Versus the competition: The F-150 Lightning doesn’t have much competition now, but more is coming its more traditional interior and exterior styling may make it more appealing than futuristic offerings from competitors.ĭescribing the all-new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning as “the F-150, but electric” feels like a disservice, but after getting a chance to drive the Lightning in San Antonio, that observation rings mostly true (per ’s ethics policy, we pay for our flights and lodging at these events). The verdict: The F-150 Lightning makes the most out of an all-electric truck by combining impressive power and useful innovations with many of the characteristics that make the F-150 the bestselling vehicle in North America. Repeat F-150 customers will see that the price structure looks quite familiar the Lightning brings an extended-range battery option for XLT and Lariat trims, which gives adds an extra 70 miles of range on top of the standard 230.2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | photo by Jonathan Earley The brand’s first attempt (the Model TT) was built in 1917, with the first F-Series coming shortly after in 1948. It isn’t much of a surprise that Ford wouldn’t stray too far from the internal-combustion version, as it has over 100 years of experience building damn good trucks. Rather it’s based on largely the same underpinnings as America’s favorite (and best-selling) pickup truck-the F-150. Unlike the R1T and GMC’s Hummer EV, the F-150 isn’t based on a completely new and unproven architecture.
However, instead of re-inventing the wheel, Ford simply electrified the already great F-150. Sure, Rivian was first to strike with its R1T pickup, and GMC followed suit. It rolled out of the factory packing a 351 cubic-inch Windsor V8 engine with new headers and pistons.Įnter 2022, and the F-150 Lightning is one of the first all-electric trucks built by a well-established automaker. There’s now an all-electric Mustang (the Mach-E), and the battery-powered F-150 Lightning of which, the original was quite a skunkworks project that kicked off Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) in 1991. If you were a Ford enthusiast that had just woken up from an extended coma, you’d probably be quite confused with the company’s current lineup. Max Towing Capacity: 7,700 lb (standard battery), 10,000 lb (extended battery).Max Payload: 2,000 lb (standard battery), 1,800 lb (extended battery).Range: 230 miles (standard battery), 300 miles (extended battery).Torque: 775 lb-ft (same for both battery configurations).Horsepower: 426 (standard battery), 563 (extended battery).Powertrain: Dual fixed magnet AC motors (one at each axle).
All-wheel drive comes standard in all trim levels of the F-150 Lightning.Ford’s Blue Cruise system allows for easy hands-free driving on select sections of highway.With 775 pound-feet of torque on tap, the truck is shockingly fast, with an impressive payload of up to 2,000 pounds and tow rating of up to 10,000.Compared to the other electric trucks that are on sale right now-GMC’s Hummer EV and the Rivian R1T-the Blue Oval’s offering is much more affordable and just about as capable. The Takeaway: Ford’s F-150 Lightning is one of its most important vehicles to date since the F-Series pickup.