Everything you ever wanted to know about Ford’s EV F-150
Electric cars, once oddities or highend luxuries, have become more common in recent years. EV pickups, however, are just beginning to hit the market. Rivian, a new company, has the R1T, which is aimed at weekend adventurers. For years, Elon Musk has been promising a Tesla Cybertruck, with an angular aluminum “exoskeleton.” Both GMC and Dodge plan to release EV version of their popular trucks later this year.
The pickup that has gotten the most attention is the Ford F-150 Lightning, which went on the market in June. The gas-powered F-150 has been America’s top selling vehicle for more than four decades.
Lusting for an F-150 Lightning? Here is what you need to know about the EV truck.
Does the Lightning cost more than a regular F-150?
The least expensive F-150 Lightning, the Pro, has a suggested retail price of $55,974 while a barebones regular F-150 can be bought for $33,695. Of course, more expensive models and options, both practical items and luxuries, can easily drive up the price of either version by tens of thousands. The least expensive Lightning with an extended range battery, which lets the truck drive 300–320 miles on a full charge instead of 240 miles, runs $80,974. The federal government does offer a $7,500 tax credit for EV purchases for people who qualify.
Is a Lightning like a regular F-150 truck?
Obviously, the Lightning uses electricity rather than gas, but while it looks like a regular F-150 it has some key differences. With the big combustion engine eliminated, the front of the truck is a locking “frunk,” or front trunk. The Lightning also has electrical plugs, so power tools and other devices can run off the truck’s battery. In an emergency, the Lightning could even power a house for days.
Does the Lightning drive like a truck?
Rich Defrancisco, a car enthusiast in Knoxville, said his F-150 Lightning handles like a luxury sports car. Electric motors have full power from the moment they start rolling, so the truck “takes off like a rocket,” Defrancisco said. With the heavy combustion engine eliminated and the weight shifted to the center of the vehicle, the EV truck also handles better.
How can you buy an F-150 Lightning?
If you want an F-150 Lightning, patience might be more important than money. Since the Lightning went on the market last year, Ford has sold nearly 22,000 trucks. The reservation list for the Lightning, however, has almost 200,000 names on it. Initially, Ford was set to build 30,000 of the trucks each year, but they are ramping up and plan to eventually make 150,000 a year. A wider range of EV trucks from other manufacturers might ease that pent up demand. Ford will also introduce another, yet to be revealed EV truck in 2025, which will be built at the new Blueoval City factory near Memphis.
Todd A. Price writes about the South for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at taprice@gannett.com.