The first-ever gas-free F-series is now here with us. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is an all-electric pickup with an elevated driving experience coupled with all the capabilities Built Ford Tough. The best-selling truck for over 44 years has now created many advanced technologies to improve the performance of the F-series, and we explore them in this article.
Inside and out, it's still an F-150
Despite the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning being an all-electric machine, it is still the great F-150 that has been one of the best-selling trucks worldwide. Ford subjected it to a rigorous durability test like other gasoline or diesel F-series pickups. The Lightning's cab and bed are the same as other combustion-powered F-150s – hence, you expect nothing less.
There are only a few visual differences that differentiate the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning from its predecessors.
Rather than the earlier design to flow air through the radiator, it comes with a solid grill insert and an illuminated bar running from one headlamp to the other. On the driver's front of the fender, you'll see a charging door that is also different from the former pickup and the aerodynamic-looking wheels.
F-150 Lightning prices: Electric power for the people
A 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning base price is $52,974. For those with deeper pockets, Ford will roll out Lariat Limited premium trims to suit them.
Ford has also added that the Lightning models will reach an upper limit of $90,474 before options. This shows the Lightning Limited has tons of new features not present in its gas equivalent.
Ford will announce the delivery fee closer to the launch, but considering this new truck is heavier than the gas models, the fee is likely to equal the current delivery fee or be slightly higher.
Battery size, range, and performance
Of all the lithium-ion batteries Ford has ever offered, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has the largest fitting. The pack has pouch-style cells and a feature that uses less cobalt than all the previous formulations. They have mounted the pack between massive frame rails and shielded it with extensive skid plates to ease off-roading.
There will be two flavors of battery, one being the standard version with a 230 miles estimated range and the larger version with about 300 miles range between charges.
These power-train combos will give you an impressive 426 horsepower for the base battery, and the larger pack is 563 horsepower. This measure assures you that this Ford will not disappoint in providing mountains of immediate torque. You can expect it to get from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds.
The machine will also have no trouble with towing and hauling, with the ability to drag up to 10,000 pounds and carry up to 2,000 pounds of load.
Large and multiple ways to charge
When the time comes to top off the massive battery pack, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has multiple ways to do that. The pickup comes with a mobile charger to connect to a 120-volt, 12-amp household outlet, or even a 240-volt, 32-amp socket.
Ford also includes an 80-amp home charging station. This allows your pickup to gain about 30 miles of range every hour or charge from 15% to full in just eight hours.
To some who might want an even quicker action than this, the solution is dropping a public 150-kW DC charger. Here, Lightning can charge a range of 54 miles in 10 minutes or from 15% to 80% in about 41 minutes.
Mega Power Frunk, Intelligent Backup Power, Phone As A Key
Ford has filled the Lightning with many clever and innovative features. You first get a lockable and weather-tight storage space in the wide-open space between the front fenders, as the electric pickup truck has no engine. This Mega Power Frunk can support up to 400 pounds of load and has about 14 cubic feet and 400 liters.
This truck can power your home without noisy generators and extension cords during blackouts. The Intelligent Backup Power feature is the smart technology behind all this and, depending on what you are powering, the battery in this Ford can last from three to ten days. All you need is a power inverter to take the DC power from the truck and turn it into the required AC power.
You can also use your phone as a key on this new truck. You can lock or unlock, start and even drive the Lightning without having to carry around the fob in your pockets or purse.