
With current lumber prices nobody can afford more than a few clean sheets of plywood right now, but that doesn't mean you don't want your next truck to be big enough to haul a stack of the things for that badass, three-car garage you're finally going to build next summer. You don't buy a truck for what you need it to do, you buy a truck for what you hope you might someday do. A truck is the ultimate expression of American consumer optimism. After all, trucks are aspirational vehicles. Other than finding enough chips to build the things, I fear Ford's biggest challenge ahead will be getting consumers to be realistic about their needs. But for every person actually taxing the hitches on their trucks, you'll find dozens or hundreds of others using their truck as a very large, very capable commuter vehicle. Sure, we all know someone who hauls their Airstream all the way up to northern Maine a couple times a summer, or someone who drags their ponies down to Ocala every fall in a gooseneck trailer. It'll be some time before we know the real figures, but internal-combustion trucks are going to be better at pulling trailers long-distance.Ī truck is the ultimate expression of American consumer optimism.
#Ford lightning 2021 driver#
Car and Driver estimate that the range under full load may be as little as 100 miles.

That's as much an industry failing as it is Ford's. Admittedly, it's hard to blame Ford for not wanting to reveal its numbers in this area first, because there doesn't seem to be an established industry range-testing procedure for towing and hauling with EVs (let alone any rivals' numbers to compare with). I'm guessing that's because the numbers won't be good. The problem is that Ford hasn't combined the two and quoted any range figures while towing. Ford is also saying the truck will tow up to 10,000 pounds. Ford says the Lightning will go between 230 and 300 miles on a charge, depending on configuration. OK, maybe there's one compromise: towing. Yes, those other EV trucks sure look interesting and exciting, but Ford's F-150 Lightning has the potential to be a proper industry changer with that price and all the capability you've come to expect from a good ol' pick-'em-up.
#Ford lightning 2021 generator#
The company's engineers have made something that will make life easier at the job site (no more generator rentals), will add security to your home (no more blackouts), and, of course, do it all in an emissions-free way - with lower operating costs, to boot. Oh, and you can also expect it'll have a pretty sweet frunk.Instead of trying to position the truck as quicker than a sports car or market it as the ultimate lifestyle accessory, Ford seems to have simply built a better truck for more people. The ProPower Assist mobile generator system found in the 2021 F-150 also seems like an obvious addition to the truck, given its (presumably) ample power reserves and strong electrical architecture. Ford has already made a big deal about its new BlueCruise semi-autonomous highway driving technology being present in the gas-powered F-150 and the new Mustang Mach-E, so, by the transitive property, it seems likely it'll also be in the new Lightning. (That said, as many modern EVs pack multiple sizes of battery packs, the F-Series may give buyers the choice of saving money or adding range.) Will the F-150 Lightning have any high-tech features?Īs President Biden might say, you can bet your sweet bippy. That said, most new electric vehicles worth their salt have to offer a range of at least 250-300 miles, so we'd expect the new electric Ford to pack at least that sort of capability. NICHOLAS KAMM Getty Images How much range will the F-150 Lightning have?Īgain, unclear for now. The president - who, in 2014, described his desire to drive the C7-generation Corvette Z06 as a reason not to run for president, saying, "You tach that sucker up to six grand and this comes out of the hole like a bullet, man" - told the media of Ford's electric pickup, "This sucker's quick."

That said, as of now, the best testimony we have comes from President Biden, a noted car guy in addition to a watch enthusiast, who took a camouflaged prototype of the F-150 Lightning out for a spin on Tuesday. The primary driving difference between the electric F-150 and the standard model, besides emissions, should be how ludicrously quick the electric vehicle feels on the street. The electric F-150 should also be quicker than other F-Series models, which should mean a sub-5.0-second 0-60 mph acceleration time. We won't know specific details until tonight, but Ford has said it'll be more powerful than any F-150 in the present lineup - which means more than 450 horsepower. Ford Definitely Not Done Creating New Sub-Brands What sort of power will the F-150 Lightning make?
