The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is a battery-powered mic-drop
Cars
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Not that one.
And that one too.
Lightnings already struck twice at Ford but I can feel it in the air again.
Two generations of high performance f150 lightning have come and gone first in the 1990s and again through the early 2000s.
Thought for 2022 the blue oval is reviving this fabled nameplate once more applying it to an all electric version of the F 150.
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Given this nameplate astounding popularity, this reborn lightning could easily become one of the best selling and most significant e V's in the automotive industry.
Yes, it's that significant.
But also kudos to Ford because lightning is the perfect name for a battery powered pickup.
I mean, if they went with something different I would march right up to CEO Jim Farley's office and give him a stern talking to Even though it lacks a thundering VA like its predecessors, this truck promises loads of style and speed and to see how it performs both on road and off MTN lane.
I am here at Ford's Michigan proving ground to experience but unfortunately not drive the 2022 F 150 lightning Obliterating its ancestors.
This pick him up trucks all electric powertrain delivers like FedEx cranking out some damn impressive numbers.
Engineers are targeting 563 horsepower and 775 pound feet of torque.
That should be enough secret sauce to rocket this rate to 60 miles per hour in the mid four second range when fitted with the extended range battery.
Yes, those figures fall far short of what the upcoming GMC Hummer EV pickup promises with its 1000 ponies, but the F 150.
Lightning is going to be way, more affordable.
Something we'll get to in just a minute.
So buckle up, settle in, and let's see what this thing can do.
Obviously electric vehicles have lots of low end torque and they can be very fast.
This f 150 should be able to hit 60 miles an hour from a standstill in the mid four second range.
She's going to punch it right now.
We're going to see what that's like.
Here we go instant torque right off the line.
We are flying right now.
We're doing better than 70 miles an hour just like that.
Best of all, no shifting, no engine noise.
It's just perfectly smooth.
But it's not just off the line acceleration that matters passing power is just as important.
And this new lightning has plenty wow it still gets up and goes we're doing more than 80 right now.
There's no engine revving there are no gear changes the vehicle just you hit the accelerator and it's off like a rocket.
And, of course straight line speed isn't the end all and be all i mean that instant torque is pretty cool but trucks still need to be able to tow and haul.
Unfortunately, lightning can do both.
maximum payload is estimated at 2000 pounds with the standard size battery and 18 inch wheels.
As for trailering x lt and Lariat models shouldn't be able to tow up to 10 1000 pounds when fitted with the larger battery that's offered as well as the Max trailering package.
Speaking of electron storage, Ford is offering two different battery sizes in this truck, the smaller one should provide 230 miles of range, the larger 300 but in either case, that's Pretty impressive range for a big honk in truck.
And it's doubly impressive when you consider that this thing is going to be four wheel drive only.
So right now we've got a lightning with a trailer behind it.
Sadly, I'm not driving, they won't let me.
But I can tell you what it feels like at least.
So I'm told we've got about 6000 pounds behind this truck and it moves it.
Pretty effortlessly.
So right now, we're about to climb a 25% grade, which doesn't sound like much, until you actually see it.
It's really frickin steep.
And this truck just pulls the trailer effortlessly.
You don't hear an engine running.
It's just perfectly silent.
It's pretty amazing.
This truck also has optimized cooling systems so it should be able to tow and haul all day long without any durability concerns or throttling, which is exactly what you need in a truck and frankly what customers expect from an F series.
There is a tow haul mode as well, which among other things, helps this vehicle maintain its speed while going down hills.
Obviously there isn't a transmission, there's no engine so you're not downshifting and revving to help slow the vehicle down but the lightning will still sort of replicate that to help keep speed under control and you in control as well.
What is unknown however, is what happens to the Lightning's driving range while you're towing and that's simply because there are far too many variables in play does the range degrade to 150 miles, is it 150 feet Probably not that low.
I can't tell you for certain but the truck is aware when you are towing.
And since it monitors the state of the battery, it'll keep you aware of how much range is left so that you can make sure that you charge this thing before the battery is completely depleted.
But just like the high speed track, very impressive refinement and capability in this new electric truck.
Beyond sports car acceleration and the ability to rip a McMansion right off its foundation.
This new truck has another nifty parlor trick up its sleeve.
A feature called intelligent backup power allows you to use the F 150 lightning to run your home.
Yep when the lights go out this pickup can deliver up to 9.6 kilowatts of juice to keep your freezer from defrosting the internet up and running and your countertop rotisserie oven spinning away.
You have one of those right Unlike the F150 power boost hybrid setup, you won't need an extension cord to do any of this.
A special bi-directional home wall unit means that if your lightning is plugged in to charge it can also power your home.
Another upside to the lightning is versatility.
Since there's no engine it has a generously sized front trunk and space is lockable can handle 400 pounds of payloadIing clocks in at about 14 Cubic feet.
It's enough room for two golf bags.
It should be a great place to put groceries and stuff too.
That way you don't have to put them in the backseat where they'll spill out everywhere.
ever lose a brick of cream cheese under the seat.
It ain't pretty.
This space should also be weather tight, a handy feature when you're camping or out on the trail.
And thanks to all of that immediate torque, the lightning is just as capable in the dirt.
As it is on the street, this truck has been subjected to the same testing that a regular F-150 goes through no exceptions because it happens to be electrically powered.
For added capability.
Every lightning will come standard With four wheel drive beyond that, they also are all going to be fitted with underbody shielding which is super helpful to protect those delicate [LAUGH] Underbody components from damage when you're driving in places like that.
Beyond those skid plates, you also get a standard locking rear differential for extra grip in particularly nasty conditions.
So we're off roading in the lightning right now and I am very impressed by this pickups performance.
It feels like a unibody vehicle almost there's no jiggle Enos no creaking, no groaning it's absolutely stiff.
And solid even over some pretty nasty terrain.
Unlike other f series trucks.
This lightning has an independent rear suspension which really gives it this super refined ride.
It just glides over ruts and bumps and washboard surfaces.
You drive it on loose gravel and there's none of that shimming you get with a live axle.
It stays absolutely planted and feels Practically like a luxury car, it's that smooth.
There are also four drive modes you can sort of tailor the trucks performance to what you need.
Now there's an off road mode as well which adjusts the ABS performance, how the power train responds and more to give you more confidence out on the trail.
The 2022 Ford F 150.
Lightning will be assembled at the rouge electric vehicle center in Dearborn, Michigan with production starting next spring.
Of course the lightning is going to have plenty of competition from Ballinger and Hummer to Rivian and Tesla but of all of these upcoming electric pickups I've got to say the Ford here Probably feels the most real.
I mean, it's already a segment leading pickup and a proven workhorse.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
But here is the best part which I alluded to earlier.
It's the price.
This rig here is going to kick off at just 40 grand.
That's 40 grand before any federal or state incentives that's in sane.
I mean that puts the lightning Just about at parity with a four wheel drive combustion powered f 150.
And at that price, I think I'm going to have to get indoors because lightning is about to strike a third time.
