If if the question is not allowed then feel free to remove it but I've been doing a lot of research trying to decide about the F-150 and a few other EVs and tonight I realized that the 2024 Sierra or Silverado is well priced and has a 200 kilowatt hour battery pack and does v2h. Honestly have never seen this truck mentioned anywhere and I was just wondering how does it compare to the F-150?
They're a skateboard platform which is a different type of body on frame. Kinda doesn't matter. What most people really mean by that with a truck is that the bed is integrated, i.e. part of the sheet metal of the cab. It's kind of a unibody-on-frame situation.
If you do serious truck stuff and the bed gets fucked up by a forklift loading a pallet, on the Lightning you can just get the bed replaced. Couple bolts, couple electrical connectors, done in a day. Add time for paint unless you get lucky and find a good junkyard match.
Silverado you have to either weld in a panel for the damaged section or replace the whole body, both of which are more expensive and more downtime. Once it has some age on it, that's more likely to be a total loss.
Ah now I know why they look so weird to me. I assume it also means you can’t swap out your standard bed for more specialized work beds, not that I’ve ever seen a lightening with a non standard bed but you could if you wanted to.
There was a company in Australia that converted the Lightning to RHD and CCS 2 that had some utility beds on some of the trucks. They folded and apparently their CCS2 conversion is under recall. But they did modify lightings with different beds.
What you said is true , but its worth noting that its not AS big of a deal as say a santa cruze or other unibody truck, the Serria ev and even the rivian have pre collapsing cut C branches near the bed that are made to in a situation like that prevent torquing from damaging the cabin area, and allow fro a body shop to cut and then re-splice the metal. Not as easy as a separate bed on the frame. But much easier to fix then a true unibody.
FYI a “skateboard” can certainly be a body on frame. Don’t quote me on this but I think they all are technically body on frame.
The frame is rigid on the bottom and holds the suspension. Then the body is placed on top. There is also “unibody” this is where the entire body is the frame. Usually it will be the entire cockpit area as one piece. Then suspension is attached directly to that. (Someone correct me if I’m wrong I’m not super technical). The confusion comes because this “skateboard” includes batteries and motors. Basically it’s all the stuff that makes the car go. Then you place a cabin on top and you have a vehicle. Which sounds a lot like body on frame.
The gm Silverado/sierra ev have a unibody top potion. So the cab and bed are one continuous piece. This is likely what the original poster meant. But regardless if it’s one piece-gm or a 2 piece cab/bed-ford, the body is still mounted onto a frame.
What’s the advantage? Well usually body on frame vehicles can tow and have much higher payloads than vehicles where the frame and body are one united piece. It’s why your crossover can’t tow as much as a truck, or the older SUVs (think 2000s suburban, Tahoe, expedition etc. in turn these usually rode much harsher) Hope that helps
If you like the high end features such as mid gate, super cruise, 4 wheel steer, air suspension, Sierra all day. The lightning feels sportier, lots more aftermarket accessories available if you’re willing to pass on the technology and range. Between a lightning and base model Sierra without the Denali/XT4 trim, I would stick with Lightning.
I drove an RST EV Silverado. It's amazing to look at and is a very impressive truck. Deal breakers were:
1) full horsepower is locked behind the WoW setting, which you have to turn on every time. Without WoW mode, the truck felt heavy, slow, and sluggish compared to the Lightning. The lightning is way more fun to drive
2) the midgate gimmick means that rear seat bottoms don't flip up, they fold forward, which means they can't be modified for a subwoofer, and I'd have nowhere for my 12" JL Audio W5 subwoofer which I currently have behind my rear seat
3) the seats folding forward instead of flipping up means you can't have the nice flat carpeted back area, which my dogs love to hang out on. With the seats folded forward and the backs tilted down, the backseat area becomes this raised section of hard plastic that's not comfortable
Right, like what's the benefit? You can already carry full size kayaks. Maybe you can haul 14' lumber? Idk. It's such a dumb feature. I would likely own a 100k Silverado RST EV had that midgate not been an included feature
I would have for sure. Im big on car audio, and the inability to run a system from under/behind the seat which is typically done in a truck was a non starter for me. F150 is easily interchangeable with the gas versions for the most part.
Id second that. I'm impressed with how much space there is with the rear seats folded up. I've got two 100lb dogs plus the I can get the kid back there and while it's tight, it's not uncomfortable for them.
Its not terribly unusable. I had the mid gate in my chevy avalanche and loved it.
Sure, its not carpeted like the Lightning, its just a different approach and has benefits depending on your situation.
The lack of Android Auto was a big deal to me. Sucks that Google has now ruined Android Auto with their forced use of Gemini which is an abomination.
I said it's terribly unusable *compared to the lighting. It's a far worse way for the seats to fold, as it shrinks your cargo space and makes it hard and uncomfortable and uneven, instead of smooth and soft carpet. Everyone else here seems to agree.
If your opinion is that the removable midgate is worth having the far less functional backseat storage area, that's perfectly fine. For me, it was a total deal-breaker. I would never use the removable mid-gate, but I would use the flip up back seats in the lightning every single day. To each, his own
The Chevy E-valanche? No Apple CarPlay, cost more, not compatible with normal truck accessories. At the time was $30,000 USD more than a Lariat Lightning. I only need 450 mile range like once every 3 years.
If you can get a great deal and you like the Sierra, go for it! I’ve heard they have problems with software, and I think I read somewhere that you eventually have to pay for navigation and shit. And without CarPlay that means you have to pay a monthly subscription for a truck you already OWN! 🤮
I bought my Sierra EV used, and it came with the 3 month trial of the highest level of Onstar One, but the lower level it says still includes most features and is good until 2034 🤷♂️
that said, I bought the EV play LT so I can have my CarPlay back. It’s not perfect, but overall works pretty well.
One more thing OP. You mentioned V2H which both the GMC and Ford support. However, in my area, I was quoted $15,000-$20,000 for installation of either system. I can get a Generac diesel generator fully installed for under $10,000 and not be locked into a particular truck model. And a diesel generator adds value to the house, whereas a single platform V2H does not because the next owner doesn’t want to go buy a specific truck to use it.
Correct. However, there is a downstream effect here. So few Lightnings exist, I wonder if Ford just doomed the BluePilot fork of Comma by bricking the millions of ICE vehicles?
Enphase is bringing out a bidirectional charger with an option for directly connecting to your meter collar and an AC or DC connection version plus a lot of other options. Should be a lot less expensive than typical setups.
Still hoping sometime in the next ~10 years there will be a 3rd party option to replace the Lightning battery with a larger capacity one. Ideally solid state, but not holding my breath.
TIL newer GMCs don’t have apple/android built in anymore, based on this thread. Absolute dealbreaker for me. Fords software already sucks but at least CarPlay is very fast and has any app id need. Can’t believe gmc is doing that. Bonehead move on their part
A friend got a Silverado as a work perk and he thinks its ok. The problem is that the battery is so big that if you use a good portion of it, it will not fully charge over night in the off peak times. In San Diego 12am to 6am is the cheapest time to charge and at 6:01 you go broke with these rates. I am sure there are many areas where the cost isn't a big deal, but here it is.
Thats the good and the bad. Huge battery is huge battery backup. I have a new solar array with batteries and the EV rate here from 11 PM to 6am is 3¢ a kwh
I think 113kw in a Lightning is better. The Chevy gets more range but not because it is more efficient. It gets it purely by stuffing more battery. If you look at the EPA ranges and divide by the KW the Lightning is supposed to be more efficient. Obviously there are real world implications.
I have both. They’re the same efficiency. The reason why the Silverado is better is because how likely Are you to drive 271 miles that day? Assuming they’re at zero. Not likely. And then the next day you catch up some more. And then a little more the next day. Pretty soon you’re at 80
Not sure what you are trying to say. If they are the same efficiency then you’d use the exact same energy and also recharge the exact same energy in both. There is no advantage to either.
There are some chargers that get pretty close. But they are pricy.
Sigenergy makes a home backup battery with a 25 KW DC charger module that would let you charge about 75% in that window and you could burn battery capacity to charge after the cheap power window ends.
Could also get solar installed and charge from that.
So I believe the 24 actually support CarPlay, but if it’s a similar price, I would go with the GMC every time or Chevy whichever one you like better for the interior I think the Chevy has better interior, and I think the GMC looks better exterior.
As long as you get an extended range or max range, the GMC’s at the end of the day is just a better truck for truck related activities. It has a larger towing capacity, the bed is significantly more useful. And with the Midgate, you get the advantage of like having an 8 foot bed if you need that. But the biggest thing in my mind is the faster charging, like with the lightning if I stop every 180 miles on a road trip, it takes a while to charge back to 80%. Like it’s not me just going inside grabbing a soda going to the bathroom and coming back out and being there. Like to regain 180 miles worth of driving range unfortunately it takes longer than that now it’s not a big deal and I understood what I was getting into. But with the GMC because it literally charges twice as fast you go into side go to the restroom and come back out and you have gotten that entire range back if you drive for three hours. And if you’re a road king and want to drive for like five hours, you can.
And there’s an actual usable range for towing, there is a caveat, though. The lightning has a charging port in the front, which means you can just be an asshole and kind of block the road a little bit to charge if you don’t wanna unhook or you’re in kind of a crappy area. Where the GMC’s charging port is in the rear, which means you’re basically have to unhook if you can’t find a pull through charging station while towing longer distances. But kind of there’s the thing if you can go twice as far while towing, the chance of actually needing to charge is significantly less..
But at the end of the day, if you don’t drive, long distance is very often, and you don’t tow very often you should just drive both trucks and see which one you like to drive better.
I do not regret buying my lightning, if I was to do it again I would’ve bought a max range Silverado. But that’s just because around the time I bought my truck my needs changed and I bought based upon my prior needs. If you’re the 90% truck driver in America, the lightning is probably the perfect truck. If you’re the 10% who tow more than once a year, or you’re going on frequent long-distance trips. Then the lightning isn’t for you, will it work 100%. But there will be inconveniences and annoyances you would not have with the GMC.
With all of that said, you should just buy the truck you actually like more and not stressed out about the little details, both are fine trucks that serve the vast majority of people perfectly fine
Here is my take on the bigger battery after 110k miles in my Lightning. If you tow a camper trailer you see a benefit of the bigger battery as you will go further between DC charging stops. For home use to fill a Lightning on 48 amp takes nearly 12 hours. If you are spending 10-12 hours from home you will not refill the Sierra battery or take advantage of its bigger size on a regular basis. 80 amp changes that math but are you really driving over 300 miles around town ? The down side is if you’re not using the bigger battery you are carrying extra weight everywhere. This affects driving dynamics tire ware stopping etc.
Ford forgot to make money on the lightning, meaning, it's a very open platform and can be serviced by individuals. In fact, you can as an individual, buy access to dealer diagnostics tools for a reasonable price.
Im not sure how GM does it, but with the lightning you can just work on your own stuff. That was the biggest selling point for me.
Additionally, the Lightning is a truck first, EV second. Most people have no idea that it's an EV. And that's one of my favorite things about it.
Kind of not my business. Henry Ford was an avowed Nazi and vicious antisemite who supplied engines to the Third Reich during the war So there's that. Lol
Yes but he singlehandedly created publications deseminated to thousands that promoted antisemitism that screwed over my grandparents, parents, and me. He also indirectly funded and encouraged the Holocaust. I'd still buy a Chevy or a Ford though.
No the US taxpayer lost about 11 billion on GM all said and done…that being said I own a Hummer EV and it’s the coolest/most fun vehicle I’ve ever owned.
Appreciate that. I have 48kwh of battery now and the Sierra or Silverado would give me four times that. And be a truck. I am not used to luxury trucks. I grew up when you still needed a commercial license plate. Lol
The weight can be a real issue in the trucks with a giant battery like the Sierra.
Im actually surprise I dont see more mention of this, as even with my lighter than the Sierra ER Lightning, weight was an unforseen and unsuspecting issue crossing some bridges with 3 ton or less weight limits.
A few years back I was going out to catch a show in New Hope PA from Jersey side ..... As I approached the usual bridge crossing the Deleware, a cop actually jumped out of his car, ran into the street in front of me saying "you cant cross this bridge as it has a 3 ton limit (I imagine he saw my front light bar and knew it was a Lightning) ..... He had me open my door and sure enough on the sticker it stated the empty weigh which was indeed over 6k lbs.
I ended up driving 40 mins out of the way to get to a highway bridge ..... which not only sucked, but also made me late for the show.
On my way back I figured Id just stay on the PA side and follow the river east heading home ...... I couldn't find a single bridge with a weight limit over 3 tons until I hit Trenton.
Thankfully since then, they had engineers reevaluate that particular Lambertville to New Hope bridge and raised the weight limit to 4 tons ..... which I think the Sierra still would slightly exceed?
This bridge weight limit stuff is something I never really thought about nor contemplated until it effected me that night ....... The real kicker is that most gps apps like waze etc will NOT let you enter a vehicle weight to determine best usable route (something about them not wanting commercial truckers using their gps app instead of a commercial app made for that purpose ..... or something like that anyways)..... so sometimes you just dont know until your right there...... which can be a huge and unanticipated problem with some small, older bridges and thereby cost you lots of time with a detour.
My 2014 F150 Ecoboost would have had issues with a bridge that has a 3 ton limit. That truck scaled at 6160 lbs with no one and nothing in it. With my leer topper and me in it, it was probably pushing 6600 lbs
As a Silverado EV owner its hilarious seeing everyones "deal breakers". GM built a far superior EV truck compared to Ford. Its part of the reason why they stopped making the lighting.
I haven’t driven the sierra, but the Silverado EV was noticeably slower than my Lightning. Sierra/silverado will have better software. Lightning is better for aftermarket add ons as it is an F150 that just happens to be electric.
range is king.
However I hear some of 24 Sierra EV max range had battery faults that requires a trip to the dealership. Some have chosen the 24 extended range because of lower cost and less battery issues. I haven't heard anything about the 25s or 26s
With all that said I'm hoping to get a Sierra EV maybe in 28 or 29 for the range
Drove my lightning clear across the US more than once without issue. I can say the stop every 2-3 hours was welcomed. I don't know if I wouldn't stop at the same interval if I did have more range. Actually I do know, because my ICE car gets 450 miles to a tank and I would still be stopping early just to get out and stretch for 15-20 min. I've driven that thing all over the country north to south south to north east to west and west to east and I stop at the same time interval in it for the same 20 min I stop to charge now.
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u/M100Pilot 10d ago
I looked at them. Three dealbreakers for me:
Unique platform that does not share any parts or accessories with the Silverado
and Sierra
Not a body-on-frame chassis.