I believe it was a Lariat trim, and it was an about what I expected it to be. The loop we took was about six miles with speeds up to 70 MPH, and I managed to teach the salesperson a few things about the truck in the process. She was great, though, and was learning a second career after 30-some years in interior design. This dealer is willing to eventually sell me the truck for MSRP, but of course, nobody knows when that time will be. Totally fine with me, though, as I’m in no hurry and aren’t completely sure about it yet.

My first thought was that it’s FAST. This was a Lariat Extended-Range model, and it seemed a shade quicker than my EV6 was. For comparison, my EV6 will do 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, and the Lightning seemed to hold higher power levels for longer as speed increased. I did two full-throttle runs to 70 MPH, and I thought the performance was really impressive. Less impressive, however, was the wind noise at those speeds. It wasn’t bad or obtrusive; it was noticeably quieter than my Tesla Model 3 was at similar speeds, but not whisper-silent like my EV6 is on the highway. That surprised me because my past F150s were some of the quietest and best-riding things I’ve owned on the highway. It’s not that the Lightning is any worse than my ‘15 was, but wind noise is more pronounced when there’s zero engine noise to drown it out.

My second thought is this thing is HEAVY! Basic door sticker math puts this beastie at 6,864 lbs, which makes it the heaviest thing I’ve ever seen to ride on P-metric tires. After seeing these weight numbers, I couldn’t believe it shared the same 6-bolt hubs as the regular F150s. It’s not that I think they’re inadequate, but it surprised me. I don’t know if the hubs and bearings are identical, but if they are, it should make regular F150 owners more comfortable with the chassis. I snapped some photos of the new IRS system, and it looked to be exactly what I’d expect from Ford. It all looked really beefy and almost overbuilt for the weight, which is exactly what we’d want to see in a pickup truck that will take years of hard use.

My last big takeaway was that the frunk is every bit as awesome as you think it is. It’s downright huge, and I snapped a few photos of my boys sitting inside for perspective. My 13-year-old is almost as big as I am, and he could almost lay down inside.

When I think about it, I’m not sure I’m willing to handle the compromises compared to my current setup. If pricing remains the same, the cheapest extended-range Lightning will be north of $74K for the 2023 model year. And at that price, it’s still limited to ~160 kW of peak charging during road trips. My EV6 has a smaller 77 kWh battery and can do 10-80% in 18 minutes because it peaks at 230 kW. So if I fork over $74K, it will be a bit less convenient on road trips than my current car is. If I get the best value $40K Pro model, it will be a lot less convenient. It would be great to have an electric truck to drag the boat to the lake, but it’s also a lot harder for me to fit into my garage. My charging circuit is on the back wall of the garage, so charging while outside would be another problem to solve if I’m not willing to lose most of my garage space. Unlike some other EVs, the Lightning uses a PTC heater instead of the more-efficient heat pump my EV6 and some other EVs use. So I’d expect a bit more range loss in the winter due to the less effective heater, but that would be mitigated somewhat by the massive battery it’s pulling from. But the increased wind resistance may make that a wash pushing through the cold, dense Minnesota air in January.

We’ll see when my number comes up. But overall, I was extremely impressed and walked away thinking the LIghtning was every bit as awesome as I expected it to be. I can’t imagine being disappointed with one during normal daily use, but it could be underwhelming on road trips or those expecting decent range with a trailer.

 

I'm jealous! I'm still holding my eSilverado reservation though, that mid gate feature would sure come in handy.

 

Me, too! The way things are right now, there’s zero incentive to cancel. I’m holding my Lightning, Silverado EV, Lyriq, Blazer, and Rivian reservations indefinitely. All of them may be capable of towing my boat, so decision time may come when my number comes up. I certainly don’t plan on buying all of them, and I may end up sticking with my current setup indefinitely. Regardless of any future EVs, I have no plans on getting rid of my Expedition.

 

Good report... This truck deserves the hill test pulling 10k lbs that you did years ago.

I'm not feeling Ford's LED light bar across the grill and wonder if Ford made the right choice by making the F150 Lightning look similar to a ICE F150, whereas Chevy and very likely Ram's EV trucks look uniquely different from their ICE trucks.

 

As usual Tom, well thought out report! I'm still not sold due to price and range but that doesn't mean it won't be a good fit for someone who is willing to pay and stop to charge. Kudos to Ford for such a beefy set up, this is a great looking truck from the ground up.

What's the warranty on the battery and drive system? Is there an ESP in place for these yet? Will the sales tax be higher? Is the annual registration fees higher? Is there some tax assistance from the government, state or federal and if so, how much?

Is there a dollar cost average / comparison on this truck versus a Lariat ICE truck and if so, how does that look?

No motor vehicle is a smart purchase but how does this one compare on that list of poor investments?

Not meaning to dowse this with cold water but let's be honest with ourselves....even on a Ford Enthusiast Forum, Ford products are not cheap, they don't carry industry leading warranties and they aren't setting any standards of high reliability as of the past few many years. Will this truck shift that tide?

 

Tom, what a great experience you had, and with your family at your side! The picture of you and your boys in the frunk is classic. Thank you for sharing this experience with us.

After reading your post and then on to the post by Tim, I had a couple of follow up questions that you may or may not know the answer to.

A while back I read that an EV requires "special" tires and regular passenger car tires are not suitable. I assume this is due to the weight of the EV and the tires are of a more stable construction. Kind of like a 6 ply vs 10 ply tire. I don't know this to be true though and since you seem to be well versed in EV's, maybe you do.

That sucker is heavy!

My 2000 7.3L diesel F-250 with 75 gallons of fuel on board is right at 8,000 lbs. The F-150 EV is near that, especially with a family, dog and toys in/on it. I have some concerns for the hubs as well, but time will tell.

Is the motor on the rear axle or is there a shaft and differential? Are there any long term water intrusion concerns for the rear motor or battery pack when performing tasks like using a boat ramp. Sometimes the axle or even the rear end takes a bath in the lake. This is not always the case, but living in the country of a lake community, we have seen it all.

That EV6 sounds like a great vehicle. I saw one the other day on the interstate and was impressed by the aesthetic appearance.

Again, thank you so very much for sharing your experience with us so we may live vicariously through you.

 

I’m looking forward to the 2nd generation EV F-150 and this first effort is definitely very positive.

 

I miss those days! I don't know that it's possible to rip the tongue off of a trailer, but I bet the Lightning would come closer than most.

The lightning can be a compelling value depending on how you price it, but most people probably won't buy them. The Pro model starts at $40K, which works out to $32.5K after tax credit. You can't go near a SuperCrew 4x4 gas truck for that price, and this model is much faster than the Raptor. The Pro gets the digital instrument cluster, Sync4, power frunk, 120v outlets front and back, power windows and locks, and a bunch of other stuff you'd expect in an XLT truck. It's not just the best value in the truck market, I'd say it's the best value on wheels right now. If you can get one; from what I understand most of the Pro models were allocated to fleet purchasers, and they almost certainly don't make money with them. Step up to the XLT and it looks a bit worse because you pay $12K more for a few more options. To get the extended-range battery, you need the 312A package for $9,500 and then the $10K battery upgrade. At $74K, this isn't a great value in my opinion. Step up to the Lariat for another $5K and you're probably getting more truck for the money. But it's also $80K before the tax credit.

Right now, if I got the call tomorrow, I'd order a Pro model with the Max Tow package. I'd then beg and plead for them to find a way for me to be called a fleet customer so I could get the extended range battery for another $10K vs. the $34K to go to the extended-range XLT. I could never justify $74K for one of those...so it would either be a pro model or I'd see if someone else wanted my reservation and wait for the Silverado, Rivian, or Lyriq. Any of them would tow my boat.

Battery/drive system warranty is 8 year/100K miles. The rest is more about your local jurisdiction than anything else. Here in Minnesota, we pay $75/year surcharge to register an EV because we aren't paying fuel tax. That's still a heck of a tax discount unless I drive very little, and it would be magnified with a truck that would normally consume a lot more gasoline.

I'd hope so. Electric powertrains are incredibly stout, and that's for the entire industry. Electric motors have no transmissions with moving parts, actuators, bands, or clutches. It's a straight reduction gear from the motor to the axleshaft, and there's usually no maintenance required. Motor failures are vanishingly rare for every EV forum I've heard about, and they almost never happen at high mileage. The rare motor defect usually shows up early on in the warranty period. They spin FAST though; both motors on my EV6 turn 10,000 RPMs at 80 MPH. They're completely silent, though; the only way I had any way of knowing was with my OBD scan tool.

It's not a requirement, but OEM EV tires tend to be built a little differently than "normal" tires. They tend to have slightly stiffer sidewalls to better handle lateral forces due to the much lower center of gravity, and many have sound-absorbing foam to mitigate road noise that's more obvious because of a lack of engine noise. But if you look at the door sticker, the Lightning takes regular 275/60R20 116T tires. Lots of people put different tires on their EVs when the time comes; I swapped the OEM Bridgestones for a set of regular Michelins on my Model 3 and they did just fine. I was surprised that I didn't notice an increase in road noise. But that car had a lot of tire noise with factory tires, so I'm not sure why they even bothered with the sound absorbing foam.

I've never heard of an EV with a driveshaft, and the Lightning is no exception. Just like the others, the Lightning uses a dual-motor setup with separate traction motors for the front and rear axles. From my understanding, the electrical components are incredibly well sealed for safety reasons. The Lightning uses a 400v architecture, and some like my EV6 use 800v systems. A sealing problem would be a deadly flaw when a car accident sent one into the water, and I've never heard of such a thing happening. I've also never heard of water intrusion killing a motor, even for flooded vehicles. Unless the Lightning is built very differently, the battery packs, cables, and motors are much more capable of playing submarine than a conventional powertrain.

Thanks! I never imagined I'd find an EV that was better thought-through than my Model 3, but I was wrong. Hyundai/Kia knocked it out of the park when they designed these things. Competition is great for everyone; my car wouldn't exist without Tesla, and the Lightning wouldn't be half as good if it weren't for that competitive influence. The future looks great from where I sit. 😎

 

Thank you for your time and the brief lesson on the details surrounding some of my questions. We have only just become interested in owning an EV as they become more efficient and the range increases.

Clearly, I have a lot to learn, but we are dissecting every bit of information we are able so that when the time comes to jump, we are jumping with confidence instead of jumping and shouting OOOOOOOHHHHHHHH SHHHHH||||||TTTTTT!!!!!

 

I'm the same way, I've heard reports that this 2nd gen battery is supposed to be much better than the 1st, which falls inline with most products of technology like this.

 

I'm only going to address this one item. Don't you stop and pay to fill up your gas tank? For most people there is no stopping and the payment comes with your electric bill at the end of the month.

The only time you would have to stop and pay to charge would be when travelling very long distances. This would be subjective.

 

This is exactly right. At rated efficiency, I drive my EV6 1,000 miles for $19.70 in electricity using my off-peak charging circuit in the garage. It is SO much more convenient and inexpensive than any gas powertrain I've ever had. It was this convenience that drove me back into an EV after only a year with the Subaru. I leave the house every day with a full tank and only have to stop and charge when I'm on a road trip. No oil changes, air filters, fuel filters, or any of that other nonsense, either. Road trips are an inconvenience, but it doesn't have to be huge. I spent less than three hours charging on my 1,400-mile trip home from New Hampshire last week. The Lightning would probably be about twice that, but that still pales in comparison to all of the routine gas station visits I made during my normal routine with the gas car.

At its rated efficiency, I could drive a Lightning 1,000 miles for $32.11 in electricity. Even at a generous 20 MPG at $2.00/gal, that would cost $100 driving a gas F150. Double that with today's gas prices.

 

I saw a Rivian pickup today in our small town of 4,500 people. It was pretty cool to see it and I did a big double take, but I was not impressed...

 

I charged next to a couple of them during my trip. I think they look pretty impressive, and the smaller size would fit better into my garage. I have a deposit on one, but not sure it would be worthwhile after the experience I've had with my EV6. I'm really attached to what 230 kW charging does to charge times on a road trip, and the R1T has similar charge rates to the Lightning. They peak at 160 kW into a 135 kWh battery.

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that I would go for a Pro model or not at all. I'd have to ask my dealer if they'd let me drag my boat around with their loaner first, though. If it wouldn't make it to the lake and back with a comfortable margin, it wouldn't make any sense.

 

I Had a deposit on one, but absolutely sure it wouldn't be worthwhile after the experience I had with them. That price switch bs they tried then back peddled on left me sour on the company as a whole.

Can't trust them, got my deposit back. It's either Lightning or Silverado now, unless Ram comes out with something impressive.