J.C. Lewis Ford Studies the Electric F-150 Lightning

The truck of the future is here. The F-150 Lightning is the smartest, most innovative truck Ford has ever built. From near instant torque to intelligent towing, seamless connectivity to software updates, plus power for your home, a power frunk and a digital screen that’s larger than any currently offered on a full-size truck – F-150 Lightning is a driving and ownership experience unlike any other.

Super Powers Only Electric Can Deliver

F-Series, America’s best-selling truck for 44 years1, charges into the future with the F-150 Lightning, elevated by all the advantages of electrification and packed with connected technology. F-150 Lightning is a powerhouse that delivers a targeted 563 horsepower and 775 lb.-ft. of torque – the most torque of any F-150 ever – an exhilarating drive, a high-tech frunk, and the ability to power your home if needed.

Advanced Tech Now – to Guide You into the Future

F-150 Lightning offers an ingenious array of connected, intelligent features that improve over time via over-the-air software updates; FordPass app provides seamless access to charging stations and remote vehicle controls; available BlueCruise offers true hands-free driving on the highway, while enhanced Pro Power Onboard powers job sites or campsites.

No Question: Built Ford Tough Comes Standard

Powered by dual in-board motors and with standard 4x4, F-150 Lightning can take on rough terrain with Built Ford Tough durability and capability. Along with a high-strength, military-grade aluminum alloy body, a new independent rear suspension delivers improved ride comfort, while an all-new frame uses the strongest steel ever put in an F-150 frame and supports a maximum 2,000-pound payload and up to 10,000-pound towing capacity.

Comparision, or no Market Comparison, You Decide

The Ford F-150 Lightning and the Tesla Cybertruck almost couldn't be more different. While the electric Hummer and coming electric Silverado are important, Ford and Tesla have set the EV table -- in very different ways.

Price: Both of these trucks have a base price of around $40,000 before tax incentives, and both are amazing on that basis alone. The Ford can range over $90,000 for the top trim level while the Tesla should top out around $70,000. But the price parity between what will be the most popular versions of these two trucks is a key reason they're often mentioned in the same breath. 

Styling: The F-150 Lightning is the epitome of normal. You almost have to be a car buff to spot one, with its face being the only major clue that it's not just any old truck. The Cybertruck on the other hand is impossible not to spot. It also shares no design cues with its Tesla stablemates like the Model S and Model Y. 

Powertrain: All F-150 Lightings have two-motor AWD but a choice of two battery sizes. The base battery offers 426 HP and 230 miles of range while the big battery gets you 563 HP and 300 miles or range. Both feature 775 lb-ft of torque, a new high water mark for any F-150. The Cybertruck gives you more drivetrain choices: The 2WD single-motor base model goes 250 miles on a charge while the dual-motor AWD version comes with a battery good for 300 miles. An exotic tri-motor version of the Cybertruck offers more advanced AWD and has enough battery to go 500 miles on a charge. Formal horsepower and torque figures are still pending for the Cybertruck.

Workload: Full details are still pending from Tesla but the top level Cybertruck promises to tow more, haul more and go faster than the F-150 Lightning, though neither is less than stunning in the 0-60 department. You gotta love electric motors.

The F-150 Lightning has cool on-board scales that tell you how heavily loaded it is. The Cybertruck takes blows from a sledgehammer. Both have huge frunks that really mean something in a truck where the amount and security of storage is a major factor. 

Did you also know that there is one potentially huge accessory the Ford F-150 Lightning will offer that others won't: a full size spare tire. While it may sound trivial, it isn't trivial at all. Full-size spares aren't unusual on traditional internal combustion engine pickups including the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500, Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan. But the all-electric pickup is an entirely new game. Tesla has not provided spares in its luxury electric vehicles as a standard benefit to date in order to limit weight while also providing free roadside assistance, and the company has said customers don't mind.

Ford Motor Co. recently hit a milestone with its all-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning.The company has confirmed reaching 100,000 reservations since the Lightning's global debut three weeks ago at world headquarters in Dearborn."We're super excited about the demand," Emma Bergg, Ford spokeswoman, told the Free Press on Thursday. "Reservations are getting added all the time."

Despite all the tech and impressive statisitcs, the most memorable information was from a young 13 year old journalist, Allegra Blackwood who was allowed to attend the debut. "Why is this car so special? This car is special because it provides future generations (including me) with hope that one day we will be able to live in an environmentally friendly version of Earth. Ford's Model T changed the world all those years ago for the better, by allowing more Americans to travel in an enhanced motor vehicle, and was the stepping-stone for future vehicles. This fully electric vehicle is the future of America and can change our economy and improve our environment."

Thanks to Brian Cooley from CNet for his Tesla comparision. And Detroit Free Press for its introduction of Allegra and insight through your reporting for the F-150 Lightning events.

photo: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat. Pre-production model with available features shown. Available starting spring 2022. Always consult the owner’s manual before off-road driving, know your terrain and trail difficulty and use appropriate safety gear.

Contact J.C. Lewis Ford to value your trade today, https://bit.ly/3vgFeir. Or contact us to facilitate your personalized F-150 Lightning order, 912.210.5676.