Think an electric truck is not really enough for your needs?
The 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat can handle most trucking tasks with aplomb
Punch the accelerator pedal in the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning, and it scoots forward as if something very powerful was pushing it in the back. It doesn’t make a sound and it’s hyper smooth, making you wonder if you’re sitting on a moving flatbed. This is by far the fastest truck I’ve ever driven.
It’s the effortlessness of the two electric motors (which create allwheel drive) that makes you feel like you’re driving something that has an overabundance of power, making this 6,800-pound rig feel as light as a small hatchback. An independent rear suspension enables this big guy to take on corners with the same level of athleticism as a mid-size sedan.
If this is the future of full-size trucks, consider me sold!
Of course, an electric pickup truck comes with its share of compromises. While considerably more refined than anything gas-powered in this segment, the Lightning must rely on a robust charging network to remain as reliable as conventional trucks.
So no, this thing is not for everyone.
At least, not yet.
If you’re the type of individual that lives with your truck, uses it as a work tool, an office and at times, a lunchroom or even a place to take a nap, then maybe it’s best you stick with gasoline for a few for more years. But, if your truck is a family vehicle, one that occasionally hauls some materials, helps a fellow brother during a move or tows your boat up to the cottage, then perhaps converting your trucking activities to electrification would make more sense.
The Ford F-150 is currently the bestselling vehicle in North America. During an average year, Ford ships a little under a million units in the U.S. and Canada alone. Yet, at the same time, a study done in 2019 from research firm Strategic Vision showed that only a third of pickup truck owners rarely or never use their truck for hauling. As a matter of fact, two-thirds rarely or never use it for towing.
The Ford F-150 Lightning can therefore meet the needs of a large percentage of current truck buyers. When using a Level 2 home charger, which is the best way to charge your EV, this Ford’s 131-kWh lithium-ion battery will grant you 515 km of advertised range. At worse, when it’s extremely cold outside, that number will drop to the vicinity of 300 km. Hook a 6,000-pound trailer behind your Lightning under such temperatures, which I did myself, and you’ll be good for about 200 km of range.
When you take the time to think about it, that’s more than enough freedom to haul a pair of snowmobiles out of Toronto and into the countryside where your cottage is located. Ideally, your cottage would also be equipped with a Level 2 home charger. Most EV owners, who also own a cottage, do just that. It’s the smart thing to do.
When it’s not busy hauling and towing, the F-150 Lightning is a fantastic family vehicle, one that emits no CO2 emissions and, perhaps more important, costs considerably less to run due to electricity being cheaper than gasoline. All Lightnings come standard with the SuperCrew cabin. This grants the truck four large doors and five comfortable seats. The Lightning is spacious inside, vault-quiet and the fact that it’s missing a gasoline engine allows it to get an additional storage compartment that’s not available in a regular F-150. It’s called a frunk; a trunk that’s located in the front of the vehicle. That compartment is big enough to hold most of your family’s gear, freeing up the bed to haul heavier stuff.
Of course, not everyone can afford a Lightning. Even though Ford recently dropped its selling price across the lineup, $101,995 (as tested) remains a hard pill to swallow for the average middle class. But then, when you consider the fact that some of the regular F-150’s trim levels knock at the door of $100,000 before piling on optional packages — still requiring you to fill up an expensive tank of gas — the Lightning suddenly becomes a serious bargain.