Ford cuts prices of F-150 Lightening by 7-16%.

[JeffKeryk]

I checked a local Ford dealership's website yesterday - the Lightnings started at $82K and went up to $124K. Sales taxes would add 12%. C$, but that's what my savings are in.

I assume that is MSRP. Do you have an idea what the actual purchase price might be? I understand Ford has dropped prices significantly but I have not heard what the real prices are.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Kira]

when was the last time you bought a brand new vehicle? What make/model was it?

June 1995, a 1995 Subaru Legacy LS wagon...and I'm still kicking myself for overlooking a Mitsubishi Galant wagon.
A friend was driving a 1985 Subaru GL and it was OK so I just quit looking for used cars. There were NONE in my sphere at the time.
The only bright spot was that the new-at-the-time 2.2l engine was a Swiss watch. It was totally dependable.
My neighbors saw me maintain it over the years and when I walked out with a For Sale sign, a neighbor ran over.
The sign never reached the window.

Ha, another "kicker" was when I spotted a Leaf. I looked at it long and hard and chatted with the son of the owner who'd passed away.
I drove home the <4 miles, changed my mind immediately and drove back to find an empty driveway. Grrrrr.

 

[demarpaint]

I did a full reroof when I did the solar project, even though my roof was at perhaps half life. The cost was $12,400 and included high quality materials, better than what I had. Net cost after tax credit was $8,680.
I am not sure why anyone would install solar on a questionable roof.

Only a fool would do that. In my Florida example the house was a resale I was looking at with solar panels still under lease and a roof that might have 5 years life left. Bad investment, so I passed. The buyer is going to have to either sell the house to a fool or make a big adjustment if he wants to move the house. Later on at lunch the broker said the house was a tough sell because of the solar panels.

Lets take a L.I. house. A good 40 year shingle can go 30 years or more. Would I rip that roof off at the 15-20 year mark and redo it because on want to install solar panels? No. I wouldn't install them either, knowing that my roof might only last another 10-15 years and the solar panels would get pitched when I needed a roof. I wouldn't put 10 year old solar panels on a new roof. IMO the smart move is not to install solar panels on any roof over 5 years old. Add to that some insurance companies don't want to insure houses with solar panels on the roof. So solar panels don't work for everyone either.

 

[demarpaint]

People do all kinds of dumb stuff.
In my case I put a new roof on the house and did the panels the same week.
Roof was 30 years old and done. I was an expensive week of my life for sure.

Not sure why anyone would put working panels and inverter(s) in a dumpster but ok.

I cant imagine buying something like that from a door to door guy, candy or Girl scout cookies - sure.

People do a lot of stupid things, nothing surprises me anymore. IMO the way you did your solar panel job was the smartest way to do it. Everything fresh and new, and when it comes time to replace the solar panels or the roof, it gets done at the same time again. Anything else unless the roof is near new is a mistake. Expensive week! For sure!!

 

[JeffKeryk]

Only a fool would do that. In my Florida example the house was a resale I was looking at with solar panels still under lease and a roof that might have 5 years life left. Bad investment, so I passed. The buyer is going to have to either sell the house to a fool or make a big adjustment if he wants to move the house. Later on at lunch the broker said the house was a tough sell because of the solar panels.

Lets take a L.I. house. A good 40 year shingle can go 30 years or more. Would I rip that roof off at the 15-20 year mark and redo it because on want to install solar panels? No. I wouldn't install them either, knowing that my roof might only last another 10-15 years and the solar panels would get pitched when I needed a roof. I wouldn't put 10 year old solar panels on a new roof. IMO the smart move is not to install solar panels on any roof over 5 years old. Add to that some insurance companies don't want to insure houses with solar panels on the roof. So solar panels don't work for everyone either.

The decision to invest in solar has to be made based on current conditions. In my area, energy costs are high as are home repair costs. In you example, the home owner leased the panels, which negates much of the ROI.

I had perhaps another 10 years roof life; who knows for sure? Now I have pretty good assurance I do not have to worry about electricity and roof repair costs for the forseeable future. My investment plan has always included minimizing recurring and long term cost.

 

[demarpaint]

The decision to invest in solar has to be made based on current conditions. In my area, energy costs are high as are home repair costs. In you example, the home owner leased the panels, which negates much of the ROI.

I had perhaps another 10 years roof life; who knows for sure? Now I have pretty good assurance I do not have to worry about electricity and roof repair costs for the forseeable future. My investment plan has always included minimizing recurring and long term cost.

That's what you're supposed to do. You don't slap solar on a roof that is halfway through its expected life. Everything new from day one, yet many people fail to do that.

 

[JeffKeryk]

That's what you're supposed to do. You don't slap solar on a roof that is halfway through its expected life. Everything new from day one, yet many people fail to do that.

No, the roof cost is a sunk cost; it has no affect on the calculation as you cannot get that money back. You take current conditions to make calculations and see if they make sense. Of course an aging roof is a great time to consider other options such as solar.

If I had waited 5 to 10 years to do solar I would have missed out on the solar benefits over that period of time. This included the NEM 2 offer in place at the time. In my case the existing roof was less of a consideration because I bought the house with the newer roof.

 

[alarmguy]

Median American homeowner stays in their home 13 years. Definitely no payback if you are one of 50% in the lower energy cost states.
It is a hindrance to some, much like an inground pool. You limit your buyer base to those looking for those features while excluding the home to the rest of the marketplace. Good news is if you find the buyer that wants those features otherwise it is an issue.

I used to HATE listing homes with pools in the northeast. Homeowners thought it was a benefit and it was NOT... once in a while though, you would get lucky, and have someone specifically looking for a pool.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

My solar project was an investment with an expected return. Here are the numbers as of today.
My solar panels cost was $17,000; I researched solar for 2 years and talked with dozens of companies. I got a really good deal with state of the art materials. My cost was $11,900 net of tax credit. That was March 2018. I have been paying about $9 per month for electricity for 64 months.

Electricity around here is between $200 and $300 per month. So $12,800 to $19,200 for 64 months. I am pretty frugal so I would err towards the lower figure.
I have about 15K on the Model 3; the pandemic has cut annual mileage way back due to working from home.
My GS gets about 22 miles per gallon, so about 680 gallons @ $5 per gallon = $3,400. The Tundra gets 16 mpg...

Do the arithmetic. The solar project will easily show a ROI of over $100K over the 25 year lifetime. That assumes energy costs remain constant, which is not likely.

a few issues.

1. you car battery will not last that long.
2. your solar panels will not last 25yr
3. your in california, they will find a way to tax your power you make as income.

 

[demarpaint]

No, the roof cost is a sunk cost; it has no affect on the calculation as you cannot get that money back. You take current conditions to make calculations and see if they make sense.

If I had waited 5 to 10 years to do solar I would have missed out on the solar benefits over that period of time. In my case the existing roof was less of a consideration because I bought the house with the newer roof.

I see no value in putting on solar panels on a roof with 25-50% of it's life gone. I won't use old solar panels on a new roof, so the cost of the roof as far as I'm concerned has to be factored into the mix. So we might have to agree to disagree on this.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Median American homeowner stays in their home 13 years. Definitely no payback if you are one of 50% in the lower energy cost states.
It is a hindrance to some, much like an unground pool. You limit your buyer base to those looking for those features while excluding the home to the rest of the market place.

In my neighborhood, everyone wants solar. I am not planning on moving; they will take me outta here in a box. I love it here and my housing costs are minimal at this point.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I see no value in putting on solar panels on a roof with 25-50% of it's life gone. I won't use old solar panels on a new roof, so the cost of the roof as far as I'm concerned has to be factored into the mix. So we might have to agree to disagree on this.

All I am saying is you do the ROI calcs on current conditions. It may or may not make sense.
Would you throw away, say $6K to $8K to net $100K? It was an easy decision for me.

 

[Rand]

No, the roof cost is a sunk cost; it has no affect on the calculation as you cannot get that money back. You take current conditions to make calculations and see if they make sense. Of course an aging roof is a great time to consider other options such as solar.

If I had waited 5 to 10 years to do solar I would have missed out on the solar benefits over that period of time. This included the NEM 2 offer in place at the time. In my case the existing roof was less of a consideration because I bought the house with the newer roof.

Jeff the main issue I have with your solar mathematics:
I feel you should put in an asterisk and mention how you got an unrealistic sweetheart deal that is paid for by other customers who dont have solar at your utility.
And no one can get that deal now.

That being said in your circumstances I would have likely done the same just not talk about and flaunt it so much.

If you were getting 4 cents per kwh on the net metering your numbers would be vastly different.

 

[alarmguy]

I see no value in putting on solar panels on a roof with 25-50% of it's life gone. I won't use old solar panels on a new roof, so the cost of the roof as far as I'm concerned has to be factored into the mix. So we might have to agree to disagree on this.

Honestly if you lived where I live on the coast of NC you wouldnt even give solar a thought except as an electronic hobby. (I said it would be neat if the taxpayers paid me to install a small amount of panels to supplement my AC unit during the daytime)

But this would be a hobby as my cost for electric is TEN CENTS a kWh... I still laugh and cant believe it's so cheap!!!
Our new well insulated energy efficient home that we NEVER open the window in, my electric bill was $87 last month! *LOL* I still cant not believe it... *LOL*

I do see in other areas of the country how people lost track (or lack of paying attention) and let this electric cost (kWh) get out of hand. Solar as an option, obviously Jeff got in at a good time with the incentives provided by the taxpayers... and I would have done the same if I lived where he does with the high kWh cost (if iI knew I was there long term), public voted for the incentives, so take it.

 

[alarmguy]

In my neighborhood, everyone wants solar. I am not planning on moving; they will take me outta here in a box. I love it here and my housing costs are minimal at this point.

Yes, as I posted above this post, I agree ^^^^^^ you will notice if you go up one post.

 

[JeffKeryk]

a few issues.

1. you car battery will not last that long.
2. your solar panels will not last 25yr
3. your in california, they will find a way to tax your power you make as income.

1. Tesla batteries last a long time, 200K is not unreasonable. I am planning on buying another within a 1 year time frame. Going forward, I will continue to charge at home the high percentage of the time.
2. My solat panels are warranted for 25 years.
3. I have a 20 year NEM 2 agreement.

I showed you the numbers in support of my post. You can choose to accept them or continue to make stuff up. Your call.

 

[Number_35]

I assume that is MSRP. Do you have an idea what the actual purchase price might be? I understand Ford has dropped prices significantly but I have not heard what the real prices are.
Thanks in advance.

Those are the prices listed on the website. I too would be interested to know the actual selling prices. I haven't seen one in the wild yet.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Jeff the main issue I have with your solar mathematics:
I feel you should put in an asterisk and mention how you got an unrealistic sweetheart deal that is paid for by other customers who dont have solar at your utility.
And no one can get that deal now.

That being said in your circumstances I would have likely done the same just not talk about and flaunt it so much.

If you were getting 4 cents per kwh on the net metering your numbers would be vastly different.

I agree with everything you are saying with the exception of flaunt. Respectfully, you call it flaunt; others have called it bragging. I can assure you I never meant it that way, but I can see others reading it that way. On the other hand, should I call you petty and jealous? No, I do not think so and would not do that.
I am simply showing numbers in support of posts. Did I get lucky? I think so and am happy with the investment. I learn form other's good investments and can only hope others look into ways to minimize recurring costs that make sense for them.

Also, the deal was not unrealistic; it was the offer in place at the time. I did 2 years research before writing that big check. I will say that my neighbors who do not have solar wish they had pulled the trigger a few years ago. They made many arguements that we hear today. I made a conscious decision to do the solar project based on long term ROI and where I was in life.

 

[OVERKILL]

I checked a local Ford dealership's website yesterday - the Lightnings started at $82K and went up to $124K. Sales taxes would add 12%. C$, but that's what my savings are in.

I just checked and there are 338 of them within 250km from me on the auto trader.

 

[OVERKILL]

In my neighborhood, everyone wants solar. I am not planning on moving; they will take me outta here in a box. I love it here and my housing costs are minimal at this point.

Do they still want solar with NEM 3 and getting paid $0.04/kWh? Because if so, they might want to take an economics class.