. All will transition to battery electric vehicles as they end their normal service life. Kirchner said the goal is, “reducing carbon emissions in the long run.”
Importantly, disaster relief can make this electric vehicle even more valuable. Count CleanTechnica reported recently, it can be used as a powerful backup power source for days. For example, see the article “Ford F-150 Lightning Powers Florida Man’s Cooking, Lights, Refrigerator, Entertainment During Hurricane Ian.”
Also, see what life is like in a Ford F-150 Lightning. Hear Aaron Smith, CEO of the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA), talk about his new Ford F-150 Lightning and also his Ford Mustang Mach-E. “There are a lot of interesting notes and takeaways about these electric vehicles in this one-hour podcast, but perhaps the things that jump out at me the most are that Aaron is already using the Lightning’s vehicle-to-load capability, how much that covered, and how quickly that feature spread to the neighbors and they asked for help.”
Off-roading yourself? Alright, it’s easy! CleanTechnica’s Maarten Vinkhuyzen agrees with Rachel Maddow, “When I heard that Ford was going to make a battery-electric F-150, I thought it would change the EV world. A day later, I heard, in his strange way , who make about the same argument.”
Photo provided by Ford Media Center.
The Ford F-150 Lightning really won this year CleanTechnica Car of the Year award. Applications like these — and many more — are what make the F-150 Lightning so attractive to quality EV finalists. See also: “Why I Voted For The Ford F-150 Lightning For CleanTechnica Car Of The Year.”
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