News
Ford used Alaska’s trickiest terrain to test the F-150 Lightning’s all-season capability
Ford is preparing for the first deliveries of its all-electric pickup the F-150 Lightning this Spring. As Ford moves closer to bringing the electric version of its popular pickup series to market, the company has been assessing the vehicle’s performance in some of the most challenging settings, ensuring customers will enjoy the top-notch capabilities the F-series has offered for decades. The F-150 Lightning spent two weeks with Ford engineers in Alaska, providing the vehicle with some of its toughest and trickiest tests to date.
Ford, which saw an over 55 percent increase in electric vehicle sales in February, took its new all-electric pickup to the coldest portions of the frozen Alaskan tundra, assessing the pickup’s performance on low-traction surfaces like snow and ice. The environment also provided another challenge: extremely cold temperatures, which are not always friendly to electric powertrains.
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- Preproduction model with optional equipment driven under test conditions. Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning production begins spring 2022.
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- Preproduction model with optional equipment driven under test conditions. Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning production begins spring 2022.
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- Preproduction model with optional equipment driven under test conditions. Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning production begins spring 2022.
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- Preproduction model with optional equipment driven under test conditions. Professional driver on closed course. Do not attempt. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning production begins spring 2022.
“Alaska provides us the extremely cold temperatures, snow and ice-covered surfaces that we need to push the F-150 Lightning in this type of testing, which is really focused on dialing-in how the truck delivers its power to the ground on slippery surfaces,” Cameron Dillon, an F-150 Lightning powertrain engineer, said. “Customers may not regularly see minus 30-degree mornings like we are seeing here, but they will see winter cold, snow, and icy roads, and they should feel confident their F-150 Lightning is ready for all of it.”
“Alaska provides us the extremely cold temperatures, snow and ice-covered surfaces that we need to push the F-150 Lightning in this type of testing, which is really focused on dialing-in how the truck delivers its power to the ground on slippery surfaces,” Cameron Dillon, an F-150 Lightning powertrain engineer, said. “Customers may not regularly see minus 30-degree mornings like we are seeing here, but they will see winter cold, snow, and icy roads, and they should feel confident their F-150 Lightning is ready for all of it.”
Ford says it performed low-mu testing, an evaluation of an all-electric powertrain and how it adjusts power delivery to the wheels on low-traction surfaces. Snow, ice, and cold temperatures all contribute to the removal of traction from normal driving surfaces like concrete and asphalt. Alaska was an ideal choice, especially as it offered extreme scenarios of what the truck will see on a daily basis.
Ford took six pre-production units of the F-150 Lightning to Alaska for the testing, it said. It also tested the pickup’s performance on a variety of winter weather conditions, including loose and packed snow, half ice-half concrete, and complete ice. The F-150 Lightning’s ability to sense wheel slip and adjust power to the wheels within the blink of an eye helps improve handling. The advantages are just another feature of electric powertrains, Nick Harris, another F-150 Lightning powertrain engineer, said.
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“F-150 Lightning in the snow is a very different ballgame compared to gas vehicles. The responses are extremely quick and the dual motors make it as if you have two engines pumping out power in one vehicle. A lot of our work is to coordinate the two motors to work together to best deliver torque to the ground, so that customers who drive in the snow and ice ultimately feel very confident.”
“F-150 Lightning in the snow is a very different ballgame compared to gas vehicles. The responses are extremely quick and the dual motors make it as if you have two engines pumping out power in one vehicle. A lot of our work is to coordinate the two motors to work together to best deliver torque to the ground, so that customers who drive in the snow and ice ultimately feel very confident.”
The electric F-150 Lightning has six standard benefits that all can be attributed to the use of an electric powertrain, rather than a gas-powered one:
- Standard dual motors front and rear
- Standard always-on 4×4
- Quick torque delivery
- Standard electronic-locking rear differential
- Selectable drive modes
- Low center of gravity for even more confident handling
Ford also can adjust the calibration to help make quick adjustments to the vehicle, making testing more efficient. While the team spent just two weeks in Alaska’s extreme conditions, Ford says the F-150 Lightning Powertrain team also dedicated numerous testing sessions in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Borrego Springs, Johnson Valley, and at Ford’s Michigan Proving Grounds near Romeo.
The F-150 Lightning will begin customer deliveries this Spring. Ford recently split its EV and combustion engine operations into two “divisions.” The electric side is known as Model e, while combustion engine projects will fall under the Ford Blue division.
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News
Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Tesla AI4 owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season.
Tesla quietly rolled out a free Full Self-Driving (Supervised) trial for roughly 1.5 million HW4 owners in North America who never bought the package, and the timing could very well be genius.
As it turns out, the trial doesn’t end after 30 days. Instead, it expires January 8, 2026, meaning owners get FSD (Supervised) through Christmas, New Year’s Eve and well into the post-holiday travel season. This extended window positions the feature for maximum word-of-mouth exposure.
A clever holiday gift
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt first spotted the detail after multiple owners shared screenshots showing the trial expiring on January 8. He confirmed with affected users that none had active FSD subscriptions before the rollout. He also observed that Tesla never called the promotion a “30-day trial,” as the in-car message simply reads “You’re Getting FSD (Supervised) For the Holidays,” which technically runs until after the new year.
The roughly 40-day period covers peak family travel and gatherings, giving owners ample opportunity to showcase the latest FSD V14’s capabilities on highway trips, crowded parking lots and neighborhood drives. With relatives riding along, hands-off highway driving and automatic lane changes could become instant conversation starters.
Rave reviews for FSD V14 highlight demo potential
FSD has been receiving positive reviews from users as of late. Following the release of FSD v14.2.1, numerous owners praised the update for its smoothness and reliability. Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic called it a “huge leap forward from version 14.1.4,” praising extreme smoothness, snappy lane changes and assertive yet safe behavior that allows relaxed monitoring.
-->Another Tesla owner, @DevinOlsenn, drove 600 km without disengagements, noting his wife now defaults to FSD for daily use due to its refined feel. Sawyer Merritt also tested FSD V14.2.1 in snow on unplowed New Hampshire roads, and the system stayed extra cautious without hesitation. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted improved sign recognition in school zones, showing better dynamic awareness. These reports of fewer interventions and a more “sentient” drive could turn family passengers into advocates, fueling subscriptions come January.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Elon Musk stated that rapid advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make traditional work unnecessary within two decades.
Speaking on entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, Musk predicted that machines will soon handle most forms of labor, leaving humans to work only if they choose to.
Work as a “hobby”
During the discussion, Musk said the accelerating capability of AI systems and general-purpose robots will eventually cover all essential tasks, making human labor a choice rather than an economic requirement. “In less than 20 years, working will be optional. Working at all will be optional. Like a hobby,” Musk said.
When Kamath asked whether this future is driven by massive productivity growth, Musk agreed, noting that people will still be free to work if they enjoy the routine or the challenge. He compared future employment to home gardening, as it is something people can still do for personal satisfaction even if buying food from a store is far easier.
“Optional” work in the future
Elon Musk acknowledged the boldness of his claim and joked that people might look back in 20 years and say he was wrong. That being said, the CEO noted that such a scenario could even happen sooner than his prediction, at least if one were to consider the pace of the advancements in AI and robotics.
-->“Obviously people can play this back in 20 years and say, ‘Look, Elon made this ridiculous prediction and it’s not true,’ but I think it will turn out to be true, that in less than 20 years, maybe even as little as ten or 15 years, the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional,” Musk said.
Elon Musk’s comments echo his previous sentiments at Tesla’s 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, where he noted that Optimus could ultimately eliminate poverty. He also noted that robots like Optimus could eventually provide people worldwide with the best medical care.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reiterates why Tesla will never make an electric motorcycle
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk preemptively shut down speculations about a Tesla road bike once more, highlighting that the electric vehicle maker has no plans to enter the electric motorcycle market.
Musk posted his clarification in a post on X.
Musk’s reply to a fun AI video
X user @Moandbhr posted an AI video featuring the Tesla CEO on the social media platform, captioning it with “Mr. Elon Musk Just Revealed the Game-Changing Tesla Motorcycle.” The short clip depicted Musk approaching a sleek, single-wheeled vehicle, stepping onto it, and gliding off into the distance amid cheers. The fun video received a lot of traction on X, gaining 3.1 million views as of writing.
Musk replied to the post, stating that a Tesla motorcycle is not going to happen. “Never happening, as we can’t make motorcycles safe. For Community Notes, my near death experience was on a road bike. Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully, as you can’t be smashed by a truck,” Musk wrote in his reply.
Musk’s Past Comments on Two-Wheelers
Musk also detailed his reservations about motorcycles in a December 2019 X post while responding to questions about Tesla’s potential ATV. At the time, he responded positively to an electric ATV, though he also opposed the idea of a Tesla road-going motorcycle. Musk did state that electric dirt bikes might be cool, since they do not operate in areas where large vehicles like Class 8 trucks are present.
-->“Electric dirt bikes would be cool too. We won’t do road bikes, as too dangerous. I was hit by a truck & almost died on one when I was 17,” Musk wrote in his post.
Considering Musk’s comments about dirt bikes, however, perhaps Tesla would eventually offer a road bike as a recreational vehicle. Such a two-wheeler would be a good fit for the Cybertruck, as well as future products like the Robovan, which could be converted into an RV.
Tesla’s new Holiday perk is timed perfectly to make FSD a household name
Elon Musk predicts AI and robotics could make work “optional” within 20 years
