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Driven: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Blends Electric Power with Pickup Practicality

A single word best describes the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup - effortless. Thanks to prodigious amounts of horsepower and torque and standard all-wheel-drive from its dual motor set-up, the Lightning proves equally adept at highway cruising, backroad towing and off-road exploring. 
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning 31 photos
Photo: Ford
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The much-anticipated F-150 Lightning also makes its debut with more horsepower than initially anticipated, boasting 452 horsepower in standard range (an increase of 26 ponies) and a 17-horse bump to 580 horsepower for extended range versions. Torque remains the same at 775 lb-ft. We had an opportunity to get behind the wheel in San Antonio and put the truck through its paces both on and off-road.

In everyday driving, the Lightning, like EVs in general, offers smooth and quick acceleration. The ride is particularly enhanced by the new independent rear suspension as well as underfloor placement of the battery pack, which does two things. Its central placement between the frame rails gives the F-150 a nearly ideal 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution along with a low center of gravity.

With the motors mounted to the front and rear axles and the battery pack in between, there’s space for a full-size spare beneath the 5.5-foot cargo box and under the hood, a frunk with 14.1 cubic feet of storage space. The frunk is a handy space since it eliminates the need for a locking tonneau cover or cap for those who like to keep things like tools or golf clubs in their vehicles.

2022 Ford F\-150 Lightning
Photo: Ford
With tremendous torque, the performance of the Lightning is nothing short of amazing. Ford says the extended range versions are capable of 0-60 mph acceleration in the mid-4-second range, while the less powerful standard range model turns the trick in about five seconds.

Our driving experience with the F-150 Lightning involved the extended-range versions in the XLT and Platinum trim levels. All extended range models, which feature a 131-kWh battery, offer 320 miles of range, except the Platinum, which is rated at 300 miles. The 98-kWh standard range battery, which comes in the Pro and is available in XLT and Lariat, can go 230 miles on a single charge.

Ford F-150 Lightning XLT 

This trim level, which is a step up from the basic Pro work truck is probably the model most entry-level buyers will want. While the Pro starts at $39,974 for the standard range, it is a bare-bones truck when it comes to interior materials, sporting vinyl coverings on the floor and seats. The Pro boasts a 12-inch center infotainment screen that doesn’t scrimp on connectivity through its Synch 4 architecture.

The XLT, which starts at $52,974 also in standard range, has a more upscale look thanks to body color front and rear bumpers, a satin metallic finish on the grille, and extended running boards. Inside, there’s carpeting and cloth upholstery, power-adjustable pedals and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The extended range battery pack adds another $10,000.

2022 Ford F\-150 Lightning
Photo: Ford
Like the Pro trim level, the XLT comes with a 12-inch touchscreen with Synch 4 connectivity. The layout will be familiar to current F-150 pickup owners. There’s a center shift lever than can be retracted for additional workspace, the steering wheel controls and HVAC switches are like those used on the standard pickup.

The remarkable thing about the driving characteristics of the F-150 Lightning is how unremarkable they are. The vehicle abundance of power allows it to slip seamlessly in and out of traffic with a ready reserve of power for passing maneuvers. In normal mode, you can feel a slight effect of regenerative braking when you lift off the accelerator. It’s more pronounced in the Sport mode, which also provides snappier acceleration. There’s also a one-pedal mode that uses a combination of regenerative and traditional braking to bring the vehicle to a full stop when you remove your foot from the accelerator.

Unfortunately, paging through the various modes like one-pedal, normal and sport takes some digging around in menus on the center touchscreen, a definite driver distraction. The rest of the controls and the driving experience itself, however, is intuitive with a minimal learning curve in mastering one-pedal operation.

Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum

In between the XLT and the range-topping Platinum model is the Lariat available in both standard and extended range. That trim starts at $67,474 for the former and $77,474 for the latter. Lariat includes leather upholstery heated/ventilated front seats, Bang & Olufsen premium audio, adaptive cruise control, and a 15.5-inch portrait-oriented center touchscreen.

The Platinum, which only comes in extended range, starts at a lofty $90,874 and adds a higher-level B&O sound system, Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving feature, higher quality leather, heated rear seats, and genuine oak accents. Buyers also ge the Max Trailer Tow Package, the Tow Technology Package that includes features like on-board scales, and active park assist.

2022 Ford F\-150 Lightning
Photo: Ford
Ford’s Blue Cruise hands-free driving is allowed on more than 130,000 miles of mapped roads (compared to GM’s Super Cruise, which has 200,000 miles’ worth). While Blue Cruise allows hands-free driving, you must be ready to take over at a moments notice. In heavy traffic near downtown San Antonio, the system seemed easily confounded by surrounding traffic and areas where the lane striping was inconsistent, so it required a high level of driver intervention. Once out in lighter traffic with better lane marking, Blue Cruise functioned as advertised, though from my perspective, if you need to be paying attention that closely you might as well take the wheel.

On the highway, there is little to distinguish the driving experience among the various trim levels, especially in the more powerful extended range versions. While technophiles may love the Tesla-like portrait touchscreen, I find having to drill down to find features like one-pedal driving and the off-road e-lock differential distracting. However, that doesn’t detract much from the impressive on-road performance.

We also had an opportunity to do some towing and load carrying and again, the F-150 Lightning did not disappoint with its pulling capability. The same effortless character comes through whether this truck is laden or not. I do have a quibble with Ford not providing specifics on how much hauling and towing affects range. While loads vary, you’d think they could offer a ballpark percentage on the effect. However, no numbers were forthcoming.

2022 Ford F\-150 Lightning
Photo: Ford
They did say that the impact on range is similar to that experienced by gas or diesel F-150s when hauling max payload (on the Lightning, it’s 2,235 pounds) or towing up to 10,000 pounds. That vague answer is disingenuous at best. If an F-150 diesel has a range of 600 miles and fully loaded it loses 10 to 15 percent of that range, you can still go 510-540 miles between fill-ups. A similar hit to the Lightning Platinum reduces the range to 255-270 miles. It’s even more significant on the 230-mile standard range model, where 15 percent could drop that number below 200 miles. Even with Level 3 DC charging, it still may take more than 40 minutes to get to 80-percent charge as opposed to a diesel refueling stop that takes five minutes or so.

But the point here is that if you do have a boat, camper, or ATV trailer, going electric doesn’t mean you have to leave all that behind. The question is more of reframing one’s range expectations if towing or hauling is a regular thing.

Going Off-Road

Perhaps one of the more eye-opening aspects of the Ford F-150 Lightning drive was discovering its off-road prowess. The massive torque, front and rear electric motors and the ability to engage an electronic locking differential means there’s not many places this truck can’t go.

2022 Ford F\-150 Lightning
Photo: Ford
The e-locker helped in pulling the truck out of areas where one or more wheels had no traction at all. But beyond that assist, the ability to gently modulate the accelerator proved to be a huge assist in rock crawling.

Ford also says that the sealed battery pack enables the Lightning to ford waters about two feet deep. But beyond the instant torque, what’s striking is how quiet the vehicle traverses terrain. Put the windows down and you can soak in the sounds of nature while wending your way through the woods.

The Bottom Line

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is a game-changer in the pickup market. While it has the capability to tow, go off road and comfortably commute in daily traffic, be prepared to pay a steep price even if you want a modicum of amenities. Ford touts the Lightning’s affordability on the base Pro which after the federal $7,500 tax credit, costs just over $30,000. But that’s for a bare bones truck with 230 miles of range.

Step up into a higher trim and you’ll soon see prices north of $50,000 for standard range models and closer to $70,000 for extended range models. These stickers aren’t for the faint of heart.

Ford is also highlighting the ability to use the F-150 Lightning as a portable power source for job sites and camping. It also can be used to recharge other EVs and even power your home. However, keep in mind a lot of this capability is an extra cost option. While all Lightning’s come with a portable power cord, extended range versions also feature an 80-amp Charge Station Pro for your home (it’s a $1,310 option on the standard range models). If you want use your Lightning as a residential power source, you’ll need a SunRun home integration system that includes an inverter to convert the battery pack’s DC power to AC current for home use. That setup runs $3,895.

Ford has done its homework with the Lightning and has produced a truck with tremendous capability and a high level of build quality without losing the character that has made the F-150 pickup America’s best-selling vehicle for over 40 years.
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