Lightning Quick 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | photo by Jonathan EarleyĪ point in favor of the Lightning feeling like it could be a great street sport truck is that, in the extended-range versions I drove, it is quick. While the Lightning feels like it could be a great platform for a street-oriented sport truck from the factory, what you can buy right now won’t be right out of the box. Steering feel also tends towards the vague, trucklike end of the spectrum absolutely appropriate for a truck but not for spirited driving. There’s still a lot of body roll in sharp corners, though the Lightning never leaned then slammed back to level like our long-term F-150 tends to do in sharp, low-speed corners. I expected handling to be improved with the new suspension setup and much lower center of gravity thanks to the Lightning’s battery packs, and while it may be a little improved, it still handles like an F-150 - i.e., not that great. The Lariat I drove the most also wore 20-inch wheels, and ’s F-150 Limited rides on unnecessarily large 22s - another factor in the improved isolation and reduced impact harshness I experienced compared with our truck. The Lightning uses an independent rear suspension, a first for any F-150, but in my relatively short drive it was difficult to attribute any improved ride quality to the new suspension layout alone. Ride quality feels like driving a regular F-150 with a decent-sized payload in the bed still trucklike and bouncy but more settled than an unladen F-150. That familiarity extends to much of the Lightning’s driving experience, too.
I think sticking to the familiar shape and design language of the F-150 may make it more appealing to traditional truck buyers but likely comes at the cost of some efficiency. It’s a different tactic than the upcoming 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, which might not share more than a similar-looking body panel or two with the existing Silverado, and perhaps the upcoming electric pickup from Ram. It will also look quite familiar, with some new lighting designs that stretch from headlight to headlight and taillight to taillight (except on the Pro) and Lightning-specific badging and wheel designs. Besides some new tech, which I’ll address in a moment, the Lightning should feel extremely familiar to those who have driven any of the last few generations of F-150. After all, the redesigned 2021 F-150 swept both our Best Pickup Truck and Best of 2021 awards, and we still have an F-150 Limited hybrid in our long-term test fleet. That the Lightning is so similar to the internal-combustion F-150 is, at least in my book, a huge point in its favor. Not So Different 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | photo by Jonathan Earley I came away quite impressed with the Lightning, though there are some large caveats that will require further testing before I can give it a full-throated recommendation. I spent most of my time in an extended-range Lightning Lariat - which has an eye-watering $81,099 price tag (all prices include destination) - while also towing an 8,300-pound boat and trailer combination in an extended-range XLT.
The loaded, extended-range-only Platinum has a rating of 300 miles. Standard-range models are EPA-rated at 230 miles of range, while the extended-range XLT and Lariat are rated at 320 miles. All come with standard four-wheel drive and dual electric motors, and there are two battery choices: standard- (in Pro, XLT and Lariat) and extended-range (XLT, Lariat and Platinum). The F-150 Lightning is currently available in four trim levels: Pro, XLT, Lariat and Platinum. Related: Up Close With the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning: Substance Over Style Versus the competition: The F-150 Lightning doesn’t have much competition now, but more is coming its more traditional interior and exterior styling may make it more appealing than futuristic offerings from competitors.ĭescribing the all-new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning as “the F-150, but electric” feels like a disservice, but after getting a chance to drive the Lightning in San Antonio, that observation rings mostly true (per ’s ethics policy, we pay for our flights and lodging at these events). The verdict: The F-150 Lightning makes the most out of an all-electric truck by combining impressive power and useful innovations with many of the characteristics that make the F-150 the bestselling vehicle in North America. 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | photo by Jonathan Earley
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