Ford has taken the wraps off the all-new F-150 Lightning, marking the return of the Lightning name since it was last used on a high-performance F-150 in the early 2000s. The Ford F-150 Lightning is the brand’s first purely electric pickup with plenty of performance and a usable range of up to 482 kilometers.
Let’s start with the way it looks. The F-150 Lightning doesn’t look drastically different from the standard F-150, but at the same time, it looks distinct enough to be identified as the fully-electric variant. These changes include a new faux grille design, a more aerodynamic front bumper, and a new LED light bar spanning across its front and rear fascia. The design upgrades are based from customer feedback, since according to Ford, customers want their electric pickup to look modern, but not to a point that it would look like a doorstop or a spaceship.
Despite the F-150’s platform being conceived first and foremost to accommodate a combustion engine up front, Ford still managed to provide the F-150 Lightning with the largest front trunk (or “frunk”) in the market, with 400 liters of space and as much as 181 kg of payload. The frunk features four power outlets, two USB ports, a drain plug, and removable floor mats.
The interior design of the Ford F-150 Lightning is largely the same as the standard model, but the most noticeable change is the large 15.5-inch SYNC4A touch screen infotainment system. Just like in the Mustang Mach-E, there’s one physical knob below the screen. Drivers are then greeted to a fully-digital instrument cluster, while passengers will appreciate the numerous storage areas.
Powering the Ford F-150 Lightning are two electric motors, one on each axle. Two configurations are offered: Standard Range and Extended Range. The Standard Range model produces 426 hp and 1,050 Nm of torque, while the more powerful Extended Range model produces 526 hp and the same torque as the Standard Range. When fully charged, the Standard Range model can travel up to 450 kilometers while the Extended Range can travel up to 480 kilometers.
We’re also not surprised to find out that the Ford F-150 Lightning is also the fastest F-150 ever. With an electric motor’s instantaneous torque, 0-60 mph (92 kph) happens in the mid-4 second range, making this behemoth even faster than the F-150 Raptor.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is also the first F-Series truck to feature an independent rear suspension. This significantly improved ride and handling, but also significantly reduces its payload capacity versus the standard F-150’s leaf spring setup. With this setup, payload capacity is now at 907 kg, whereas the standard F-150 can muster up to 1,508 kg.
As for charging, the Standard Range model can be purchased with an optional 48A house charger, which enables charging from 15 to 100 percent in 10 hours. The Extended Range model, meanwhile, comes with an 80A house charger, and can go from 15 to 100 percent in 8 hours. If you want the fastest charging possible, a 150kW DC public charging station enables the F-150 Lightning to charge from 15 to 80 percent in just 41 minutes.
Additionally, the Ford F-150 Lightning comes with an Intelligent Backup Power System, which enables the pickup to feed power to your home during an outage for as much as 3 days.
Lastly, the Ford F-150 Lightning can be equipped with Ford’s BlueCruise Level 2 autonomous hands-free driving system, which works in more than 100,000 miles of highways in the US and Canada. This advanced driver-assist feature comes on top of Ford CoPilot360, which includes automatic emergency braking, full-speed radar cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, just to name a few.
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning will be available in Spring 2022 in four trims, including a yet-to-be-revealed base model meant for fleets.
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