Ford F-150 Lightning

The Ford F-150 Lightning is a battery electric full-size light duty truck unveiled by Ford Motor Company in May 2021 as part of the fourteenth generation Ford F-Series. Four models have been announced, and all models initially will be dual-motor, four-wheel-drive, with EPA range estimates of 240–320 mi. A commercial-grade version of the all-wheel drive (AWD) truck is sold in the United States, with higher-power/trim/range models also sold. The F-150 Lightning began production on April 26, 2022.

History
In January 2019, Ford announced the intention to produce a fully-electric light pickup at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show.

In July 2019, Ford tested prototype electric test mules on existing F-150 chassis. This culminated in a record-setting demonstration test tow of 1250000 lb on rails. Chief engineer for the F-150, Linda Zhang, emphasized at the time that Ford intended to take the "built Ford tough [characteristics of] durability, capability, and productivity and [extend that into] a whole new arena" of electric trucks.

Ford unveiled the truck, and released the model name on May 19, 2021, with production planned for spring of 2022.

Ford received 69,500 refundable-deposit orders in the first four days after the announcement. with more than 100,000 reservations by June 11, 2021, less than a month following the unveiling. Ford also announced then that the company would offer digital services for subscription revenue that will change car sales from a single-time transaction process. By the end of 2021, Ford had received more than 200,000 Lightning reservations, a projected 3-year backlog at planned production rates. , demand was strong for early deliveries, with one dealer offering a used 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum at $100,000 above the base price for the model.

By late May 2021, Ford had begun discussing other electric trucks beyond the F-series, such as the Expedition and Navigator, which are intended to be underpinned by their full-size EV truck chassis, as well as a smaller chassis which will be used for the Bronco, Explorer, and Aviator.

The first pickup was manufactured on April 18, 2022, with first delivery on May 26. In June 2022, Ford announced its intention to restructure its dealership model, including building an e-commerce platform where customers can buy EVs at non-negotiable prices in an effort to match Tesla’s profit margins. Ford also stated in June 2022 that it planned to spend $3.7 billion to hire 6,200 union workers to staff several assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri in a bid to sell 2 million EVs a year by 2026.

In May 2023, Ford announced integration of the North American Charging Standard (NACS) system into their electric vehicles. New built Ford electrics after 2024 will have native NACS charge ports on the vehicle. Existing Ford electric models will be able to connect to the NACS system and its chargers by use of an adapter. Both will thus have access to the extensive NACS charging network with more than 12,000 chargers in North America. The F-150 Lightning is ready to launch in Iceland, Norway, South Africa in Late 2023 and Australasia in Early 2024 alongside the Mustang Mach-E.

Overview
The base configuration has 452 HP, 230 mi range, and its smaller battery supports a 2000 lb payload. The high-end configuration has 580 HP, 300 mi EPA range, 0-60 mph times in the mid-four-second range, and a towing capacity of 10000 lb. All models have 775 lbft of torque, full-time 4wd, independent rear suspension, and will initially come in a crew-cab configuration only, with a 5.5 ft bed. The F-150 Lightning has an overall length of 5.91 m, with a 3.70 m wheelbase. It weighs 6015 to 6893 lb depending on model and trim, up to 35% more than the internal-combustion-engine (ICE) powered equivalent F-150, with most of the additional weight a result of the Lightning's 1800 lb battery. The F-150 Lightning was one of several electric vehicles cited by National Transportation Safety Board head Jennifer Homendy as being significantly heavier than ICE-powered models and thus raising the risk of other road users being killed or seriously injured in collisions, alongside products from other manufacturers such as General Motors and Volvo. The active suspension provides real-time load weighing function.

Like Tesla, the Ford F-150 Lightning is announced to include over-the-air software updates, and a significant software driving aid which will allow limited hands-off highway driving, but fall short of full self-driving. The F-150 Lightning in some trim packages, in concert with the "80A Ford Charge Station pro with Ford Intelligent Backup Power capability," can provide household-oriented V2G power, which can meet the electrical needs of a typical American home for three to ten days. The truck can also supply up to 9.6 kW of power through up to eleven 120V and 240V electrical outlets distributed around the truck. Those outlets can be used to charge other vehicles or itself.

This electric truck has a standard battery and can travel 370 km on a single charge. EPA range estimates of 230–300 mi produced by Ford in May 2021 were based on 1000 lb of cargo carried in the truck. Electrek reported that the range with no load, just a driver and the truck, appeared to be closer to 400 mi.

The Ford F-150 Lightning was also evaluated to reach 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. Maximum available payload is 2235 lb, which includes the 400 lb payload of the "frunk" (which was Ford's interpretation of the front trunk). The new Lightning can tow up to 10000 lb.

The base model is the "commercial-grade Lightning Pro" fleet version while the "mid-series" model is called the XLT. Higher-priced models are known as the Lariat and Platinum.

In MotorTrend testing of an F-150 Lightning Platinum without a trailer and only the driver, the Platinum attained a range of 255 mi. When towing a 7218 lb, 33 ft camper, the F-150 Platinum was only able to reach 90 mi. The test was over a 80 mi route with average highway speeds between 64 and 67 mph, and with the headlights and audio system on and the automatic climate control set to 72 F.

The F-150 Lightning is produced at the new Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan, and involves two other plants: the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan which will assemble the electric motors and the Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan will produce the batteries.

Trim levels
For the 2022 model year, the F-150 Lightning was available in four trim levels: Pro, XLT, Lariat, and Platinum. The Pro trim was only available with the smaller-capacity battery, and the Platinum was offered only with the higher-capacity battery, although all other trims include the smaller-capacity battery as standard equipment, but also offer the higher-capacity battery as an option.

Europe
Starting in April 2023, the Ford F-150 Lightning is officially sold in Europe, with the first market being Norway. In the country, it is only offered in the Lariat Launch Edition version, featuring a Super Crew Cab body style and available exclusively in Antimatter Blue.

Awards

 * 2023 North American Truck of the Year
 * 2023 MotorTrend Truck of the Year
 * 2023 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards for Electric Truck
 * 2023 Edmunds Top Rated Electric Truck
 * 2024 Edmunds Top Rated EV Truck

Sales
In 2022 Ford sold 15,617 units of the F-150 Lightning. In the first quarter of 2023 it was 7085 units and in the second quarter 4466 units. In Q3 2023, 3503 units were sold. The final quarter of 2023 had 11,905 sales, giving a 2023 total of 24,165 units. As a result of lower sales expectations, Ford halved its 2024 production plans from roughly 3200 weekly units to around 1600 weekly units.