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The Ford F-150 Lightning Is Electrifying America’s Best-Selling Truck

Electric cars have always been a sub-category of the car, and whilst the governments of the world want the ‘electric car’ to simply become a ‘car’, we’ve still got a while to go until we see EVs as normality. So in a bid to make EVs more mainstream, Ford has converted the best-selling product, the Ford F-150, into exactly that, and they’re using one hell of a name to brand it with.

This is the new Lightning, and we’ve known it’s been coming for a while, but finally, we know all the details. Let’s start you off with a few numbers first. Dual motors give it 563 horsepower and 775lb ft of torque. Not only is this the most torque a Lightning has ever seen, but it makes this all-wheel-drive truck incredibly quick. We still don’t know how quick, but we’re thinking around 4.5 seconds. President Joe Biden, who had a go in one a few days ago, reckons 4.4 seconds to 60mph.

The range isn’t breathtaking, but depending on which spec you tick, you’ll get 230 to 300 miles, with a maximum payload of 900kg. You also get a towing capacity of 4.5 tonnes, and when your truck bed gets full, you can open the frunk to reveal even more 400-litres more storage. Oh the perks of having no engine, hey? This frunk will also be able to charge your tools thanks to four electrical sockets, and should you suffer from a power cut, you can plug your truck into your house as a power source.

Alongside this it’s full of tech inside, too. There’s Co-Pilot 360, which allows for hands-free driving on approved roads similar to Tesla, a hitch assist system will help you line up your trailer, and there are even scales built-in so you know exactly how heavy your cargo is. It’s well and truly set up for a working life, and more than happy to take you off the tarmac and into the mud with a host of modes for all terrains.

“For both Ford and the American auto industry, F-150 Lightning represents a defining moment as we progress toward a zero-emissions, digitally connected future,” says Bill Ford. “F-Series is America’s best-selling truck for 44 years, the backbone of work across the country, and a trusted icon for generations of customers. Now we are revolutionising it for a new generation.”

Now, Ford has electrified the Transit, the Mustang (ish), and finally the F-150. It’s fair to say that the company is doing a lot to ready us for an all-electric future, and I don’t mind so much. Especially as it’s only $39,974 and reservable online for a deposit of only $100. Production will begin in 2022.

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