Get ready to welcome a new era of electrification. One led by a pickup. Meet the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning - the first-ever all-electric F-150. It's quite a moment for the F-Series - America's best-selling pickup for 44 years.
The Lightning recently made its Texas debut at a media event where Ford debuted one of only three pre-production models in the U.S. Here's what you need to know about the Lightning's capabilities. It's fast. It can tow and haul. It's designed to be put to work.
The Lightning's all-electric powertrain delivers 563-horsepower, an incredible 775 pound-feet of near-instance torque (the most torque of any F-150 ever). It can hit zero to 60 in the mid-4 second range, making it the quickest F-150 ever. It can tow up to 10,000 pounds and and carry up to 2,000 pounds of payload. And it does all this with two electric dual in-board motors and standard 4X4.
There are two batteries: a standard 230-mile range with a 48-amp charger and a 300-mile range extended range with an 80-amp charger. Pricing wise, $10,000 grand separates the two battery options. The base standard range model starts from $39,974 without federal or state tax credits.
First Look
Let's talk about its looks. You notice right away it's no ordinary F-150. First, those wheels give away its status. The 22-inch bright machined aluminum with Ebony Black painted pockets get your attention.
If for some reason those don't give it away, there's the unique grille and lighting signature up front, and the Lightning badging. Or flip open the "fuel cover" and you'll find a plug-in charger.
The biggest clue however that you're not dealing with just any F-150 -- is when you pop open the hood. If you're expecting an engine you're in for a real shocker. Instead you'll find the F-150's first ever frunk, or front trunk. Storage space, a cooler, a power source, you name it the frunk has you covered. Ford says the frunk can hold 400 liters of volume and 400 pounds of payload. It's also drainable, washable and comes with USBs, power outlets and cargo tie-downs.
The pre-production model that's the basis for this first look is the top of the line Platinum trim, so it's luxurious and loaded with comfort and tech goodies. We're talking Premium Nirvana leather MultiContour seating, a 12-inch instrument cluster and a 15.50-inch tablet-style touchscreen with SYNC4 that has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Platinum badges can been see on the seat headrests and a dual-pane sunroof lets light in from above.
An available flat Tailgate Work Surface also includes integrated rulers, a mobile device holder, cupholder and pencil holder.
A few other key things to talk about. The F-150 Lightning is available with Ford Intelligent Backup Power, which can help power your house for up to three days on full power. It's also available with Pro OnBoard Power for exportable power when you're away from home.
Ford will also deploy standard over-the-air software updates – called Ford Power-Up – to improve the technology experience, add new features and fix issues.
As for charging, Ford currently has a 19,500-station charging network in the U.S. If you're using DC fast-charging you can charge your battery up to 80% in 41 minutes or achieve 54 miles of range in 10 minutes. You can also charge up at home. Using FordPass you can manage and schedule charging at non-peak hours straight from your smartphone.
The new 2022 F-150 Lighting arrives in the spring of 2022.
