There’s also a companion smartphone app that can be used to lock and unlock the doors, start the truck, or schedule charging. Interestingly, I had the same iPhone connectivity issues as my first Mach-E test, with the wireless Apple CarPlay sporadically losing contact while driving.īeyond the massive 15.5-inch screen stuck to the dash, the steering wheel buttons are as straightforward as the ones in any other F-150, providing control over the digital instrument display as well as the standard adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping systems. It’s certainly the kind of showpiece that’s expected in a modern EV like this one, but it lacks the eyes-free simplicity of a bank of buttons on the console. In fact, most physical controls have been ditched in favour of the same oversized touchscreen found in the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E. Unlike the rest of the F-150 lineup, the switchgear for engaging those seat settings is gone. In the Lariat trim tested here, the front chairs are both heated and ventilated, while the top trim adds massage settings. On-road comfort is outstanding otherwise, with a cloud-like ride quality that’s reminiscent of air suspension – which this truck doesn’t offer, it’s worth noting – and cushy seats to match. More noticeable is the way the unsprung weight of the wheels pulls at the suspension over potholes and other imperfections, but even that isn’t as bad as it is in the off-road-ready F-150 Tremor. Even its ladder frame construction is reasonably well masked, the bulky battery pack acting like a kind of permanent payload that quells the front-to-back bucking over broken or precast concrete that’s typical to trucks like this one. It’s just one of the ways in which this electric version is the best of the F-150 brood. Sure, it can surge ahead in a hurry thanks to all the torque its twin electric motors generate but it’s downright docile, feeling much better suited to serene cruising than kicking up dust from stoplight to stoplight. Maybe it comes down to the Lightning’s sheer size and weight, but it just might deliver the most zen-like driving manners of all the EVs I’ve spent time with over the years. What matters more is just how mellow the drive experience is. With electrified urgency, this truck is quick – and water’s wet. (That’s an important distinction, as most trucks feature selectable four-wheel drive systems.) Torque comes in at the same 775 lb-ft regardless of battery size, while the 98-kWh unit makes 452 hp and the long-range 131-kWh pack spins up 580 hp. Power: 10/10Įvery F-150 Lightning features a pair of electric motors, with all-wheel drive as a result. There’s also a built-in 9.6-kW inverter that turns this truck into a mobile generator, with outlets both under the hood and in the bed (plus a couple more in the cabin). Where it goes its own way is under the hood, where there’s nothing at all – except all that nothingness amounts to a 400-L cargo hold that’s perfect for stashing tools or grocery bags without taking up valuable occupant space. Since the Lightning only comes in a crew cab configuration, there’s ample room in the back for two – or even three – passengers to stretch out, while the 5-foot-5 bed is the same as the one bolted to the back of most half-tons these days. That’s because it combines all the best parts of the gas-powered truck it’s based on, like outstanding outward visibility and tons of space inside, with a few features that are unique to this EV version. And if you are, the F-150 Lightning just so happens to be a very good one. Heck, even if that’s not the case, there’s no time like the present to consider switching to an electric vehicle (EV). Look, there’s no shame in having a half-ton for a family hauler, but if you’re mostly using it for the kind of stuff a Toyota Camry can do – shuttling the kids to school, or stopping for groceries after work – then it’s time to get serious about electrification. And in that way, this all-electric F-150 is as good as it gets. OK, it’s not necessarily better at traditional truck stuff like towing for meaningful distances or driving between faraway job sites and back home again but even then, it has more than a few tricks that matter while being better suited for the stuff most people do with their trucks the rest of the time. I wish I could tell you that the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is every bit as good as the rest of this truck’s lineup.
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