The truck averaged about 1.5 mi/kWh, but its driver counted six hours of charging. BC Hydro’s pricing shows how a faster stop can cost the same.
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A 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT Standard Range hauled a loaded 6-by-12-foot U-Haul from coastal British Columbia to Canmore, Alberta, and its driver came away delighted with the truck. The move also included about six hours of charging, with some stops on 50-kW equipment and some charges to 100%.
Posting as WoodpeckerBubbly7391 on Reddit, the owner praised the Lightning’s comfort and towing performance through the mountain passes. When asked about charging time, he checked the Ford app and explained:
“A couple charges to 100% really increase the total time. Especially the ones on 50kw chargers.”
He had chosen BC Hydro in Revelstoke because
He had chosen BC Hydro in Revelstoke because of price. Yet the network charges the same amount per kilowatt-hour at its faster units as at its 50-kW chargers.
That makes charger selection worth a closer look: a faster, accessible stop could keep the same energy price while cutting the wait.
A Mountain Move at 1.5 Miles per kWh
His account traces stops near the Coquihalla summit, Merritt, Kamloops, Revelstoke, Rogers Pass, and Field before Canmore. He praised trailer access at the first three locations; Revelstoke was more difficult. At Rogers Pass, he topped up for reassurance despite believing he could reach Golden.
Three Lessons for a Lightning Moving Trip
- Check access before counting on speed. BC Hydro’s faster chargers have the same posted energy rate as its 50-kW units, but a trailer-compatible space and a reachable cable determine whether you can use them.
- Keep a reserve and choose a departure target. Allow enough energy for the next leg, weather, and a backup charger. Save a full charge for a leg that warrants the extra time.
- Match the stops to the job. Allow time for slow chargers, full charges on longer legs, and getting a trailer into position. If you have a fixed arrival deadline, work backward through the charging stops to decide whether the journey fits the time available.
He reported an overall average of approximately 1.5
He reported an overall average of approximately 1.5 miles per kWh. Speeds stayed at or below roughly 56 mph, in temperatures of 50 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. He also reported a sharp consumption increase in wind after Kamloops.
U-Haul recommends a maximum of 55 mph when towing this trailer. The company lists it at 1,920 pounds empty, with a maximum 2,480-pound load and 4,400-pound gross weight. He did not report its loaded weight.
Another Lightning driver praised its smoothness after a 400-mile tow at 1 mi/kWh. Both owners liked how the truck towed. Their accounts also show why a buyer needs to consider the hours between departure and arrival alongside the experience behind the wheel.
Ford lists 98 kWh of usable energy
Ford lists 98 kWh of usable energy for the 2025 Standard Range battery. Moving from 15% to 80% represents approximately 63.7 kWh. Even at a steady 50 kW, supplying that energy would take about 76 minutes, before charging losses or any reduction in power.
Ford’s published estimate for that same battery window on equipment rated at 150 kW or higher is 32 minutes, based on computer engineering simulations. A 50-kW dispenser imposes a much lower ceiling, whatever the truck could accept at a faster unit.
Ford also warns that charging slows as the battery approaches full capacity. Staying for 100% extends the session into that slower portion of the charge.
At his reported consumption, using the battery
At his reported consumption, using the battery from 80% down to 20% would cover approximately 89 miles. That estimate uses his trip average. The higher consumption he encountered in the wind after Kamloops shows why the next leg needs its own allowance.
In its April 2025 charging progress report, BC Hydro described the province’s Electric Highway as a network with sites approximately 93 miles apart. At this owner’s reported consumption, a gap that long would exceed the illustrated 80%-to-20% window. The next usable station therefore determines the departure charge. Charging above 80% earns its extra time when it supplies the energy needed to reach that stop with a reserve.
Faster charging and a larger battery address different parts of the trip. Faster equipment reduces the time needed to replace energy. More battery capacity gives a driver greater choice about where to stop. This Standard Range truck still has 98 kWh to work with after a station upgrade, so improvements along the corridor have to include useful locations as well as higher power.
BC Hydro Charges the Same Energy Rate at Faster Units
When another commenter raised the price
When another commenter raised the price of an Electrify Canada alternative in Revelstoke, the owner explained his choice of BC Hydro:
“Yeah, that’s why I went to the bc hydro one, but 50kw is slow.”
BC Hydro’s posted tariff, effective April 1, 2026, charges C$0.3969 per kWh before tax at fast chargers labeled 25 kW or higher. A 50-kW unit has the same posted energy price as a faster BC Hydro charger.
For a 60-kWh purchase, that is C$23.81 before tax at either speed. Roaming-provider fees and idle charges can change the total.
For a similar trip, use the BC Hydro app
For a similar trip, use the BC Hydro app to check the site’s listed price and current charger status. BC Hydro also gives a specific way to find suitable parking: in PlugShare, select the “pull-through” and “trailer friendly” parking filters and limit the network to BC Hydro EV. Read the site description and recent check-ins for access problems before committing to the stop.
Charger status is a snapshot; the parking layout is what you will have to work with on arrival. With a loaded U-Haul, a usable pull-through space can save the trouble of unhitching, parking the trailer, and reconnecting it after charging. Those are minutes the advertised charging speed never captures.
A Lightning owner got a quick charge from Rie price. He encountered the same practical issue: the truck’s parking position and the cable’s reach determine whether the charger delivers a convenient stop
What Britton Creek’s Upgrade Offers a Towing Driver
BC Hydro announced the Britton Creek expansion
BC Hydro announced the Britton Creek expansion on June 29, 2026, ahead of the September journey described here. Near the Coquihalla summit between Hope and Merritt, the site gained two 400-kW and two 350-kW chargers. Power sharing allows those four units to serve as many as eight vehicles simultaneously.
Britton Creek matches the summit-area location he described, but the owner did not identify the station or dispenser. Its expansion shows what was available on the corridor before his move.
BC Hydro says a 400-kW unit can divide its output into 200 kW for each of two vehicles. Each share remains above the 150-kW minimum charger rating Ford specifies for its 32-minute estimate. A second EV plugging in therefore need not halve the Lightning’s charging speed.
Battery conditions and the power actually delivered determine
Battery conditions and the power actually delivered determine the truck’s charging rate. The parking layout determines how many of those connectors a towing driver can use. Eight charging positions for cars can still leave a truck and trailer with limited room to maneuver.
Better stations can make this owner’s existing Lightning more useful on long trips. Faster charging shortens the wait, while a usable pull-through space removes the work of unhitching. Another suitable location farther along the route gives the driver more choice about where to stop. Each improvement addresses a different part of the time spent getting a loaded trailer to its destination.
That should be the standard for judging the next round of highway charging construction: how well the site serves a working vehicle. Operators need to make trailer access, cable reach, and the availability of usable spaces as easy to understand as the advertised kilowatts. A driver should be able to select a stop confidently before arriving with a trailer full of belongings.
How Much Time Did Charging Add to the Move?
The owner also acknowledged stopping with energy in reserve:
“Usually I charged around 20-40%; I really didn’t stretch this out well”
A 20% to 40% arrival charge leaves
A 20% to 40% arrival charge leaves a cushion for wind or a detour. The next decision is how much energy to add. A difficult gap may warrant a full battery; a shorter leg with a dependable backup charger may allow an earlier departure while preserving a useful reserve.
Another Lightning owner reported saving 90 minutes after abandoning a fixed charging-percentage habit. The habit worth carrying over is to set the departure target around the miles ahead. That gives the driver a reason to unplug once the truck has enough energy for the next leg.
A charge that overlaps a meal the driver would have taken anyway adds less time than the session’s full duration. Detours, queues, and trailer maneuvering can add minutes outside the recorded charge.
For this trip, the reported six hours
For this trip, the reported six hours is the charging total. The extra travel time remains unmeasured because the post contains no session-by-session schedule.
Was the Electricity Cheaper Than Gasoline?
He believed charging cost less than a full tank of gasoline. He did not publish receipts, the exact trip distance, or the battery readings at departure and arrival.
In Lightning towing-cost comparisons, a roadside bill can omit electricity already in the battery at departure. The fair comparison counts the electricity used over the whole trip, adjusting roadside purchases for the battery’s charge at departure and arrival. It then compares that cost with a gasoline truck towing a similar load over the same route. That would put his inexpensive-trip impression on a comparable footing.
This move shows why an owner can like
This move shows why an owner can like the Lightning as a tow vehicle while spending substantial time at the chargers. For someone moving house occasionally, that can be a workable compromise. For someone hauling to a delivery appointment week after week, the time commitment carries much more weight. The buying decision depends on how often the truck must make this kind of trip.
Noah Washington is a young automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, covering sports cars, luxury vehicles, electric vehicles, and the ownership realities behind them. His reporting for Torque News connects engineering and design with what drivers experience, from towing and charging to reliability and the character that makes a car worth caring about.
His work includes interviews withJaguar F-TYPE designer Matt Beaven andformer Lucid Gravity chief engineer Zach Walker, plus firsthand reviews of theNissan Z Nismo andMitsubishi Mirage G4.
A BMW E36 M3 owner and former Miata owner, Noah has written for TopSpeed, HotCars, and Cointelegraph. He is a member of the Southeast Region Automotive Media Association (SERAMA) and theInternational Motor Press Association (IMPA). His favorite car remains the Fiat 500 Abarth.
Follow Noah on X andLinkedIn for his latest reporting and to share story tips.
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