In July 2019, Ford came up with a one million-pound towing stunt. That was the first time we heard anything related to its electric truck. It served as an official confirmation that Ford was working on an electric F-150 to take on the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and the Rivian R1T. Almost two years later, the truck has finally arrived.

Ford has revived the ‘Lightning’ moniker for its electric truck. The F-150 Lightning is the quickest and the most powerful F-150 ever. The maximum payload and towing capacity are rated at 2,000- and 10,000 pounds, respectively. The biggest revelation, however, is its price. The electric Ford F-150 Lightning starts at a shade under $40,000 for the commercial trim and $53,000 for the base trim.

The F-150 Lightning Looks Similar To The Standard F-150

Ford hasn’t gone berserk with the exterior design and we like that. You cannot mistake it for anything but an F-150. The F-150 Lightning comes with a full-width LED strip on top of a closed, stylized grille with the Ford badge. The taillights are also similar to that of its internal combustion-engined twin, but again, with an LED strip running across the tailgate.

Ford has made use of the familiar trim names here. The F-150 Lightning will be offered in three trims – XLT, Lariat, and Platinum. The XLT will ride on 18-inch wheels, Lariat on 20-inch, and Platinum on 22-inch wheels as standard. The automaker has pinned the truck on a high-strength steel frame. The body and bed are composed of high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy. The Lariat and Platinum trims come with the Tailgate Work Surface as standard.

All trims share the same dimensions. The electric truck is 232.7 inches long, 83.6 inches wide, and 78.9 inches tall. The front and rear tracks are 68.1- and 68.3 inches wide, whereas the front and rear overhangs measure 37.8- and 49.4 inches.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning exterior dimensions

Wheelbase

145.5

Overall length

232.7

Cab height

78.9

Width - excluding mirrors

80.0

Width - including standard mirrors

96.0

Width - standard mirrors folded

83.6

Track width - front

68.1

Track width - rear

68.3

Overhang - front

37.8

Overhang - rear

49.4


The F-150 Lightning has an approach angle of 25.4 degrees, a departure angle of 24.2 degrees, and a breakover angle of 17.8 degrees. The ground clearance is rated at 8.9 inches. Not to mention, the truck features an independent rear suspension system, too.


Angle of approach (degrees)

25.4

Angle of departure (degrees)

24.2

Ramp breakover angle (degrees)

17.8

Ground clearance

8.9


The F-150 Lightning Is High On Tech Features

The cabin isn’t as minimalistic as you would expect in an EV, but things aren’t too cluttered either. Behind the steering wheel is a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. The XLT comes with simple cloth seats, Lariat with leather-appointed seats, and the top-spec Platinum with Premium Nirvana Leather upholstery. Interior Work Surface, first seen on the 2021 F-150, comes with standard on all three trims. There’s no word on the Max Recline Seats here for now, but you can expect it to be offered in the future.

They run on the SYNC4 infotainment system and support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Stuff like Push Button Start and even a 360-degree camera come as standard across the range. An eight-speaker B&O audio system is offered on the XLT, and an 18-speaker B&O audio system on the mid- and top trims.

How Much Range Does The Electric F-150 Lightning Offer?

The F-150 Lightning will be offered with two battery pack options – Standard Range and Extended Range. The targeted EPA-estimated range with Standard-Range battery pack is 230 miles, whereas with the Extended-Range battery pack it’s 300 miles.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Powertrain

The electric F-150 Lightning comes with a dual-motor setup and an all-wheel-drive layout as standard on all the models. When equipped with the Standard-Range battery pack, the truck churns out 426 horses and 775 pound-feet of torque. With the Extended-Range battery, the horsepower increases to 563, but the torque remains the same at 775 pound-feet. Ford noted that the F-150 Lightning will sprint to 60 mph from rest in mid-four seconds.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning specifications

POWERTRAIN/DRIVETRAIN

Standard-Range Battery

Extended-Range Battery

Drivetrain Layout

Dual eMotor, front/rear transverse mounted, four-wheel drive

Dual eMotor, front/rear transverse mounted, four-wheel drive

Motors/configuration

Two inboard three-phase fixed magnet AC motors with internal PMAC controller and transaxles

Two inboard three-phase fixed magnet AC motors with internal PMAC controller and transaxles

Targeted Peak Power (hp/kW)*

426/318

563/420

Targeted Peak Torque (lb.-ft.)*

775

775

Battery type

Lithium-ion pouch with internal battery management, liquid cooled

Lithium-ion pouch with internal battery management, liquid cooled

Onboard charger power (input/output)

11.3 kW/10.5 kW

19.2kW/17.6 kW


How Long Will It Take To Charge The F-150 Lightning?

With the Standard-Range battery, the F-150 Lightning will take 44 minutes to recuperate from 15- to 80-percent when connected to a 150 kW DC fast charger, and 91 minutes when connected to a 50 kW DC fast charger. It takes 14 hours to charge from 15- to 100-percent when plugged in using a 240W mobile charger, and 10 hours when being charged at a Ford Charge Station Pro or a Connected Charger Station.

The Extended-Range battery will get charged from 15- to 80-percent in 41 minutes and 122 minutes when plugged into a 150 kW and 50 kW charging point, respectively. The mobile charger will take 19 hours to recuperate the battery from 15- to 100-percent, whereas the Ford Charge Station Pro and Connected Charger Station will do it in eight- and 13 hours.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning charging times

TARGETED CHARGE TIMES

Standard-Range Battery

Extended-Range Battery

LEVEL 3

150 kW DCFC 15-80%

44 minutes

41 minutes

50 kW DCFC 15-80%

91 minutes

122 minutes

LEVEL 2

80A Ford Charge Station Pro 15-100%

10 hours

8 hours

48A Connected Charge Station 15-100%

10 hours

13 hours

32A/240W Mobile Charger 15-100%

14 hours

19 hours


How Much Can The Electric F-150 Lightning Tow and Haul?

The maximum towing capacity is rated at 7,700 pounds with the Standard-Range Battery, and 10,000 pounds with the Extended-Range Battery. These are when equipped with the Maximum Trailer Tow Package.

The maximum payload capacity is rated at 2,000 pounds with the Standard-Range Battery, and 1,800 pounds with the Extended-Range Battery.

Pro Power Onboard Generator Will Be Offered, Too

The F-150 Lightning comes with the Pro Power Onboard as standard. The XLT trim features a 2.4 kW Pro Power Onboard, whereas the Lariat and Platinum feature a 9.6 kW capacity Pro Power Onboard. There are two 120V outlets in the cab, two in the bed, and four in the truck in the XLT trim, and two in the cab, four each in the bed and truck in the case of the other two trims. Even a 240V outlet is offered in the bed in the Lariat and Platinum models.

How Much Does The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Cost?

Front three-quarter view of Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford Media

The truck will be offered in a commercial SR variant and that starts at $39,974. This is before the federal tax credits come into play.

The XLT starts at $52,974. The prices of the other trims are not revealed, but Ford has mentioned that the Platinum should be in the whereabouts of $90,000. This makes it costlier than the top-spec tri-motor Tesla Cybertruck and even the Rivian R1T. But, it’s still cheaper than the GMC Hummer EV.

If you’re interested in the truck, you can place a $100 refundable deposit and reserve yours.

When Will The F-150 Lightning Arrive?

The Ford F-150 Lightning will arrive sometime in Spring 2022.