The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is Ford’s first electrical truck and has options not discovered on another F-Sequence mannequin. Fox Information Autos Editor Gary Gastelu takes it for a spin.
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On the first take a look at drive occasion for the brand new Ford F-150 Lightning, among the engineers who constructed the electrical pickup had been carrying shirts with a Mannequin T emblem on it.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum is the highest of the road trim.
(Ford)
It was a reference to Ford’s milestone mass-market automobile, however with at twenty first century twist. The T was borrowed from the Lightning’s emblem and formed like an electrical bolt. The message was clear: That is massive deal for Ford.
The automaker has been touting the Lightning as an important automobile it’s launched for the reason that Mannequin T, and the parallels aren’t an excessive amount of of a stretch. The F-Sequence way back surpassed the Mannequin T as each the model’s and USA’s all-time best-selling mannequin, so utilizing it as the idea for an electrical automobile proves Ford means enterprise.
The F-150 Lightning has a singular emblem.
(Fox Information Autos)
Ford expects to be constructing Lightnings at an annual fee of 150,000 by the center of subsequent yr, which might signify round a fifth of F-Sequence gross sales, and is engaged on a next-generation pickup that might be produced at even increased volumes. Assuming folks need them.
Indicators are that they very a lot do. Prospects have positioned over 200,000 reservations for the Lightning already, however few of them have even seen it in particular person not to mention pushed one, in order that they don’t actually know what they’re moving into.
The F-150 Lightning shares its physique with different F-150s.
(Ford)
The very first thing you discover in regards to the Lightning is that you just don’t actually discover it. It makes use of the identical aluminum physique and cab as the remainder of the F-150 lineup, with tweaks to the lights and grille, the latter of which is now phony as a result of the electrical drivetrain doesn’t want it for cooling. It turns the occasional head on the street, however doesn’t get swarmed like some new autos do.
The components sharing helped Ford beat the competitors to market by a yr, leverage the present F-150 restore community and scale back growth and manufacturing prices.
The Lightning begins at a surprisingly low $41,669, which is cheaper than the Ford Mustang Mach-E electrical SUV. That’s earlier than you subtract any of the incentives it presently qualifies for, together with a $7,500 federal tax credit score that brings the underside line right down to $34,169, supply and different buy charges included.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Professional is the entry stage mannequin and begins at $41,669.
(Ford)
The entry stage Lightning is the work-oriented Professional that comes with a four-door SuperCrew crew cab physique and a two-motor all-wheel-drives system rated at 452 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque. For comparability, the most affordable F-150 XL 4×4 SuperCrew with a fuel engine has a base worth of $44,220, 325 hp and 400 lb-ft.
The Lightning Professional’s EPA-rated vary is simply 230 miles between fees, nevertheless, and if you’d like extra it’s going to value much more. It requires a step to the $54,769 XLT trim and an non-compulsory prolonged vary battery pack good for 320 miles that brings the worth to $74,269. Increased finish Lariat and Platinum trims are additionally out there, with high fashions going for over $93,000.
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As a bonus, the prolonged vary vans get 580 horsepower, making them the most-powerful F-150s, which boosts their tow rankings from 7,700 kilos to 10,000 kilos, whereas the utmost payload drops from 2,250 kilos to 1,800 kilos, because of the elevated battery weight.
Whatever the mannequin, the Lightning is constructed on a body that differs enormously from these underneath the inner combustion engine vans and options the primary impartial rear suspension ever used on an F-150. The battery is secured throughout the rails utilizing simply eight bolts to make it straightforward to take away for service, if wanted.
The Mega Energy Frunk is commonplace on all F-150 Lightnings.
(Ford)
The Lightning’s signature characteristic is a entrance trunk underneath a power-opening hood the place the engine was. Not each electrical automobile has one among these, and the Lightning group wanted to maneuver tools out of the way in which to create a 14 cubic-foot waterproof area that may carry as much as 400 kilos. It needs to be equally appreciated by grocery buyers, golfers and contractors who don’t need to go away their gear unsecured within the mattress.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Professional encompasses a commercial-grade vinyl inside.
(Ford)
Earlier than I get to how the Lightning drives, it’s essential to notice what it could do when it’s not shifting. All fashions can double as turbines at energy outputs starting from 2.4 kw to 9.6 kw, with as much as ten 120-volt retailers situated all through the truck plus one 240-volt outlet for good measure. Since there aren’t any emissions, it may be used for this objective indoors.
Together with the power to energy electrical tools at job websites, campsites and tailgate events, the Lightning additionally affords a bidirectional functionality that meshes with a $3,895 dwelling integration system to permit it to energy a typical dwelling for 3 days with the prolonged vary battery pack earlier than you even begin turning issues off to preserve electrical energy.
The F-150 Lightning’s battery pack can be utilized to energy electrical tools.
(Ford)
When the facility grid is working, the system can be utilized for arbitrage, the place the battery fees with low cost off-peak electrical energy after which makes use of it to energy the house when charges rise. An app allows you to set a restrict on how far the battery will drain throughout this course of so that you don’t run all of it the way in which down and make the truck ineffective as a truck. And the Lightning is much from ineffective as a truck.
A few minutes is all it takes to comprehend this can be a higher F-150. The ability comes on seamlessly and robust, and the journey high quality offered by the absolutely impartial suspension is superior to any full measurement pickup’s … aside from the $112,495 GMC Hummer EV, which additionally has one, however is a excessive efficiency off-road monster that weighs roughly a ton greater than the Lightning and targets a distinct market.
F-150 Lightning Lariat and Platinum trims get a 15.5 inch digital show.
(Ford)
Whilst you rocket it to 60 mph in about 4 seconds prefer it’s a sports activities automobile, the Lightning is almost silent. That’s except you activate the artificial digital motor noise it could pump into the cabin to amp up the thrill, which is an unconvincing substitute for the true factor.
The one time the Lightning feels odd for a full measurement pickup is while you slam the accelerator, particularly in a flip, and it chirps the entrance tires and tugs the steering wheel in your fingers like an previous front-wheel-drive scorching hatchback. The entrance motor is simply as {powerful} because the rear one and the Lightning cannot at all times deal with that fact.
The F-150 Lightning has a locking rear differential.
(Ford)
The Lightning isn’t out there in a particular off-road model and solely has 8.9 inches of floor clearance, however all trims come commonplace with underbody safety for the battery and an digital locking rear differential for optimum traction on slippery surfaces and difficult terrain. The suspension is simply as spectacular off-pavement as it’s on the freeway and the Lightning has no hassle scurrying up reasonably steep rocky climbs. You might journey fences in all of it day lengthy with out being worse for put on.
The F-150 Lightning is the primary F-Sequence truck with an impartial rear suspension.
(Ford)
Again on the street, the assorted Lightnings I attempted over a few hundred miles delivered vary and power financial system near their official rankings, which works out to the equal of 66-70 mpg. That makes them essentially the most environment friendly full measurement vans ever constructed by a large margin.
However what about after they’re hauling or towing one thing? In keeping with Ford, the drop in effectivity is actually the identical as it’s for an inside combustion engine truck. With out a back-to-back comparability, I can’t vouch for that, however I can let you know that pulling a 9,500-pound trailer is completely easy. A lot in order that if you happen to obtained right into a Lightning with one hitched up, however didn’t realize it, you won’t understand it for a few miles.
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However the Lightning does, and might enhance its towing efficiency over time because it learns the totally different trailers you utilize, the roads you drive on them with and adjusts the drivetrain accordingly. Ford is even pulling nameless information from the Lightning fleet and making a library that every one can draw from when it approaches an unfamiliar street with a trailer of a sure weight.
The F-150 Lightning has a most towing capability of 10,000 kilos.
(Ford)
Charging at a public station with a trailer could pose a problem, as they aren’t typically oriented for a automobile with one thing in tow, so that you would possibly must take away it to drag as much as the plug. The cost port’s location on the left entrance fender does will let you park head-in if there’s room behind you to depart the trailer protruding. The non-compulsory 360-degree digicam and self-steering Professional Trailer Backup help can come in useful on this scenario.
If it’s a DC quick charging station, the battery will be refilled to 80 % in simply over 40 minutes. Charging all of it the way in which will take half a day on a 240-volt charger, both on the street or at dwelling. Fuel stations had been few and much between when the Mannequin T was launched and the nationwide electrical automobile charging community equally has a approach to go, however being able to cost this newfangled contraption in your storage is the true boon.
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Ford is hopeful that the Lightning would be the automobile that’s convincing sufficient to get the majority of People who aren’t already on the Tesla bandwagon over the hump of electrical automobile possession, the way in which the Mannequin T obtained them off horses. Early adopters needs to be blissful they got here alongside for the journey, and the Lightning has what it takes to win over quite a lot of fence-sitters. As for the remainder, Ford isn’t totally giving up on inside combustion engines simply but, but when it could deliver the worth of extra Lighting trims down and improve their vary a bit extra, it might be able to quickly.
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2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
Base worth: $41,699 to $93,703
Kind: 4-door, 5-passenger all-wheel-drive pickup
Motor: Twin-motor electrical
Energy: 452-580 hp, 775 lb-ft torque
Transmission: single-speed computerized
MPGe: 66-70 mixed
Vary: 230-320 miles