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It quotes 0-to-60-mph acceleration in the “mid 4 second” range, about 1 second quicker than the F-150 Raptor-its current performance pickup-which comes in at 5.5 seconds. But the cited charging rates and durations would indicate capacities of roughly 150 to 160 kilowatt-hours for the Extended Range battery and 110 to 115 kWh for the Standard.įord is quite willing to share other specs, though. Two motors are standard, though buyers can choose between the Standard Range and Extended Range battery packs.įord was coy about pack capacities-Palmer explained that the company wants journalists to focus on what the truck delivers to customers. Today, the F-150 Lightning comes in only one body style-the Crew Cab that Ford says is the most popular of all F-150 configurations for private buyers, with a 5.5-foot pickup bed.
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It includes a hidden compartment below the floor, plus a drain plug so you can just hose it out if you’ve stored something dirty or smelly (Ford suggested used athletic gear). It’s reached by opening the power-operated hood, actually a new one-piece unit that includes the blanking plate that serves as a “grill.” That opens right down to bumper level, giving owners a 14-cubic-foot lockable storage compartment.
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And of course, rather than a transmission and associated 4WD gearing, it uses one electric motor on either end to provide all-wheel drive.Ī feature that proved hugely popular in clinics, said Darren Palmer, Ford’s North American EV Manager, is the front trunk. The Lightning is the first-ever F-Series pickup truck with independent rear suspension. The company designed a brand-new frame to accommodate a large, flat battery pack stretching almost from side to side, axle to axle. The front suspension is also common to gasoline and diesel versions-but that’s about it. The only carryover sheet metal is the Crew Cab body and the structure of the pickup bed. While the F-150 Lightning largely resembles the rest of the sprawling F-150 lineup, it turns out to be quite different underneath. It’s not a bad strategy, because Americans care more about fast acceleration and the ability to use power tools in the wilderness than about melting ice caps or carbon footprints. Climate change doesn’t rate a mention, and “zero emissions” appears only sporadically. Performance, onboard power…and a front trunkĪs it has done with hybrids, Ford is pitching the performance and onboard power aspects of its EV models. Still, GM said in April it will offer a battery-electric version of its competing Chevrolet Silverado pickup with 400 miles of range. That’s roughly equivalent to the ranges promised for the Mustang Mach-E launched last year. The president cited a 0-to-60-mph time of just 4.4 seconds, more than a second quicker than the SVT Lightning of two decades earlier.īiden didn’t mention battery range, but that critical EPA rating is expected to come in at around 230 miles for the Standard Range pack, 300 miles for the Extended Range. It was seen by millions and appeared all over the day’s news coverage.īiden then visited Ford’s Romeo Proving Ground, where he drove an actual prototype electric F-150-and raved about the Ford’s electric acceleration.
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On Tuesday, at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, he spoke in favor of increased investment in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure-while standing in front of the truck. But this is the 2020s, and Ford has repurposed the name for what will become its fastest-accelerating full-size pickup truck.įord got some help from a self-described “car guy” named Joe Biden, now President of the United States of America.
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The name hearkens back to “the fastest truck in the world,” the Lightning F-150 SVT, which launched in 2002 with a high-performance V-8. Wednesday evening, Ford unveiled its long-awaited battery-electric pickup truck, dubbed the F-150 Lightning.
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