The Ford F-150 Lightning could be one of the most important new vehicles to launch this decade. As an all-electric version of the best-selling vehicle in America, it not only has big shoes to fill but also needs to compete against the EV giant, Tesla.
The F-150 Lightning apparently made its TV debut on Jay Leno’s Garage, but we’re obviously going to check out the same content on the YouTube channel. Reviews are already out, but I was curious was Jay thought about the vehicle as well.
A while back, the denim expert checked out an old F100 that had been converted into an EV for SEMA, using Mach-E tech. But the Lightning is different; it has to be cheap enough to attract thousands of new customers every month.
Here to discuss the sales and marketing side of things is Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. You know Jay is important when the head of the company comes down and talks to him.
According to Farley, the initial sales target for the F-150 Lightning was only 20,000 units a year. The “bean counters”, as Leno calls them, argued that it’s not that profitable, so they should produce that many because it would affect the bottom line.
F-150 Lightning Rivals and specs
But has always been a trailblazing American automaker, adopting EcoBoost technology on a large scale or aluminum construction in full-sized pickups. The EV transition actually seems like less of a leap, since GM has already shown its 2024 Silverado EV and Ram’s electric 1500 isn’t far behind.
But there are things that make the F-150 Lightning special, and they are simple to understand. According to Jim Farley the Lightning does everything the F-150 does, and in some places, it does it better. “It’s affordable, it’s fast, it’s quiet, it can tow,” the CEO points out.
The basic F-150 Lightning Pro which starts from about $40,000 comes with a smaller battery, but you’re still supposed to get 230 miles of range. On higher trims, you can get the extended battery pack with 320 miles of range. The downside: it’s a $10,000 option.
All models come with two motors and AWD. The Standard-Range battery models offer 452 horsepower while the Extended-Range has 580 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque, good for 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
The official towing rating is 10,000 pounds, or 7,700 for the cheaper models. Payload capacity is as high as 2,200 lbs.
Another great feature, and this is noted in the Leno video, is the fact that the Lightning can power your house, a job site, or recreational devices. It also offers a large front trunk (frunk) where the F-150 would normally have an engine, and this can hold up to 400 lbs of cargo, which you can lock.
