Ford didn’t have to start from scratch to build an electric pickup; it already had a winning formula in the F-150

President Joe Biden got behind the wheel of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup on May 18 and proclaimed, “This sucker’s quick.” That evening, NBC’s “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon performed what amounted to a five-minute commercial extolling the Lightning’s numerous virtues.

All this attention is warranted given the nature of this beast. When it goes on sale next spring, the F-150 Lighting four-door, four-wheel-drive SuperCrew should stack up as one of the hardestworking and most practical pickups you can buy, regardless of propulsion system.

Most importantly, Ford will be the first major automaker out of the gate with a mass-market electric pickup, setting the tone for the others.

Visually, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the Lightning, a name that originated with Ford’s SVT Lightning performance pickups that date back in the mid-1990s.

The new Lightning mostly resembles the current F-150 that was updated for the 2021 model year. Noticeable differences include the Lighting’s blacked-out faux grille and the available light bars bordering the hood and LED headlights. Beneath the power-operated hood, there’s a 14.1-cubic-foot stowage area (called a frunk, which is the blending of front and trunk) that can hold up to 400 pounds of gear.

The aluminum body — common to all F-150s — is supported by Ford’s new EV “skateboard” platform. The Lightning’s dual electric motors are located between the frame rails and are separated by 1,800 pounds of lithiumion battery pack. The entire propulsion system sits low enough so that the cab and standard 5.5-foot-long bed offer the same volume as that of gasoline-powered F-150s. The platform’s independent rear suspension is a first for any F-150. The five-passenger cabin comes with a 12- or optional 15.5-inch touchscreen, both linked to voice-recognition technology. You can also add the Max Recline front-seat option with folding shifter and foldout work table, just as you can with other F-150s.

Fitted with the standard battery pack, there’s 426 horsepower and 775 poundfeet of torque, and a claimed maximum range of 230 miles.

The optional battery pack boosts range to 300 miles and the horsepower increases to 563. The 775-pound-feet torque rating remains. When Biden said the Lightning was quick, he wasn’t kidding. The 563-horsepower version can hit 60 mph from rest in a Fordclaimed 4.5 seconds. Maximum payload is 2,000 pounds with the standard battery, and 1,800 pounds for the extended-range pack. Towing capacity favors the extended-range battery, however: 10,000 pounds vs. 7,700.

Optional onboard scales and Smart Hitch calculate the towing and hauling loads and adjust the estimated battery range accordingly.

A 32-amp mobile charger is standard, and when plugged in to a 240-volt outlet, it provides 13 miles of range per charging hour. The quick math for 230 miles of range is 18 hours.

Ford’s 80-amp Charge Station Pro, included with models fitted with the extended-range battery, is good for a rate of 30 miles per charging hour. To get 300 miles of range would thus take about 10 hours.

Hook up to a 480-volt DC commercial station and charging the extended-range battery to 80 percent from 15 takes about 45 minutes, according to Ford.