Under the hood of truck, there is a notable lack of engine noise. This is due to the fact that there is no engine, simply a vast, empty void.
The “Mega Power Frunk” is a ridiculous moniker for a very great feature that truck owners have been begging for years: lockable storage space.
The benefits of the trunk are only one of many notable features of the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s eagerly awaited electrified pickup truck.
The F-150 Lightning is possibly the most significant electric vehicle yet to be released. I’m sure you’ve heard all the reasons why this plug-in truck is so important for Ford, the car industry, America, our climate, and so on. Because, of course, Ford electrified America’s most popular vehicle.
That being said, there were a few things about this truck that shocked and even disappointed me.
There are undoubtedly sacrifices when it comes to energizing something as iconic and revered as the F-series.
But, happily, the good exceeds the bad, and there’s nothing about the Lightning that makes me doubt the transition from dirty, gas-powered vehicles to zero tailpipe emissions.
Most people who purchase a Ford F-150 Lightning (those who are fortunate enough to obtain one) will not have many opportunity to drive it up near-vertical rocky slopes, over knee-deep mud puddles, or even on twisting surface roads while towing an 8,000-pound speedboat.
But that’s exactly what I got to do over the course of two days in and around San Antonio, Texas, where Ford invited members of the media to test drive the new F-150 Lightning.
Drive Impactions
The F-150 Lightning, like its namesake, handles like a very sporty pickup on surface roads.
However, because of the truck’s low center of gravity, it’s easy to forget you’re driving a 6,500-pound vehicle.
The truck’s pouch-style lithium-ion battery cells line the vehicle’s floor, which is not unique to electric cars (almost every EV on the market has a similar arrangement), but feels odd for a pickup truck.
The near-instant torque — 452 horsepower in the normal range and 580 horsepower in the extended range — is typical for an EV but completely absurd for a truck the size of the F-150.
In comparison, the V8 turbocharged diesel engines found in Ford’s Super Duty trucks (think F-250 to F-450) produce roughly 475 horsepower. Those engines produce 1,050 pound-feet of torque, which is more than the Lightning’s 775 pound-feet. Still, the F-150 Lightning’s ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds is genuinely remarkable. It never grew old after two days of driving.
To read our blog on “By 2023, Ford plans to treble the production capacity of the all-electric Mustang Mach E,” click here
