2022 Ford F-150 Lightning review: First drive

When Ford announced it would produce a fully electric version of its iconic F-150 plus-sized ute, it prepared its books to take about 40,000 orders – but just a short time after the Lightning broke cover, the company had amassed more than 200,000.

That’s why there’s currently a massive project underway at the Dearborn plant in Michigan to upscale its factory output to 150,000 per year by July 2023.

The expansion of the Rouge plant just a short drive outside Detroit is historically significant for the Blue Oval, as the electric vehicle line occupies the very same land that Ford used to produce its early Model A, and the company says the contemporary model made there today is every bit as significant.

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Understanding why Ford’s first electric truck far exceeded even Ford’s own expectation takes approximately 4.5 seconds – coincidentally about the same time this 2950kg monster takes to get from a standstill to 100km/h.

As its name would suggest, the Lightning is quick. Really quick.

The secret lies in the figures that are as eye-opening as the weight of this beast. With up to 433kW available, this particular F-150 has about the power of the last-generation Ford GT – but where the electric mammoth really excels is in torque.

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With both motors amped up to max (there’s one on each axle for four-wheel drive, naturally), the Lightning sends 1050Nm via all four wheels to the road, or trail, or boat ramp, or construction site. But that actual sensation of lighting up the Lightning’s full performance is even more spectacular in practice than is reads in figures.

Pin the quiet pedal and there’s a split second of hesitation as the traction control tries to accommodate the request of a mountain of torque being thrown at each wheel. But once it works out where all the grip is, the F-150 bolts out of its blocks like its tail has been stamped on.

Within the speed limit, the raw acceleration is apparently boundless. We’re becoming accustomed to the way high-end EVs accelerate, but to feel a level of performance that was once the preserve of electric sports coupes and premium sedans now dealt out by a big truck, invokes the delight of driving the very first serious EVs.

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Once it works out where all the grip is, the F-150 bolts out of its blocks like its tail has been stamped on.

Almost as impressive however, is the silence of the Lightning’s cabin when cruising. At speeds of up to 50mph (80km/h), there’s zero tyre noise and barely perceptible wind noise.

In fact, the newest F-150 is not just one of the quietest EVs we’ve driven, but one of the quietest vehicles full stop. I wouldn’t be surprised if engineering teams at all the premium brands are busy reverse engineering the Lightning to find out how they did it.

Its ride is not quite as serene with the busyness that you might expect from a ladder-chassis ute and the characteristic judder over certain surfaces, but it’s certainly above average, thanks in part to coil springs in all corners.

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That said, it’ll still carry up to 1014kg in its tray and haul up to 4.5 tonnes hooked up behind – as long as you option the biggest battery and the Max Trailer Tow pack.

And if that wasn’t enough of a commitment to towing duties, Ford has just introduced an innovative PTHA system that allows the Lightning to steer itself in reverse toward a tow hitch for zero-fuss trailer hooking.

Part of the Lightning’s hard-working nature is down to its construction. It may have a relatively unorthodox drivetrain for something in the truck world, but it still relies on the tried and tested steel ladder chassis for its underpinnings.

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Its body is similar enough to be produced on the same line as the petrol and diesel versions of the F-150, and while its box-section chassis underpinnings are also similar to the rest of the range, the platform is built separately.

The construction allows Ford to position the Lightning’s battery within the rungs of the chassis, which allows a respectable ground-clearance of 226mm to be achieved, while avoiding the intrusion of the lithium-ion battery unit into the passenger or load areas.

In short, one of the F-Series' best-selling propositions is unchanged with electrification.

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Two battery versions are on offer, starting with the 98kWh ‘standard range’ which will hold enough charge for up to 240 miles (386km) says Ford, while the 131kWh ‘extended range’ battery will power the Lightning up to a whopping 515km.

There are also a number of specification grades on offer in Ford’s native USA market. For the full luxury experience, the Premium offers the largest combinations of screens and a unique dashboard layout paired with the biggest battery.

We also had the opportunity for a quick blast in the entry level Pro which is certainly more utilitarian but still offers a decent level of technology and surprisingly good luxury and comfort features for a base grade.

Ford has also just introduced a cool Special Service Vehicle Package which adds police-grade heavy duty upholstery, steel intrusion plates and factory roof mountings for flasher beacons – ideal for the doomsday prepper who wants to reduce their carbon footprint. Or perhaps an environmentally conscientious mining or security company.

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Pricing in the US ranges from $46,947 (A$72,300) for the entry Pro, up to $96,847 (A$150,000).

At that price, the F-150 Lightning is on par with some of its diesel power rivals from Ram and Chevrolet, which offer the similarly sized 1500 variants but without the option of battery power. Although, that said, pricing is likely to look very different if the electric F-truck were to be given the green light for Australia.

Which brings us onto perhaps the only disappointment to be taken from a first brief meeting with the electric F-150. Ford has not yet confirmed the model for Australian launch, but a firm emphasis must be placed on the ‘yet’ part of that statement, because there are two avenues in which the Blue Oval beast EV may make it Down Under.

Firstly, with the expansion of its Dearborn manufacturing facility, the upgrade to 150,000 units per year may also include the capacity to produce versions in right-hand drive, mimicking the production schedule of the hugely successful ‘global’ Mustang.

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But if that’s too much of a dream, then there’s also the possibility of local right-hand drive conversion – and the addition of the electric F-150 variant to the already confirmed petrol version that’ll start rolling out of the facility in Melbourne’s north next year.

Either way, alongside a number of other battery powered utes making their way to market around the world, including the compelling Rivian and elusive Tesla Cybertruck, the F-150 Lightning is still somewhat of a triumph.

A former prime minister of Australia, who is best probably forgotten, once painted a grim picture of an electric future and proclaimed that electric vehicles would be a terrible fit for tradies, would fail to tow a boat, and would ruin the weekend.

Ford has produced a vehicle that not only categorically demolishes each of those myths, but the F-150 Lightning is already attracting enough attention that any misinformation surrounding the ability of electric vehicles is being drowned out by the voices of a far larger audience.

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning specifications