For more than 40 years, the Ford F-Series has been the bestselling truck in America, and that tradition shows no signs of ending anytime soon. While the standard F-150 remains the quintessential pickup truck for a lot of people, there’s a new option that has many people – Ford fans and those who don’t follow Ford alike – standing up and taking notice. The all-new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning promises to be something special in the truck market, which is poised to take the Ford lineup in a new direction: electric.
That’s right, you might’ve already heard about it, but if not, then the F-150 Lightning is Ford’s first all-electric F-Series pickup, and it’s about to change everything. While there are some other options coming soon from other manufacturers, like Tesla, a lot of people have been waiting to see what the tried and true leader of the pickup industry has to offer. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait much longer and, so far, the things we know about the F-150 Lightning are already extremely impressive. I’m going to take you through some of the reasons people are excited about the Lightning and everything it will bring to the table.
#1 – Powerful Motors and F-150 Capability
With any electric vehicle, and especially something as innovative and exciting as an all-new EV pickup, one of the first things people are going to look at is the kind of motor it has. While the batteries and other parts of the power system are certainly important, a good motor that delivers impressive overall power is vital. Fortunately, the setup for the F-150 Lightning is excellent and ensures great performance and serious muscle.
I’ll get into the configuration of the motors in a moment, but a lot of people are excited about the performance of this all-new pickup, which lives up to the legacy of the F-Series. Target numbers from Ford are all excellent: 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of instant electrical torque that lets you go from 0 to 60 in about 4.5 seconds. Ford’s engineers expect the Lightning will have a payload capacity of about 2,000 lbs. along with 10,000 lbs. of maximum towing.
#2 – Two Motors and 4×4 Standard
The power and performance of the motors are certainly great, but I know a lot of Ford fans that are particularly excited about the off-road potential of the F-150 Lightning. A lot of this comes down to the fact that the Lightning will have a two-motor system with one motor on the front axle and the other on the rear axle. This means that 4×4 is standard on every 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, making it a great option for the road less traveled.
You might not think this is that big of a deal at first, but it’s worth noting that the Tesla Cybertruck, by comparison, comes with a single-motor standard. While you can upgrade to a dual-motor option with all-wheel drive, that’s going to cost you extra – and the standard rear-wheel drive model already starts at about $40,000. Combine the Lightning’s dual motors with an independent rear suspension, and you get a great ride that is incredibly comfortable and clearly designed to continue the tradition of performance established by the Ford F-Series.
#3 – Excellent Range and Easy Charging
The F-150 Lightning has an advanced lithium-ion battery pack that has been designed and mounted in a way that protects it from damage even if you go off-roading. There are two different battery options available, depending on the kind of range you want. The standard-range battery pack will offer an estimated 230 miles of range on a full charge, while the extended-range battery option will push that up to 300 miles from a full charge.
Charging the Ford F-150 Lightning also seems like it will be much easier than some other EV models. The extended-range battery will come with an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro that allows for fast charging using the battery’s dual onboard chargers – this means you should be able to get a full charge at home overnight. Standard charging without a station will also be possible through a 120V or 240V outlet.
#4 – The Enhanced Pro Power Onboard System
Not every feature of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is revolutionary (though plenty of them are) – some are more evolutionary. For example, the current standard F-150 has a Pro Power Onboard system that features numerous electrical outlets in the rear bed so you can connect a wide range of devices to the truck for power. These can include just about everything from power tools and air compressors to televisions and blenders (hint hint!).
The F-150 Lightning features an Enhanced Pro Power Onboard system that takes this even further with an available 9.6 kW of maximum power provided to 11 different outlets. These include four 120V outlets in the front trunk, two in the cab, and four in the bed of the vehicle. A 240V outlet in the bed provides power for more demanding electronics, and the entire thing is perfect for both work and play.
#5 – Ford Intelligent Backup Power
This is a feature that I’m particularly excited about – it’s one of those things that when I first read about it, I had to do a double-take. It’s the sort of thing that you think about and talk about with friends, but you don’t really expect a car company to do it. In an emergency, the Ford F-150 Lightning can act as a backup power supply for your home!
You can basically connect the truck to your house just like when you charge it, but instead of your home charging the truck, your truck powers your home! With a full charge, the Lightning should be able to provide full-home power for up to three days or for as long as ten days if you ration power. This is the kind of feature that goes beyond “Hey, that’s cool” and could quite literally save people’s lives during blackouts from extreme weather.
#6 – Impressive New Tech Inside
Although Ford hasn’t shown everything it has up its sleeve just yet (we don’t have all of the specs and details on the F-150 Lightning), what they’ve revealed is impressive. For example, the Lightning will be able to utilize over-the-air software updates so that you can download upgrades for your truck’s software quickly and easily to get the latest features. This is something I’ve seen with a handful of other models, and it’s great to see that Ford is right there with them.
Just as impressive is the Phone as a Key feature, which lets you use your phone to access your vehicle – but you don’t even have to take your phone out of your pocket. Finally, there’s the available 15.5-inch infotainment display with the newly updated SYNC 4A software. This screen is gorgeous, and you can easily control it with your voice to switch between apps, find directions, and much more.
#7 – Ford’s BlueCruise System
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is going to have a number of fantastic safety features available, along with Ford’s all-new BlueCruise system. This is Ford’s answer to semi-autonomous driving and utilizes a driver-facing camera with radar technology to provide you with hands-free driving on mapped highways. Pretty much every manufacturer out there is working on semi-autonomous tech right now, but BlueCruise looks like one of the most impressive. At the moment, more than 100,000 miles of roads in North America can function as “Hands-free Blue Zones” where BlueCruise works, with more being added.
