The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning continues to impress with every successive time we get behind the wheel. It’s an electrical F-150 with none main obstacles or quirks to show off the common truck purchaser. Judging by the ravenous demand, Ford seems to have gotten this components proper. That’s no shock, although, as only a few manufacturers know truck patrons higher than the king of full-size truck gross sales, Ford.
Right here, we now have a Lariat mannequin with the extended-range battery pack. Primarily based on pricing, the extent of apparatus and the vary offered by the massive battery pack — 320 miles — it’s doubtless going to be a well-liked grade to purchase. The AWD Lightning with this prolonged vary pack produces a walloping 580 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque, and with our tester’s Max Trailer Tow package deal, can tow as much as 10,000 kilos. Payload capability sits at a barely much less spectacular 1,800 kilos, however you do get the Know-how of the Yr award-winning Onboard Scales and Good Hitch tech to make towing and hauling simpler.
Pricing for the Lightning has modified between after we examined it and when this assessment was printed (to present you an concept of how usually Ford has elevated the Lightning’s costs this 12 months). After we had the truck, it stickered for $80,739, however immediately, a similarly-equipped 2023 F-150 Lightning will run you $89,314. Even for an already costly truck, that is an enormous uptick. Even so, there’s a lot to like about this electrical truck that wanting past that value enhance is feasible. The F-150 Lightning is actually top-of-the-line vehicles you should purchase immediately, electrical or not.
Shopper Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski — The Ford Lightning appears designed particularly to not wow onlookers. Apart from the blunt-nosed face with its grille-less opening, you just about must look beneath to see that this is not a run-of-the-mill F-Collection truck. Subsequent to the Hummer EV I drove on the identical day, the Lightning simply did not stand out.
If that feels like a demerit, it is not meant to be. Not solely is the looks like that of a typical Ford truck, so too is the expertise from behind the wheel. Besides that it is actually, actually highly effective. I’ve put 1000’s of miles on dozens of Ford F-150 fashions, and the Lightning is definitely essentially the most enjoyable to drive (I am excluding the Raptor for apparent causes). There’s energy at any time when and wherever you need it. Contemplating its mass and the truth that it is a pickup truck and never a sport sedan, it even rides and steers fairly darn nicely.
It is actually exhausting to imagine that that is Ford’s very first electrical pickup truck. It is refined, drives nicely, has loads of vary (although towing a big load will minimize that in half), and nicely packaged. If solely they weren’t so exhausting to seek out on the market with out ridiculous dealership markups …
Affiliate Editor Byron Hurd — The Lightning is essentially the most typical EV I’ve ever pushed. It simply seems like a truck, albeit a quiet one. Fittingly, we invited the Lightning to be evaluated for Tech of the Yr as a result of its tow/haul tech simply plain works — constantly — and serves a sensible objective for individuals who truly use their vehicles for truck stuff. It is easy, good and helpful and does not really feel like a gimmick, very similar to the Lightning itself. Possibly this truck is simply too smart for the everyday EV client, however I am betting that is why it’s going to attraction to various typical truck individuals.
Information Editor Joel Stocksdale — Man, trailering know-how simply retains getting higher and higher. I am amazed at how clear and responsive the Onboard Scale and Good Hitch techniques are. They’re super-easy to grasp, and so they’re not exhausting to dig up within the infotainment system. Having that information for loading a trailer appropriately can be actually useful and vital for protected use of a trailer. It is nice that there are all these instruments for making trailering simpler and safer for even amateurs, who actually will want the assistance essentially the most. It certain could be good if extra of those instruments have been simply customary, although.
Highway Take a look at Editor Zac Palmer — The F-150 Lightning is definitely my new favourite full-size pickup. It is essentially the most snug, smoothest, quietest and easy F-150 cash should purchase. Now, the amount of cash crucial to buy an F-150 Lightning retains going up, however that does not imply you need to flip away fairly but. Even with the worth will increase, the Lightning is a stellar EV.
I believe Ford nailed what individuals need in an electrical truck from nearly each perspective. If you wish to drive it round like a standard automobile, that may be accomplished. Favor a one-pedal expertise like many EV followers do? That can be accomplished. Acceleration off the road is potent, and the primary time you go full throttle, you will perceive why President Biden was raving in regards to the prototype he drove a pair years in the past. Typical truck patrons ought to benefit from the truck-like dealing with and really feel of the F-150. That is no sports activities automobile masquerading as a pickup. It’s going to roll and transfer like a daily truck will, however the inherent low heart of gravity nonetheless makes for a extra stable-feeling truck than any gasoline-powered F-150.
The inside tech encompassing the large infotainment system and digital instrument cluster work nicely. Nevertheless, I do want it had a number of extra bodily controls like gas-powered F-150s do. The central display screen is usually a contact laggy on preliminary startup, resulting in delays to inputs — do not make anyone wait an additional few seconds to get these heated seats rolling on a chilly morning! Final on the record of complaints is the charging know-how itself. Ford guarantees 155 kW of quick charging functionality, and whereas respectable, that is nonetheless not super-quick while you’re coping with such a big battery pack. Should you’re towing lengthy sufficient to require charging stops, it may make for an excessively lengthy highway journey, which isn’t enjoyable. That mentioned, I am satisfied the Lightning may change a large quantity of gas-powered F-150s on the highway proper now, and all people’s truck lives could be considerably higher for it. This factor guidelines.
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