[Photos] All-Electric Ford F-150 Lightning Shocks the World
Photo: Ford
Oh, this is gonna be good. The all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning has been revealed, and it’s all kinds of nuts. We’re talking Harlan Pepper naming everything from peanuts to natural, all-natural white pistachio nuts levels of nuts.
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The most powerful Ford F-150 ever
Let’s just get right into the brass tacks here: dual in-board motors, standard 4×4, a rear independent suspension, targeting 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque. That’s so meaty you could open up a carniceria with it. Thanks to the available Ford Intelligent Backup Power feature, which can offload 9.6 kilowatts of electricity to power a home or business, you could use the F-150 Lightning to keep the lights on in that sucker, too.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden got the chance to drive the F-150 Lightning and remarked what we were all thinking when we saw the footage of that thing taking off: “This sucker’s quick.” He guessed, sans stopwatch, that it went from 0-60 mph in 4.3 or 4.4 seconds. He ain’t the president for nothing, because Ford says the F-150 Lightning should run in the mid-four-second range. That’ll make it a full second and a half faster than the last SVT F-150 Lightning.
If you’re bringing the all-new Ford F-150 Lightning to a job, it won’t be passing the buck. Ford built the F-150 Lightning on an all-new, high-strength steel frame. Thanks to that strong skeleton, you’ll get max towing of around 10,000 pounds for the XLT and Lariat with the extended-range battery and Max Trailer Tow Package. Max payload is around 2,000 pounds for standard-range trucks with 18-inch wheels.
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Take advantage of 2,000 pounds of max payload with Onboard Scales
Photo: Ford
SYNC 4A shows you how much more weight you can hold, Giles Corey
Photo: Ford
The Pro Trailer Hitch Assist takes the challenge out of lining up a trailer
Photo: Ford
Available 360-degree Zone Lighting is great for camping and fending off monsters
Photo: Ford
Ford Power-Up lets you schedule big software updates easily
Photo: Ford
Massive 15.5-inch SYNC 4A screen simplifies, well, a lot of stuff
Photo: Ford
12-inch digital cluster shows up-to-date range estimates, reminds you ya shoulda been a cowboy
Photo: Ford
Of course, Ford makes sure that the all-new F-150 Lightning gets plenty of cutting-edge tech, too. It’ll be one of the latest vehicles to get BlueCruise hands-free driving technology and it’ll stay up to date over time thanks to Ford Power-Up over-the-air update capabilities.
In addition to Onboard Scales, the latest feature added to the all-new 2021 Ford F-150, the F-150 Lightning debuts a new Pro Trailer Hitch Assist technology that handles steering, throttle, and braking when linking up to a trailer. The F-150 Lightning will also be the first Ford F-Series truck to get Phone As A Key technology. That feature debuted in the Ford lineup this year on the 2021 Edge.
As for connectivity, the F-150 Lightning mirrors the Mustang Mach-E with a massive 15.5-inch portrait touch screen with SYNC 4A. You also get a 12-inch digital instrument cluster that makes it easy to track everything from BlueCruise mode to power settings.
Get thee gone, range anxiety!
The fear of running out of juice is still likely one of the biggest things holding folks back from making the switch to electric. But Ford is out here just trying to give y’all the courage you need with the F-150 Lightning. The all-electric truck will offer two battery options: a standard-range battery estimated at around 230 miles and an extended-range battery that tops out around 300 miles at full.
When it comes to charging, Ford offers up an 80-amp standard Ford Charge Station Pro for extra-speedy home charging. You can expect to recover about 30 miles of range per hour and go from 15 to 100 percent battery in eight hours. That means you can get your F-150 Lightning back to full power while you’re sawing logs after a hard day of sawing actual logs.
Out and about, you’ll have access to FordPass’ expansive charging network, which sits about 63,000 plugs strong nationwide. Using a 150-kilowatt DC fast charger, you can expect to get 54 miles of range every 10 minutes and charge from 15 to 80 percent power in 41 minutes.
Still biting your nails in a comical fashion? Ford’s got ya. You can use FordPass Power My Trip to plot out a route that brings you across enough chargers to keep you going. Intelligent Range will keep your estimated mileage up-to-date based on factors like weather, traffic, and payload. And SYNC 4A even chimes in by letting you know when you’re near a charging station.
Ford’s message is clear here: Range anxiety can take a chill pill. And the F-150 Lightning has a prescription handy. Call it Dr. Truck, because it’s got the medicine.
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Ford F-150 Lightning helps you take the power back
Photo: Ford
Earlier this year, Ford encouraged customers in Texas to take advantage of the F-150’s new Pro Power Onboard generator to get through outages caused by a devastating winter storm. Not only does the Ford F-150 Lightning give you a standard 2.4-kilowatt Pro Power Onboard (or 9.6 kilowatts with the Lariat and Platinum) for similar situations, but you can opt for more protection Ford Intelligent Backup Power.
Using the standard 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro, Ford Intelligent Backup Power, your Ford F-150 Lightning can automatically start powering your house during an outage. Ford says that an F-150 Lightning with the extended-range battery can provide enough electricity to power a home for anywhere from three to 10 days depending on rationing.
On top of that, a future Ford Intelligent Power option will allow customers to use the F-150 Lightning to power their homes with their trucks during peak hours, helping you save money on your energy bills. And through a partnership with Sunrun, you’ll even have the ability to charge up the F-150 Lightning using sustainable solar energy.
And now, the most important part of the Lightning
Photo: Ford
No doubt, you’re left with a burning question: What about the frunk? Oh, what about the frunk indeed! Ford says that the F-150 Lightning boasts a “high-tech mega power frunk,” so you know they are not even playing a little bit.
The Ford F-150 Lightning’s front trunk offers 14.1 cubic feet of cargo volume — that’s a full 5 cubic feet more than the beefy Hummer EV, by the way. You’re getting space enough for two carry-on bags and a checked bag or two sets of golf clubs. However you roll, plenty of utility for the next trip out with your dudes and dudettes.
Inside this fabulous Ford F-150’s frunk you’ll also find four electrical outlets and two USB chargers, allowing you to take advantage of 2.4 kilowatts of electricity thanks to Pro Power Onboard.
Oh, and it’s got 400 pounds of payload, so just think about how much junk food you can cram into that thing. It’s drainable, too, so you can get those wings extra wet, just the way you like them.
“The words ‘front trunk’ don’t even begin to describe all the innovation and capability Ford packed into this high-powered space,” said Nancy Reppenhagen, supervisor, Global Feature Process. “It will have customers rethinking what their truck is capable of — and enable the kinds of experiences they never would have thought possible before.”
Nancy is correct. You never thought it would be possible to drive a truck out to the desert without a single carbon emission, use a generator to power a campsite, and then singlehandedly decimate 14.1 cubic feet’s worth of wings in a single sitting miles away from anyone who would dare shame you. But now, with the Ford F-150 Lightning, the shared dream of Americans everywhere can finally be realized.
How much does the F-150 Lightning cost?
So now you’re thinking okay, between the crazy power and speed and the super-cool look and the tech and THAT FRUNK, this thing has to cost a mint, right? Actually, not at all! The entry-level, commercial-oriented F-150 Lightning starts at just $39,974 before tax credits. So it’s priced on par with the — let’s just say what we’re all thinking, butt ugly — Tesla Cybertruck.
The XLT trim will start at $52,974, which is plenty fancy and plenty cheaper than the almost $80,000 starting price of a Hummer EV. Ford President of the Americas and International Markets Group Kumar Galhotra fired some shots at GMC, saying “We’re not here to make an electric truck for the few — Ford is committed to building one that solves real problems for real people.” Drag them, king.
Of course, because people with fancier appetites love trucks, too, the luxurious Platinum will up the stakes at a price tag around $90,000. Ford hasn’t yet released pricing for the Lariat, which falls between the XLT and Platinum.
Reservations for the Ford F-150 Lightning are open now, and it’ll take just $100 to grab your spot in line. Deliveries start in the spring of next year.
Richard Bazzy is the face of Shults Ford, the No. 1 Ford dealer in Pittsburgh and all of Pennsylvania. Known for his unique approach to selling cars and his penchant for cowboy hats, Richard runs Shults Ford of Harmarville, Shults Ford Lincoln of Wexford, and Shults Ford South. Visit his YouTube channel and see just how well Richard Bazzy can yee a haw.