Experts Munro & Justise review Ford F150 Lightning EV Assembly Line

[firsttruck]

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Ford F150 Lightning Assembly Line Tour with Sandy Munro
12 Minutes with Miss GoElectric and Sandy Munro of @Munro Live as they explore the Ford F150 Lightning assembly line at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. This is an extended edit intended for those in the automotive industry and mechanically-minded curious fans of engineering.
May 15, 2022
Miss GoElectric

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Ford F150 Lightning Manufacturing fly through analyzed by Joe Justice Bottom Line: a fantastic truck by today's standards that will be expensive and slow to improve. Pros: Massive battery module with room for growth. Pros: Automated testing at all critical interfaces. Cons: fundamentally less efficient body-on-frame versus exoskeleton or even unibody. Cons: No innovation visible on the line (No visible DSM, design-on-line, agile lines (branching parallel prototype lines). Cons: Linear line (expensive to innovate).
2022 May 16
Joe Justice

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[Cybertruck Hawaii]

I have no doubt that the Ford Lightning is perform well. The real test is the quality of the service department.

 

[firsttruck]

I have no doubt that the Ford Lightning is perform well. The real test is the quality of the service department.

If that is the real test it is doomed.

Ford does not control the service dept.

The service dept is run by the dealers who did not want EVs and who's service dept make 99.9999999% of it's profit from ICE.

Just look at how many dealers add huge markups to EVs.

Ford Lightning customers better hope the Ford Lightning is highly reliable and never needs service (even in warranty service could be painful).

 

[Mini2nut]

I viewed the video. A lot of manual assembly going on. I didn’t see a lot of robots.

 

[Luke42]

I have no doubt that the Ford Lightning is perform well. The real test is the quality of the service department.

This is the problem with my GMC Sierra Hybrid.

It's a great truck. Well built. Tows well. Better drivability than the ICE version.

Finding a Chevy/GMC dealer who is willing to perform hybrid-specific maintenance is the problem.

My next high-tech truck will be from a brand more committed to that particular product.

 

[Bill906]

This is the problem with my GMC Sierra Hybrid.

It's a great truck. Well built. Tows well. Better drivability than the ICE version.

Finding a Chevy/GMC dealer who is willing to perform hybrid-specific maintenance is the problem.

My next high-tech truck will be from a brand more committed to that particular product.

For what it's worth, I never had problems getting service on my 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid from my local Ford dealer. Granted, I never had any issues with anything on the electric part of the hybrid. Actually, other than oil changes, I never had issues with the gas part either. Had issues with 4 wheel drive failing (warranty), AC condenser failing (twice, once under warranty, once not), Computer chip failed in a way that drained my 12V battery (warranty). Otherwise typical maintenance stuff like brakes, tires etc.

 

[Luke42]

For what it's worth, I never had problems getting service on my 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid from my local Ford dealer. Granted, I never had any issues with anything on the electric part of the hybrid. Actually, other than oil changes, I never had issues with the gas part either. Had issues with 4 wheel drive failing (warranty), AC condenser failing (twice, once under warranty, once not), Computer chip failed in a way that drained my 12V battery (warranty). Otherwise typical maintenance stuff like brakes, tires etc.

I can't even get a transmission fluid flush for my GM hybrid, much less get the ABS brake controller replaced.

They just don't want to work on an oddball GM vehicle, even to defend the GM brand.

I knew I was buying a rare vehicle when I bought it, and I was prepared for high maintenance bills. But I wasn't prepared for "we're not even interested in overcharging you."

 

[Crissa]

Definitely maintenance and repair will be a hyper local problem. As well as specific to the part.

-Crissa

 

[Luke42]

Definitely maintenance and repair will be a hyper local problem. As well as specific to the part.

I've tried every moderately EV-friendly GM dealer located within about 150 miles of where I live.

It's definitely a local problem, but I wouldn't go as far as hyper-local.

I've become much more skeptical of Musk's opinions lately, but he was right about car dealers sabotaging the green-car rollout - they like the status quo. It's much better to go with an EV-focused brand than one of the majors at this point.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

This is the problem with my GMC Sierra Hybrid.

It's a great truck. Well built. Tows well. Better drivability than the ICE version.

Finding a Chevy/GMC dealer who is willing to perform hybrid-specific maintenance is the problem.

My next high-tech truck will be from a brand more committed to that particular product.

?Dealerships have to realize that car buying experience actually begins after the sales department and into the service department phase which will last for the remaining ownership of the vehicle.

 

[Ogre]

?Dealerships have to realize that car buying experience actually begins after the sales department and into the service department phase which will last for the remaining ownership of the vehicle.

Oh they under$tand very well that $ale$ and $ervice goe$ hand in hand.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

If that is the real test it is doomed.

Ford does not control the service dept.

The service dept is run by the dealers who did not want EVs and who's service dept make 99.9999999% of it's profit from ICE.

Just look at how many dealers add huge markups to EVs.

Ford Lightning customers better hope the Ford Lightning is highly reliable and never needs service (even in warranty service could be painful).

The less a dealership has to do warranty work, the more profit it can hold on to from the purchase of a new vehicle that was paid in full at the new car sales.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

Oh they under$tand very well that $ale$ and $ervice goe$ hand in hand.

. ??Dealerships have to understand that we consumers also know that fact about the car buying process.

 

[Ogre]

. ??Dealerships have to understand that we consumers also know that fact about the car buying process.

They know. This is why they lobby so hard to maintain their monopoly.

 

[Cybertruck Hawaii]

They know. This is why they lobby so hard to maintain their monopoly.

. ??. Rule number one is that you can’t beat the system. The customer will always prevail at the end.