Ford has unveiled the F-150 Lightning, an alternative option for its customers who want all the practicality of a pickup truck, but with an electric drivetrain.
Let us get into the business end of the matter first. The F-150 Lightning will come with 2 Lithium-ion battery options – a standard-range and an extended-range battery (exact capacity of both yet to be revealed), providing 370 km and 483 km range, respectively.
Both models have a dual-motor setup, but the standard-range battery variant makes do with 426 HP and 1051 Nm, while the extended-range variant has 563 HP, but the same torque figure.
Due to such high power and torque figures, the Lightning can tow up to 4.5 tonnes and have a payload capability of up to 907 kg.
Visually, the Lightning is still an F-150, but it gets new LED light bars both at the front and rear. Three different grille designs will be available for the pickup which seems to have been smoothed out for better aerodynamic efficiency.
Under the power-operated front boot is a large 400-litre cargo space, which Ford claims is the biggest “frunk” in the market. It can hold up to 181 kg payload too, but is easily beaten by the rear cargo bed that has a box volume of 1495 litres.
Inside, the Ford F-150 Lightning comes with a digital instrument cluster and a 15.5-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen (SYNC4A infotainment system) with cloud-connected navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice control, as well as over-the-air software updates.
It even features an “Intelligent Range” software that displays the remaining driving range by taking into account factors like payload and towing.
To make it a practical vehicle to use, Ford has fitted the Lightning 11.3 kW onboard charger for the standard-range battery and 19.2 kW one for the extended range model.
Using a 50 kW DC charger, the car’s battery can be topped up from 15 to 80 percent in 1.5-2 hours, while the same can be done in just over 40 minutes when a 150 kW charger is used.
Of course, the electric pickup can also be used to power one’s home during an outage. Ford says a fully-charged extended-range battery pack can power a house for up to 3 days.
When it comes to safety features, the F-150 Lightning will come with a whole host of passive and active systems, and, optionally, it will be available with Ford’s BlueCruise (hands-free) L2 driver-assistance system.
In the USA, the F-150 Lightning will be up for sale in 2022 spring and will cost between $39,974 (Rs. 29.23 lakhs) and $90,000 (Rs. 65.81 lakhs), though customers will get a $7500 (Rs. 5.48 lakhs) federal EV credit.
