Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Last week on the channel, Nikki brought news of how (with some help from F-150 Lightning forum members) she'd been able to gain root access to her Ford Charge Station Pro and fix some of the bugs that had been plaguing its operation, preventing it from getting over-the-air updates, and generally not working as intended.
Yet just after fixing it and getting it working better than it's ever worked - not to mention automatically taking over power transfer after a storm passed through - the fixed unit went ahead and downloaded an over-the-air (OTA) update.
That OTA update, as other F-150 Lightning and Ford Charge Station Pro owners have learned, caused more problems than it fixed. Worse still, it changed the unit's boot loader to prevent the same exploit used the first time around from being used again. And while it might look retaliatory, it's worth noting that OTA update was initially pushed BEFORE Nikki gained access. It's just her timing that sucked.
Luckily, she has not one but two FCSPs... and she'd already blocked the second one from getting the problematic update.
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*⏱️ Chapter Breakdown:*
0:00 — Introduction
1:03 — Back on the bench with a bricked unit
2:29 — How the SD card exploit gained root access
4:13 — The actual bug: a missing backtick in Django
4:46 — 3am storm knocks the power out
5:36 — Surprise: automatic power transfer works
7:14 — The OTA update downloading in the background
8:32 — Unplugging triggers the update — and the lockout
9:48 — Siemens patches the loophole that let him in
10:48 — This unit is bricked
11:46 — The two-unit strategy that saved the day
12:51 — Ethernet, Home Assistant & TCP Modbus upgrades
14:54 — Addressing the "federal crime" comments
16:41 — Right to repair, Vectrix, and CNC parts
18:12 — Mellon, WOLFBOX Tonneau , and using LLMs
19:48 — Thanks, and Goodbye!
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🔁 2nd channel: youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2
🎙️ Credits
Host, Script, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: via Artlist.io
Last week on the channel, Nikki brought news of how (with some help from F-150 Lightning forum members) she'd been able to gain root access to her Ford Charge Station Pro and fix some of the bugs that had been plaguing its operation, preventing it from getting over-the-air updates, and generally not working as intended.
Yet just after fixing it and getting it working better than it's ever worked - not to mention automatically taking over power transfer after a storm passed through - the fixed unit went ahead and downloaded an over-the-air (OTA) update.
That OTA update, as other F-150 Lightning and Ford Charge Station Pro owners have learned, caused more problems than it fixed. Worse still, it changed the unit's boot loader to prevent the same exploit used the first time around from being used again. And while it might look retaliatory, it's worth noting that OTA update was initially pushed BEFORE Nikki gained access. It's just her timing that sucked.
Luckily, she has not one but two FCSPs... and she'd already blocked the second one from getting the problematic update.
---
*⏱️ Chapter Breakdown:*
0:00 — Introduction
1:03 — Back on the bench with a bricked unit
2:29 — How the SD card exploit gained root access
4:13 — The actual bug: a missing backtick in Django
4:46 — 3am storm knocks the power out
5:36 — Surprise: automatic power transfer works
7:14 — The OTA update downloading in the background
8:32 — Unplugging triggers the update — and the lockout
9:48 — Siemens patches the loophole that let him in
10:48 — This unit is bricked
11:46 — The two-unit strategy that saved the day
12:51 — Ethernet, Home Assistant & TCP Modbus upgrades
14:54 — Addressing the "federal crime" comments
16:41 — Right to repair, Vectrix, and CNC parts
18:12 — Mellon, WOLFBOX Tonneau , and using LLMs
19:48 — Thanks, and Goodbye!
----
👥 Today's Sponsors
🌱 Electric Vehicle Association - myeva.org
⚡ EnergySage - kqzyfj.com/click-101290941-16952262
✊ Get Involved 🗳️ indivisible.org/town-hall-resources
❤️ Support the Show
📰 transportevolved.com
🔥 patreon.com/transportevolved
☕ ko-fi.com/transportevolved
📺 youtube.com/transportevolved
👕 redbubble.com/people/TransportEVd
🛍️ amzn.to/40xOyjm
₿ 1QRZRGCCXUKPDZ2DZ9KX9JYJXMZDYHYGFZ0MN4WH
💬 Join the Conversation
🐘 mastodon.transportevolved.com/@show
💬 discord.gg/9WAjfQn
💬 fluxer.gg/mcj8aehg
🌀 https://bsky.app/profile/transportevolved.bsky.social
🔁 2nd channel: youtube.com/transportevolvedtake2
🎙️ Credits
Host, Script, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: via Artlist.io
