Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
According to some people, the F-150 Lightning isn’t a real F-150 Lightning for three main reasons. It’s not available as a standard cab with the short bed, it wasn’t developed by Special Vehicles Teams (a.k.a. Ford Performance), and it doesn’t have a V8 engine. These naysayers, however, are missing the point that Ford made with the all-electric pickup truck.
The F-150 Lightning couldn’t have arrived at a better time for the Blue Oval and the U.S. market alike because Ford is betting a lot of money on EVs while America can’t get enough trucks and sport utility vehicles. Speaking of utility vehicles, SUVs have already crossed the 50-percent mark of total new vehicle sales last year in the U.S. market, up from 47.4 percent in 2019.
Now picture the F-150 Lightning as a full-sized utility vehicle with three-row seating. That’s exactly what pixel artist Kleber Silva did, grafting the full-width taillights of the Lincoln Navigator to the rear end of his design study. Speaking of the Navigator, both it and the less expensive Expedition feature the high-strength ladder frame that Ford utilizes in the best-selling F-150.
It would be relatively straightforward to adapt the F-150 Lightning into a utility vehicle, be it a Ford or a Lincoln, and Ford may do it sooner than you think because there’s money to be made in the full-size class. Considering how expensive the GMC Hummer EV SUV is ($79,995) and how far away the most affordable trim level is (early 2023), an F-150 Lightning with an extended roofline and two more seats is a very appealing prospect.
Any upcoming e-SUV based on the e-truck would also perform better than the Expedition and Navigator with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 thanks to a dual-motor setup that develops 563 horsepower and 775 pound-feet (1,051 Nm) of torque. But what about driving range, I hear you ask?
Those 300-odd miles (483 kilometers) aren't too shabby for such a gentle giant but don’t forget that the EV charging infrastructure leaves much to be desired in 2021. Otherwise said, the longer range of the Expedition with a full tank of dinosaur juice and America’s 115k gas stations are hard to ignore.
Now picture the F-150 Lightning as a full-sized utility vehicle with three-row seating. That’s exactly what pixel artist Kleber Silva did, grafting the full-width taillights of the Lincoln Navigator to the rear end of his design study. Speaking of the Navigator, both it and the less expensive Expedition feature the high-strength ladder frame that Ford utilizes in the best-selling F-150.
It would be relatively straightforward to adapt the F-150 Lightning into a utility vehicle, be it a Ford or a Lincoln, and Ford may do it sooner than you think because there’s money to be made in the full-size class. Considering how expensive the GMC Hummer EV SUV is ($79,995) and how far away the most affordable trim level is (early 2023), an F-150 Lightning with an extended roofline and two more seats is a very appealing prospect.
Any upcoming e-SUV based on the e-truck would also perform better than the Expedition and Navigator with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 thanks to a dual-motor setup that develops 563 horsepower and 775 pound-feet (1,051 Nm) of torque. But what about driving range, I hear you ask?
Those 300-odd miles (483 kilometers) aren't too shabby for such a gentle giant but don’t forget that the EV charging infrastructure leaves much to be desired in 2021. Otherwise said, the longer range of the Expedition with a full tank of dinosaur juice and America’s 115k gas stations are hard to ignore.
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