2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Strikes With 563 HP, 10,000-LB Towing Capacity, $40K Starting Price

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ford has now revealed the F-150 Lightning Pro, the commercial-minded entry-level trim starting from $41,669 in the US, and $59,950 CAD in Canada, including current destination prices. The $54,669 XLT will serve as the “base” consumer model; Canadian pricing is $69,950 CAD, but Canuck versions come with more standard features, such as 20-inch wheels, heated front seats, Intelligent Access, the 9.6-kW power source, and additional driver assistance systems.

Here it is, the all-electric version of America’s best-selling vehicle. Unveiled during a livestream late Wednesday evening, the reborn 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning promises to be the biggest shake-up to the F-Series brand in decades. Most shocking of all, the electric pickup will start at $41,669 ($59,950 CAD) including destination and before incentives.

The Lightning is pretty much identical in size to the gas- and hybrid-powered F-150, with an inch (25 mm) of additional length. Setting it apart from the rest of the lineup is a full-width LED strip running across the top of the not-a-grille. The tailgate mirrors that graphic, with the taillights joining up as well. Ford has also fit more aero-friendly wheels to the Lightning. The visual changes are all well and good, but let’s dive into what really matters under the aluminum skin.

The Lightning may borrow its name from a ’90s performance street truck, but the new model is a very different battery-powered beast. Drawing power from an enormous array of pouch-style lithium-ion battery packs lining the floor of the chassis, the 2022 F-150 Lightning is a lot more powerful, for starters. Like the Mustang Mach-E, the Lightning will come in both Standard- and Extended-Range flavors. The former will produce 426 horsepower, while the latter bumps the figure up to 563 horsepower. Ford estimates both will produce the same 775 lb-ft of torque, making the Lightning the torquiest F-150 ever. Buyers can expect a range of roughly 230 miles for the Standard-Range Lightning, and an even 300 miles for the Extended-Range. These numbers don’t include the top-spec Platinum trim, but the base, XLT, and Lariat.

Ford is throwing a lot of other numbers out into the world with this launch, too. A run to 60 mph in the mid-four-second range is probably the least important for the target audience. A maximum of 10,000 pounds of towing capacity and a 2,000-pound payload limit are more relevant. These numbers do depend on trim selection, however. 4WD is standard on all trims, and the Lightning comes in one shape: a short-box, SuperCrew setup.

Ford is stressing ease of use with the F-150 Lightning. For that, it’s offering an 80-amp charger as standard equipment. Used with the dual onboard charging system, it will top up an Extended-Range Lightning from 15 to 100 percent charge in around eight hours. 150-kW DC fast-chargers can fill the battery from 15 to 80 percent in a little over 40 minutes. In addition, the navigation identifies charging locations along your planned routes. The system also calculates range based not only on remaining charge, but weather, traffic, payload, and the current towing rate.

The Lariat and Platinum trims will see the first F-150 application of Ford’s latest Sync 4A infotainment system. It arrives via the same 15.5-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen as found in the Mach-E, including wireless smartphone mirroring, voice control, and cloud-powered navigation. Customers will be able to create profiles within the system, allowing them to easily save personal settings. Sync can also learn your habits and make suggestions based on them, if you opt in.

A 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster is standard, offering a customizable view of the most pertinent info. The panel can also show the status of BlueCruise, Ford’s available hands-free highway driving feature. A part of the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assists, BlueCruise works with over 100,000 miles of highway in Canada and the US, with more coming.

The additions—and other improvements—will come via over-the-air updates, which Ford says can happen in as little as two minutes. What’s more, Lightning owners will be able to schedule when their truck updates.

The Lightning is capable of providing 9.6 kW of power, enough to power the average home for three days according to Ford.

“There’s so much more to F-150 Lightning than just traditional things like power and speed. Really, it’s the ultimate portable energy source,” says Energy Services Lead Ryan O’Gorman. “Imagine a situation like events in Texas earlier this year. Severe weather led to millions of homes without power. What if there was a way to harness that energy stored in your F-150 Lightning battery to be able to keep your home and your appliances on. If your F-150 Lightning is plugged in when your outage occurs, intelligent back-up power will automatically kick in to power your home. When power is restored, the truck automatically reverts to charging its battery. No additional input from the customer will be required, making this experience totally seamless.”

Down the road, Ford also plans to introduce Ford Intelligent Power, which will use the Lightning’s power reserves to power a house, and then charge the truck off peak hours. The result is lower electricity bills, and less pressure on the grid.

As truck buyers are concerned about how towing will affect the range, the Lightning offers Onboard Scales. The system measure’s the truck’s payload and adjusts the expected range accordingly. The Lightning also debuts the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist function, which can automatically adjust steering, throttle and brakes to ease hitching up trailers.

The 2022 F-150 Lightning will be available early 2022. Ford is now taking $100 reservations on its website. The entry-level model, with that $41,669 ($59,950 CAD) starting price, is geared towards commercial use. The XLT will list for $54,669; Canadians will need to fork over $69,950 CAD. Expect more details on the Lariat and Platinum closer to launch.

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