Ford has revolutionized the pickup—by building an all-electric version of its best-selling vehicle, the F-150.
While doing that and seemingly changing as little as possible about all that made the F-150 so appealing, it made for a better vehicle. That’s why even though the F-150 Lightning isn’t the first mass-produced all-electric pickup, it’s the Best Car to Buy in 2023 according to Green Automotive Report. ours.
The Ford F-150 Lightning It looks like a gas-powered F-150 in all but the front and rear styling (and corresponding lighting), but it turns out a lot about the electric truck is different underneath. It has a new frame—slightly wider to fit the battery pack suspended between it, with thicker diagonal members. The steering and brakes are redesigned for the Lightning, and there’s an independent rear suspension with coil springs.
The result is a truck that drives and handles better than the petrol F-150 in most conditions, with unparalleled quietness and refinement. Plus, on gravel, off-road, or snowy roads, the near-instant traction systems work with the electric motors to show their power and let you pull up the slope of the boat—or across the bend. that wet wood—without upsetting the tires’ footsteps. Pop the hood up and you get what a gas truck doesn’t: a huge trunk that has a power plug and can hold up to 400 pounds. How ’bout some frunkgating?
Ford F-150 Lightning 2022
All versions of the F-150 Lightning are built with front and rear permanent magnet motors providing all-wheel drive, with the same cockpit layout and bed length. There are essentially two specs: Versions with the standard 98 kwh range battery pack make 452 hp and 775 lb-ft, while those with the 131 kWh extended range pack make 580 hp force and 775 lb-ft. EPA driving range for Lightning 240 miles and 320 miles respectively.
Unladen, Lightning lunges forward, with the squeal of tires enough to let you know it’s using all available traction. Ford cited a 0-60 mph acceleration time of under four seconds, and when seated from above, with a squat body and pretty much diving, this feels like a fun park ride as well as when from the outside—more like the Lightning label than the gas truck that once bore this name.
It offers more payload capacity than many of its petrol counterparts. And at up to 10,000 pounds, it’ll outpace most gas-powered trucks. Just don’t plan to drag that trailer very far.
Ford F-150 Lightning at Electrify America
The F-150 Lightning doesn’t charge quickly if you think about road trips. Ford says it will charge at up to 150kw, or 15-80% in less than 45 minutes, but those are all best-case scenarios compared to what we’ve seen with classic Electrify America hardware picture of the United States.
If you happen to have 100 amps free for your own circuit, install the 80 amp Charge Station Pro and charge time for a full charge drops to about 8 hours on 240 volts—or about 30 mph. That unit forms the basis for Lightning to truly become an EV trend-setter: Extra $3,895 Integrated family systemand with Ford’s app, Lightning can become its own energy ecosystem—helping to coordinate solar power or act as a portable generator (minus the buzz and smell of diesel) when lost. electricity.
Ford F-150 Lightning 2023
That system and its warranty coverage went a long way to convincing us that Ford saw a big picture that others didn’t. The same goes for the company’s Ford Pro fleet software, and its strategy is not to turn electric vehicles into a niche sub-brand but vehicles that truly compete at almost every level—even outperforming them. —gasoline versions of the F-150, Transit, and Mustang.
The F-150 Lightning has some undeniable strengths compared to any of our other aircraft Finalist for Green Car Report Best Car to Buy in 2023—most notably, it feels fully baked, is available in all 50 states, and doesn’t feel like it’s been held back somewhere along the way.
The Cadillac lyriq signaled the beginning of a new generation of Ultium-based vehicles and it was impressive in many respects, such as styling, ride comfort and handling. But what we’ve seen so far hasn’t fully delivered on the interface or the charging side. Its effectiveness also deserves a longer review—something we haven’t been able to grasp yet. We love the unlimited attitude behind Genesis GV60and how it injects personal luxury into a new space—with its green-striped “enhance” button and crystal ball dial—though at the end of the day, we couldn’t appreciate a single Models are only offered in part of the United States KIA EV6 wins if style is the main criterion and it offers fast charging and impressive interface, but when removing the base versions, the brand seems to be playing a niche game rather than taking it all. capital in that design. The Mercedes-Benz EQS . SUV builds on the EQS hatchback’s impressive performance, adds three rows of seats and trail-running capability, plus it’s assembled in the United States, but it simply doesn’t push the standard any higher.
Ford F-150 Lightning 2023
The biggest lightning incident to date is not available and repeated price increases. Ford hasn’t even taken reservations for the past several years; Just nine months from first delivery, the base Ford F-150 Lightning Pro 2023 base model starts at $57,869 (including delivery fees increased to $1,895)—a nearly 40% increase from the original price. Initial price is $41,669, including delivery, for the 2022 model year.
Part of that stems from a previous underestimation of Lightning demand. It has managed to increase Lightning output from the original 20,000 annually up to 150,000 won.
Why all this interest, again? The F-150 Lightning hits a point overtaking early adopters of the technology that often serves as a sort of Achilles heel for wide-ranging real-world EV adoption. Yes, there are plenty of opportunities to reinvent the car (or truck), make our roads safer and perhaps less vehicle-dependent in the first place, but at this point, the showing people how the familiar can get better as an electric vehicle is the strongest statement of all.
