The upper half is much the same as any other F-150 in look and feel. With the heavy payload, the rear didn’t sag. The towing range also collects real time data and factors in terrain, driving style, temperature, and elevation, and gets smarter about its estimates, especially when using different tow profiles. The weight gets sent to the cloud and used to calculate range, in a feature that alone could sway me over the competition. The onboard scales weighed in at 2,036 lb via the touchscreen display, 200 lb shy of the Lightning’s payload capacity. Same was true for a tightly secured payload of 1,500 lb of 4x8 plywood sheets. There was no denying the weight behind me, yet it never strained on uphills or felt like it was pushing on downhills. Towing a 9,500-lb trailer loaded with casks of wine proved its strength, as well as the excellent capability of the motors. Palmer said the new frame was the strongest Ford ever made. “The motors are positioned deep within the frame, and the steering and braking system was modified completely to fit within the space around the frunk.” “The whole bottom of the truck is new,” said Darren Palmer, Ford VP of electric vehicle programs. The independent rear suspension with coil-over springs is new-a first but certainly not the last for an F-150. The frame is wider to fit the battery pack suspended between it, and thicker cross members made of high-strength steel both gird and shield the pack. The platform is in fact different from gas and hybrid F-150s. Despite plenty of lean in turns, it rode around the Texas hill country outside San Antonio like a crossover SUV, despite its body-on-frame platform. There was no bounce from the bed, no jounce from road bumps. Further, the big battery pack suspended within the frame made for a low center of gravity, and the independent rear suspension with coil-over springs with trailing arms kept the unladen, 5-foot-six bed planted, even at highway speeds. The big side mirrors and big wheels made for some road and wind noise, but the overall intrusion into the cabin was nothing like other trucks. More improbable than the quickness was the calm and quiet ride quality.

It chirped the tires on the 22-inch wheels more than once. Both battery pack sizes produce 775 lb-ft of torque, more than any other F-150, and all that instant torque’s gonna get you, going to punch you right in the gut. The F-150 Lightning zips from 0-60 mph in the mid-four second range, according to Ford, and it feels improbably quicker due to the ride height and big and boxy truck surroundings. It weighs a bit less than the Rivian R1T, and is a feather compared to the 9,000+ lb GMC Hummer EV. The on-road portion of most of my test drive came in the top, heaviest Platinum trim. The curb weight for the extended-range model I tested was estimated to be 6,590 lb for preproduction models, though Ford wouldn’t confirm it. Max payload with the standard-range battery increased 235 lb to 2,235 lb, which is more than all but the base Silverado 1500 Work Truck and Ram Tradesman with rear-wheel drive.įord said the power increases came from the latest motor calibrations and the substantial payload increase came from weight reductions throughout the development phases of the truck. Those with the 98-kwh standard-range battery pack make 452 hp, up from 426. Versions of the Lightning with the 131-kwh extended-range battery pack deliver 580 hp, up from the original 563-hp estimate. Last week, in advance of the media first drives, Ford announced higher final horsepower and payload specs than originally anticipated. If you were, and you converted it to an order, the F-150 Lightning has only gotten better.

If you weren’t one of the first 200,000 reservation holders, you’ll have to wait until the 2023 reservation system reopens, sometime this summer. Earlier this year Ford announced it would nearly double production to 150,000 Lightnings for the 2023 model year. It looks like an F-150, feels like an F-150, works like an F-150, yet is better by nearly every measure.Īctually, the two primary barriers from enjoying the F-150 Lightning, versus the gasoline version, have nothing to do with the truck itself: planning out charging in advance, and being able to take delivery of a Lightning some time before 2023. The most daring thing about Ford’s electric gambit is its familiarity. Ford takes a different approach with the Lightning.

2022 ford f 150 lightning release date