Meet the Future of Hauling: The All-Electric Ford F-150 Lightning
Elizabeth Blackstock
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You’ve heard about the future of hauling, and now it’s here. Say hello to the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning.
We’ve seen the introduction of electric vehicles begin to pop up throughout the world, but very few automakers have actually been able to create a ready-for-market electric truck. Not until now.
Meet the all-new and all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning. This truck promises everything available from your standard truck, but with the eco-friendly electric battery power that you can feel good about. If you’re looking to preserve your ranch truck while still being better for the environment, this is going to be the way to do it.
The front trunk has a payload of 400 pounds. Photo: Ford
The Features You’ll Love
The all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning is packed with the kind of tech features that are designed to augment your driving experience and kick things up a notch. It’s everything you love about a pickup, but with some added bits and bobs that will transform your idea of a truck.
Those features include:
- A high-tech power frunk under the hood where the engine used to be. Not only does it provide tons of extra storage, but it also has a drainable floor for rainy days and four electrical outlets for any powering needs you may have. You can store 400 liters of goods or the equivalent 400 pounds of payload.
- An overnight charge that provides 300 miles of range—along with FordPass, which gives you access to more than 16,000 charging stations across the United States.
- Wireless software updates that can keep your F-150 Lightning up to date with the latest upgrades provided by Ford. These updates should all take less than two minutes.
- Onboard scales that use the truck’s sensors to estimate payload and tell you how much you’re hauling
- Trailer hitch assist, which automatically controls steering, throttle, and brake inputs based on the load you’re hauling.
- Your phone is your key, so you don’t need to remove a key to enter or start the car.
- BlueCruise, which is Ford’s name for its handsfree driving technology. It’s not available all the time, but you can use this on more than 100,000 miles of divided North American highway to ease your driving experience. Please note, though, that you still need to be fully attentive and ready to help the car any time you need.
- Fold-out interior work surface and maximum recline seats.
- Ultra aerodynamic design to improve efficiency.
You have a full lineup of colors available to choose from. Photo: Ford
And these are just some of the features that are available in the Ford F-150 Lightning. You’re also going to experience some of the more standard forms of new technologies like:
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Amazon Alexa
- SYNC AppLink apps, which give you the ability to access certain apps via voice control
- 12-inch digital instrument cluster that provides the driver instant access to tons of information about range, battery, heat, radio, navigation, and more.
- 15.5-inch touch screen that’s designed to adapt to driver behavior and provide instant, easily accessible information without having to dig through a lengthy settings menu
The fold-down work station is perfect for anyone who has to complete work on the go. Photo: Ford
But Can the Ford F-150 Lightning Do Truck Stuff?
Sure, the Ford F-150 sounds great in concept, but if it can’t do everything a truck needs to do, what’s the point? You know: hauling, fording water, and transporting families. The things you need your truck to do.
But don’t worry. Ford has you covered:
- You can have 2,000 pounds in the truck bed and a maximum 10,000 pounds towing capacity on higher-end trims that feature a trailer package. You’ll be able to haul the boat, the cows, or the crops with no problems at all.
- A low center of gravity means you’ll have confident grip, no matter the terrain.
- With 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque, your engine will be capable of anything. And because electric power is almost instantaneous, you’ll have that power immediately.
- A standard 4×4 system with selectable drive modes (normal, sport, off-road, and tow/haul).
- Skid plates to protect your body, battery, and inboard motors.
- The ability to deal with temperatures as extreme as -40 degrees Fahrenheit as well as incredibly hot temperatures. The truck automatically cools and warms the systems as needed.
360-degree lighting provides an opportunity to work well into the dark. Photo: Ford
Power On Wheels
And because the Ford F-150 Lightning runs off battery power, you can actually use your truck as a moveable power source. It includes the ability to offload 9.6 kW of power, which basically means you can power home appliances and security systems during a power outage, or you can run your power tools all day long if you’re out on the job.
The truck can also redirect power to your house when it’s plugged in. So, if your home needs power, it’ll draw from your truck’s battery automatically. If it doesn’t, then your truck will charge like normal. Ford estimates you can power a home for up to three days if you’re going all-out with electricity, climate control, security systems, and more. If you ration power, you can make the Ford F-150’s battery last for 10 days or more.
There are also plenty of electrical power outlets for charging electronics or tools. You’ll have 2.4 kW chargers as a standard option with the ability to upgrade to 9.6 kW in the cabin. The frunk only contains 2.4 kW outlets, but you can nab 7.2 kW in the bed. So, there are tons of options depending on what you need.
Worried that all this extra charging will drain your F-150’s battery without you noticing? Don’t be! If you connect your truck to your smartphone, the FordPass app will let you know when the truck falls below one-third of its total battery range. At that point, you can even go into a battery-saving mode.
The large touch screen is intuitive and easy to use on the go. Photo: Ford
All the Specs to Know
- On an 80-amp at-home charger, the extended range F-150 Lightning can add 30 miles of range per charging hour, with the full charge being achieved in 8 hours.
- With a 150-kilowatt DC fast charger, the extended range F-150 Lightning can add up to 54 miles of range in 10 minutes, which means it can charge from 15 to 80 percent in about 40 minutes.
- The base model will start at $39,974 before federal and/or state EV tax credit.
- The mid-series XLT model starts at $52,974.
- Other trim pricing is currently unavailable.
- Standard-range battery targets 230 miles of range, with the extended-range battery targeting 300 miles. Payload and towing will impact range.
More details will likely be released soon, but if you want to get in on the action, you can reserve your Ford F-150 Lightning now with a $100 deposit.
You can use your smartphone as both a key and an info center for everything you need to know about your truck. Photo: Ford