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Jay Leno Got His Hands on the F-150 Lightning, Says It's a Real Gamechanger

Jay Leno is undoubtedly a gearhead. He loves all kinds of cars, but his fans know the American TV star and former comedian is a big block fan that likes preserving automotive heritage and driving as much as he can. Now we can see what he thinks about the F-150 Lightning – Ford’s attempt at making you switch to an all-electric platform.
Jay Leno and Jim Farley Discussing the F-150 Lightning 7 photos
Photo: Jay Leno's Garage on YouTube
Jay Leno and Jim FarleyFord F-150 LightningJay Leno and the 2022 Ford F-150 LightningJay Leno and Jim Farley Driving Around in the F-150 LightningFord F-150 LightningJay Leno and Jim Farley
If Rivian’s R1T and GMC’s Hummer EV aren’t doing it for you, then Ford has you covered with their F-150 Lightning. It’s the brand’s dream to see you driving and properly putting this vehicle to work because, unlike some other manufacturers, the Michigan-based carmaker is ready to start with production sitting at a sky-high, unexpected for this current international climate level. And if someone can deliver on their promises when it comes to building a lot of trucks for Americans, then, by all means, that’s Ford.

The company is already accustomed to making the best-selling trucks for people. They’ve been doing it for over 40 years with the F-Series! This success is also one of the reasons why Ford is ready to take all its expertise and adapt it for the EV era. They don’t want to remain behind, even though other automakers have already launched their all-electric trucks.

Jay Leno got the chance to drive the F-150 Lightning and talk with Ford CEO Jim Farley about it in a rather short YouTube video. The executive argues price was extremely important, while Leno seems convinced this is an amazing vehicle. The truck is a major point in Ford’s history. Farley says it’s going to completely transform the company. That’s why they wanted pricing to start from as low as possible, even though this meant small profit margins.

The model showcased in the video, however, has an MSRP of $93,509. That’s a lot more than the $39,000 target. Furthermore, the 2022 F-150 Lightning is sold out. Retail customers can’t buy a new one any longer. Things might change after the summer for orders that will ship under next year’s planned changes.

The Mustang Mach-E might’ve been a controversial naming decision made by Ford, but the vehicle proved to remain competitive in this sector. The F-150 Lightning avoids that public drama and is trying its best to appeal to people that really use their trucks for all kinds of activities. That’s one of the reasons why the pricing range is so unexpectedly different. The Pro trim starts from $39,974 but go over to the XLT package with the Extended Range Battery, and you’re already looking at a $32,500 price bump.

Still, that’s not a reason for Jim Farley to not know precisely why you might need this truck. He tells Jay Leno the F-150 Lightning is the next logical step after the changes from steel to aluminum and from V8s to V6s happened. Ford’s leader says the completely electric truck does all the things the internal combustion engine F-150 can do and, in most places, it’s doing them better. He also underlines the vehicle is affordable, fast, quiet, tows, and “it has payload.”

Farley continues and argues that having a car that can power your house or the job site is another key feature, and, in his opinion, people “love having energy independence.” Jay Leno agrees! The CEO also underlines the front trunk (or the frunk) is another useful thing to have since it can be locked and accessed with ease or used for fun activities like watching TV.

Jay Leno takes the Ford F-150 Lightning for a ride, and the first thing he notices for the audience is the quietness of the truck. The American TV star finds this feat “incredible.” The acceleration is also a thing that impressed the man that gives us a lot of blunt reviews.

For now, it’s great to see that the F-150 Lightning exists, it’s priced to be accessible for almost everyone, and it might actually become that spark that ignites the move from burning fossil fuels to using electricity. May we all benefit from a grid that won’t give out when everyone’s in need of some juice!

At the end of the review, Jay Leno says something that we might have to take notice of. It’s a subtle but heavy statement. The host of Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube tells everyone that he’s now "a truck guy,” even though he thought of himself to be a car guy up until driving the F-150 Lightning.

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About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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