So far it has won the bread, now it must carry the brand into the future: the Ford F-150. Ford is also presenting the Lightning electric version of its best-selling car in the US since this year. And indeed it looks like it will get Americans who love the V8 and V6 excited about electromobility. The Americans are lining up and Ford has had to expand their production capacity.
So far, the F-150 Lightning has earned its reputation as the most important Ford since the legendary Model T. With this, the US manufacturer had revolutionized automobile production. Yıldırım must now secure Ford’s future. Even as a Stromer, the pickup truck has all-wheel drive. The two electric motors together deliver 452 hp (337 kW) or 580 hp (427 kW) and a maximum torque of 1050 Nm in both cases! There are two battery sizes with a net capacity of 98 or 131 kilowatt-hours (kWh). They provide a range of 386 or 515 kilometers according to the American EPA standard. While this is generally lower than the European WLTP range, it is more realistic.
Silent Giant
Such ranges will make the F-150 Lightning interesting for Europe as well. But would the so-called full-size pickup truck also fit on our roads? We dare you to get behind the wheel and drive through the Kitzbühel ski resort area of Austria with a giant pennant that is about six meters long and 2.40 meters wide with exterior mirrors.
Even the first few meters are impressive. To mobilize almost three tons of curb weight, the V8 petrol engine or V6 diesel engine squeaks with effort before the giant begins to spin slowly and calmly. Yıldırım, on the other hand, glides through the parking lot silently and indifferently. Three tones have never been carried so playfully. At the first intersection, precision is required so that the crazy torque doesn’t throw the giant against the wall of the house opposite.
But we already know from other electric cars and that the power of the F-150 is easy to control. Electric drive is good for giant. It rides as light as a Focus and is just as easy to steer. If we didn’t have to give up later because of the length, we’d almost forget we were sitting in a minivan-sized pickup.
With 1050 Nm, the Lightning accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds – crazy for a curb weight of 2948 kilograms! But even the F-150 must bow to physics and overcome inertia first. Therefore, this effect does not occur when accelerating, such as the Tesla Model S or Porsche Taycan. Passengers don’t have to worry about whiplash.
Trailer load up to 4.5 tons
When it comes to payload, the Lightning also makes a small nod to the 726 kilogram, 131 kWh battery. The electric F-150 can only load 885 kilograms, which is pretty narrow in the league. With the small battery it reaches 1014 kilograms, but the combustion F-150 packs a lot more than a ton in the loadspace. The Lightning has 400 liters of additional cargo space under the front hood and can also power electrical appliances. Otherwise, the strengths that distinguish the pick-ups remain, such as a 3.5-tonne trailer load, which can even be increased to 4.5 tons with an optional technology package.
The Lightning is only available with a double cabin, which offers a roomy second row of seats. The driver looks at the digital instruments and the huge central display reminds of a Mustang Mach-E. But its origin as “Büetzer” cannot be disguised in the form of too much hard plastic on the inside. For now, Ford doesn’t need to ask if Europeans are willing to pay around 90,000 francs for the top version we use. Because the F-150 Lightning is not officially coming over the Atlantic. The demand in the US is too much to consider other markets. Before that, Ford must scale up the technology and launch the more compact Ranger and Bronco, which we offer as Stromer.