Is the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning EV a Good Pickup Truck?

Ford and the car business are excited about the electrified F-150 Lightning. An EV F-150 is a major step toward electrifying automobiles because it has been America's best-selling vehicle for 40 years.

The Lightning is a terrific electric F-150 vehicle. It's better than a gas-powered vehicle if you can afford one and know how to charge it.

Ford can't fulfil demand, boosted prices, and is still attempting to convince dealers to stop marking up available models by tens of thousands of dollars. Software follows. This speedy vehicle is a frustratingly sluggish PC.

The Lightning is amazing, at least in part, for how commonplace it is, yet demand is clearly there. The electric F-150 adds tech and capacity to the driving experience, interior layout, and daily livability of any contemporary F-150.

As expected, this electric pickup truck has several drawbacks. Brian Normile's complete Cars.com review is here; the shortened version is below. The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has six pros and four cons:

Key Takeaways

• The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning EV is an electric pickup truck that is considered a good choice for those who can afford one and know how to charge it.
• Pros of the vehicle include: quick acceleration, familiar appearance, portable generator, spacious interior, huge storage box under the hood, and extended range options.
• Cons of the vehicle include: reduced range when towing, challenging brake pedal feel, big-screen interface issues, charging challenges, and high electrical costs.
• Ford is having trouble keeping up with demand and prices have been boosted, some dealers are marking up prices by tens of thousands of dollars.
• The software is also slow and the vehicle can be frustratingly sluggish.

Pros

It’s Quick

The Lighting boasts a stated 10,000-pound towing capacity, a good 2,235-pound payload capacity, and standard four-wheel drive. Its stated 0-60 mph acceleration time is 4.5 seconds, depending on setup. The power comes on smoothly, making it seem quicker from behind the wheel.

New but Familiar

The F-150's familiar appearance and handling make it desirable. The the lightning rides great and looks like a regular F-150, not an exotic EV. That should boost target audience sales.

Portable Generator

The F-150 Lightning is not the first EV that can power a home in an outage, but it has a lot of juice. Ford claims the Lightning can power a home for three days with an 80-amp charging station and other accessories. Ford claims the Lightning can run for 10 days on rationed power.

Interior Room Remains

The Lightning's battery pack is under the floor, but unlike some EVs, it doesn't take up space. We found the cabin as spacious as any F-150, as Ford boasts. The Lightning has a flip-up rear seat with segregated storage like F-150s.

Frunk you’ll Love

The F-150 Lightning has a huge, safe storage box with a 400-pound weight capacity beneath the hood, as it has no engine. The Mega Power Frunk has four 120-volt power outlets and two USB connections. It's water-resistant and has drain plugs for hauling gross material that needs a hose.

Range Life

Ford provides two Lightning battery options: the regular-range with 230 miles of range and an extended-range unit with 320 miles in mid-level trims (optional) and 300 miles in the top Platinum trim (standard). That should satisfy all except range-anxious drivers.

Cons

Towing Capability

Towing a trailer reduces the Lightning's range, therefore towing enthusiasts should know. That's no surprise, but we can't say anything until we test more.

We pulled an 8,300-pound boat and trailer with a Lightning XLT with the extended-range battery, which had 80 miles of range left with a half-charged battery. Towing would demand more charging stops than driving without a trailer.

Pedal Feel

Regenerative braking helps charge EVs, but the F-150's brakes were tougher to control than others. Stopping power is good, but smooth stops are hard. One-pedal driving makes throttle modulation difficult.

Big-Screen Blues

Lower Lightning levels include a 12.4-inch touchscreen and F-150-like controls. Upper trims have Sync 4A with a 15.5-inch vertical touchscreen in the dash. The vibrant and responsive screen removes several traditional buttons, including seat warmer controls. We worry that future Ford cars will have comparable displays.

Charging Issues

A Lightning with any battery adds 13 miles per hour with a 30-amp Level 2 home charger, but Ford's 48-amp charger adds 20 miles per hour. Extended-range models may gain 30 miles per hour using Ford's 80-amp Charge Station Pro. All Lightnings can fast-charge to 54 miles in 10 minutes with 150-kilowatt DC.

Electrical costs

Pro-trim F-150 Lightnings cost about $40,000. (all prices include destination).

A gas-powered basic F-150 XL costs $37,680 with 4WD, far less than any Lightning. A $7,500 federal tax credit helps mitigate the Lightning's price premium, but higher trims are more expensive. A Platinum costs almost $90,000, while our extended-range XLT cost $76,384.