The all-electric F-150 Lightning made its debut at Ford’s global HQ in Dearborn, Michigan. The pickup truck is scheduled to go on sale in spring 2022, and Ford is already accepting pre-orders for $100. There’ll be three main trims at launch: XLT, Lariat and Platinum. A commercial-oriented entry model starts at $39,974 MSRP, while the mid-range XLT starts at $52,974 MSRP, before any federal or state tax credits. It appears that Ford is not yet ready to share the Lariat and Platinum prices; the latter might cost over $90,000.
Anyway, let’s talk a little bit about its looks. Speaking of which, the Lightning has been styled to look like a traditional pickup truck; a casual observer wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this and the ICE-powered variants. However, there are some distinguishing factors such as a closed-off front grille, a thick running light signature that is mimicked at the rear, a charging port on the front fender, and a large ‘Lightning’ badge on the side of the bed.
Clockwise from left: Platinum, Lariat and XLT
The XLT rides on 18-inch machined aluminum wheels, the Lariat on 20-inch and the Platinum on 22-inch wheels. Notice the subtle difference in the grille designs.
As for the dimensions, the truck measures 232.7-inches long, 80.0-inches wide (excluding mirrors) and 78.9-inches tall, with a wheelbase of 145.5-inches. Ford claims that a high-strength military-grade aluminum-alloy body and a new independent rear suspension deliver improved ride comfort, while an all-new frame uses the strongest steel ever put in an F-150 and supports a maximum 907 kg (2,000 lbs) payload and up to 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs) towing capacity. One neat little feature in the FordPass app is that it’ll also show you the payload information, thanks to onboard scales.
You gotta love the way the frunk opens up like a traditional boot lid of a sedan; Ford claims a storage volume of up to 400 litres with a payload capacity of up to 181 kg (400 lbs). This water-resistant space comes equipped with four 120-volt electrical outlets, two USB chargers and a drainable floor that can double as a food and beverage container. The bed too comes with 120-volt electrical outlets. The base model offers 2.4 kW, while the Lariat and Platinum trims offer 9.6 kW output and an additional 240-volt outlet in the bed.
Ford is also offering an optional Intelligent Backup Power (standard on Extended-Range Battery variants) that comes with an 80-amp Charge Station Pro and a home management system, which automatically powers the house in case of a power cut, and once the power is restored, the truck automatically reverts to charging its battery.
Depending on the trim, features in the cabin include a 10-way power driver’s seat with memory, a 15.5-inch portrait-style SYNC 4 central touchscreen, 18-speaker B&O audio system, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 10 devices, and Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0 suite of active safety and driver assistance systems. However, the Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go comes standard on the Lariat, while the Platinum gets the BlueCruise—a hands-free highway driving feature. Download the specifications sheet here.
This article is getting way too long. Let’s move on to the juicy bits of the story. The F-150 Lightning will be powered by two electric motors, one at each axle, delivering an estimated peak power of 318 kW (432 metric hp) and 1,051 Nm (775 lb-ft) of peak torque when equipped with a standard range battery pack. When opted for an extended-range battery pack, the peak power is estimated to be 420 kW (571 metric hp), while the torque remains the same.
Ford didn’t reveal the battery capacity in kWh yet, but is targeting EPA ranges of up to 370 km (230 mi) and 483 km (300 mi). The battery packs are capable of accepting up to 150 kW DC fast-charging, with which, the standard-range battery pack is claimed to take 44 minutes to fill up to 80% SoC from 15% SoC; extended-range takes 3 minutes less.
Also, read: Ford F-150 Lightning Pro joins the lineup as an entry-level workhorse
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