The U.S. Forest Service is used to exploring new territory. Newest? electric truck.
The federal agency is running a 12-month pilot program to test whether battery-powered pickup trucks are up to the task of traversing some of the most rugged and remote terrain in the country.
As the Biden administration pushes to electrify all new government vehicles by 2035, the initiative offers the Forest Service an early opportunity to see how the Ford F-150 Lightning performs in a variety of conditions — and to assess its range , traction, and other features compared to gasoline-powered trucks in use today.
“As one of the leading land management agencies, we’re committed to conservation, we’re committed to improving the environment, so it’s the right thing to do, start getting rid of the vehicle emissions we’re currently generating,” said Gina Owens, regional forester for the agency’s eastern region . “We have a long way to go and we need to do our part, so this test is an important first step.”
Forest Service officials announced the pilot program Friday near Ford’s manufacturing plant in Dearborn, Mich., next to a horse, a Ford Model T and a shiny new F-150 Lightning, representing the The evolution of transportation options since the institution’s founding in 1903.
“In the 21st century, we have a whole new army of people,” said James Simino, forest supervisor for the nearby Huron-Manistee National Forest.
Michigan’s Huron-Manistee, Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest and New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest are all testing an F-150 Lightning, which Kelley Blue Book calls “the best electric car on the market.” truck”. The Forest Service was able to purchase the vehicles after the General Services Administration made them available to agencies last year.
Equipped with four-wheel drive, the trucks have a towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds and a range of 230 miles on a full charge. They can be charged overnight using the included Level 2 charger and require no special infrastructure.
While much of the existing EV research has focused on cost, environmental benefits and consumer perception, the Forest Service study will test performance and reliability. The one-year evaluation will give officials time to evaluate the vehicles in a variety of weather and terrain conditions and learn how employees feel about using them for everyday tasks.
“We know that the introduction of electric vehicles has huge [potential] to curb emissions, but what we don’t quite understand is how electric vehicles can function as land management tools,” Forest Service research scientist Sonya Sachdeva said in the announcement. “We want to ensure that these vehicles enhance safety, efficiency and functionality. “
The data collected will be used to understand the strengths and limitations of electric trucks and to plan future charging stations.
Owens said she expects some employees who are not familiar with electric trucks to worry about their range and reliability. When the Forest Service switched from horses to the Model T in the early 20th century, skeptics said the cars could run out of gas in the field. But in practice, she said, the switch “definitely works well.”
“Change can be tough and uncomfortable. However, this isn’t the first time we’ve changed the way we travel through a national forest,” Owens said. “We know we’re going to have problems along the way, and we’re going to continually analyze them and figure out the best way forward, because that’s what we do at the Forest Service.”
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