![]() The setup was a good indicator of the Lightning’s ability to offer more usable power and outlets than any other current EV. A spiderweb of extension cords running from the truck powered multiple TV screens, sound systems, tools and box fans throughout three massive tents during the event. Instead, Ford’s goal was to show off the newest F-150’s battery capabilities, both for performance and daily utility. The few hand-built pre-production Lightnings at the speedway had hastily completed interiors as well as fit and finish issues and did not accurately represent the final production designs or trim levels. The automaker used Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California to stage a demonstration of the electric truck’s impressive performance and the available onboard tech that could provide solutions to potential sticking points. Michael Van Runkleįorbes Wheels got an early look at the 2022 F-150 Lightning to learn more about how Ford aims to convert skeptical truck drivers into electric believers. The F-150 Lightning used its onboard power to run electrical equipment and a handful of devices at the demonstration in Southern California. Ford has not announced the truck’s battery size, but Forbes Wheels believes the Standard battery measurements will be between 110 and 130 kWh and the Extended Range will fall between 150 to 180 kWh. Hooking up to a DC Fast Charger yields the fastest top-off times for both batteries (around 40 mins), but 240-volt Level 2 charging is 10 hours for the Standard and 13 for the Extended. Ford estimates the Lightning will travel 230 miles on a full charge when equipped with the Standard battery and 300 miles with the Extended Range. Consumers already are wondering if the forthcoming F-150 Lightning EV will offer enough range for truck owners, especially given the prospect of lengthy charge times. With the launch of the F-150 Lightning, we just got a little closer to that day.But many questions remain. Optimism needn't conflict with making a smart financial decision on your next truck, and I am so incredibly ready for us to get to the point where the EV choice is simply a no-brainer. With current lumber prices nobody can afford more than a few clean sheets of plywood right now, but that doesn't mean you don't want your next truck to be big enough to haul a stack of the things for that badass, three-car garage you're finally going to build next summer. You don't buy a truck for what you need it to do, you buy a truck for what you hope you might someday do. A truck is the ultimate expression of American consumer optimism. After all, trucks are aspirational vehicles. Other than finding enough chips to build the things, I fear Ford's biggest challenge ahead will be getting consumers to be realistic about their needs. But for every person actually taxing the hitches on their trucks, you'll find dozens or hundreds of others using their truck as a very large, very capable commuter vehicle. Sure, we all know someone who hauls their Airstream all the way up to northern Maine a couple times a summer, or someone who drags their ponies down to Ocala every fall in a gooseneck trailer. It'll be some time before we know the real figures, but internal-combustion trucks are going to be better at pulling trailers long-distance.Ī truck is the ultimate expression of American consumer optimism. Car and Driver estimate that the range under full load may be as little as 100 miles. That's as much an industry failing as it is Ford's. Admittedly, it's hard to blame Ford for not wanting to reveal its numbers in this area first, because there doesn't seem to be an established industry range-testing procedure for towing and hauling with EVs (let alone any rivals' numbers to compare with). I'm guessing that's because the numbers won't be good. ![]() The problem is that Ford hasn't combined the two and quoted any range figures while towing. Ford is also saying the truck will tow up to 10,000 pounds. Ford says the Lightning will go between 230 and 300 miles on a charge, depending on configuration. OK, maybe there's one compromise: towing. Yes, those other EV trucks sure look interesting and exciting, but Ford's F-150 Lightning has the potential to be a proper industry changer with that price and all the capability you've come to expect from a good ol' pick-'em-up. The company's engineers have made something that will make life easier at the job site (no more generator rentals), will add security to your home (no more blackouts), and, of course, do it all in an emissions-free way - with lower operating costs, to boot. Instead of trying to position the truck as quicker than a sports car or market it as the ultimate lifestyle accessory, Ford seems to have simply built a better truck for more people. ![]()
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