Ford has revealed the new F-150 Lightning, the first production electric version of its pickup series and North America's best selling vehicle. Based on the 14th generation of the F-Series, the F-150 Lightning will be offered with two battery packs, both coupled to a dual-motor setup which offers an EPA tested range of 370km and 482km respectively. The extended range model will also promise a 0-100kmph time in the mid-4 second range, says Ford, who, with the F-150 Lightning, has brought back the Lightning nameplate which it used on the high-performance version of the F-150 in the 90s.
The F-150 Lightning looks relatively tame and more traditional pickup truck like when compared to its rivals, the Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer EV, Rivian R1T and the Bollinger B2. Only a few visual tweaks separate it from its combustion-engined siblings. Upfront, it sports a full-width LED light bar that connects those huge headlights with DRLs. Due to the lack of an engine under its hood, the F-150 gets a ‘frunk’ with 400L storage space and a solid grille, which can be configured in three ways depending on trim. The radiator grille is situated down below, in the front bumper.
Moving on to the sides, the F-150 Lightning gets a charging door on the driver's side front fender and aerodynamically designed alloy wheels. The rear too gets a full-width light bar that connects the taillights, but only on the higher trims. Overall, the F-150 Lightning is an inch longer and 1.7-inch taller than an ICE powered F-150 and it will be available only in one body style, the SuperCrew model with a 5.5-foot bed.
On the inside, the F-150 Lightning carries over the dashboard design from the regular F-150, it gets a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch portrait style infotainment touchscreen which gets upgraded to a 15.5-inch unit on the higher trims. It runs Ford's Sync 4A infotainment software and supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as Amazon's Alexa voice system. The F-150 Lightning gets a gear lever that can be folded down in the centre console, making way to extend the centre armrest to make a table/workstation. The F-150 Lightning, upon its arrival in 2022 will also be available with Ford's forthcoming BlueCruise hands-free driving system.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is available with two lithium-ion battery packs: Standard Range and Extended Range. Ford hasn't disclosed the capacity of both battery packs yet, but hints an EPA-estimated range of 370km and 482km respectively.
Both the battery packs deliver power through a dual-motor setup which makes the F-150 Lightning all-wheel-drive. The smaller powertrain is rated at 420bhp while the bigger setup is said to produce 555bhp. The mahoosive 1050 Nm torque figure remains identical in both variants. Ford says that the F-150 Lightning with the Extended Range battery will be able to sprint from 0 to 100kmph in mid-4 seconds, that will also make it the quickest F-150 ever made.
Ford will offer a home charging station as standard with the F-150 Lightning, which will be compatible with 150kW DC fast charging. This will allow a 15-80 per cent charge in 41 minutes. The F-150 Lightning will also offer a power-at-home function, which can power a home during an outage, using 9.6kW of the battery charge. Ford claims it can power an average home for up to 10 days. Cool isn't it?
Deliveries of the Ford F-150 Lightning are slated in mid-2022 for the international markets. It will be available in three trim levels — XLT, Lariat and Platinum. It’s priced $39,974 (Rs 29.2 lakh, excluding Indian taxes and duties) for the XLT, $52,974 (Rs 38.7 lakh) for the Lariat and $70,000 (Rs 51.1 lakh) for the Platinum variant, without destination charge. The price tag of its base model is more affordable in comparison to an ICE-powered F-150 and all price tags are competitive with its arch rivals, the GMC Hummer EV and the Tesla Cybertruck.