The fully electric segment has been on the rise significantly since the start of the past decade, and the segment is currently filled with many new entrants. The customer base is also expanding quite well, making it one of the most important segments for any manufacturer. To take a fair share of the pie in the electric pickup truck segment, Ford is here with the all-new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, offering the versatility of a heavy-duty pickup truck without compromising on the efficiency and performance.
Expected to be launched for a base MSRP of $39,974 and coming with four trim configurations, the 2022 F-150 Lightning has a lot of things going for it. It has got the grunt from the dual electric motor and has an impressive payload and towing capacity. The truck is supremely refined and is very spacious too. Even the features list is not disappointing. Competing with the Rivian R1T and the GMC Hummer, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning.
10 Performance Is More Than Adequate
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning can be had in two different tunes of performance, according to the trim that you opt for. Get the standard range battery and the car is capable of producing 426 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. However, when equipped with the extended range battery, the performance numbers increase to 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque.
The 4WD drivetrain comes standard across the trim lineup, and the dual electric motor comes mated to a single-speed automatic transmission with multiple driving modes. Even though the acceleration times are not revealed yet, the performance is lightning quick and the truck feels light on its feet. The refinement level is unmatched, too.
9 Pretty Impressive Range
Coming in with two different battery capacities according to the trim that you opt for, the range is also different. Opt for the smaller 98 kWh battery variant, and this mid-size pickup truck could do 230 miles on a full charge. However, the MPGe hasn't been revealed yet, since the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is still a few months away from the official launch.
Get the extended range variants that come with the bigger 131 kWh battery pack and the truck could do a slightly better 300 miles of range. In comparison, both the Rivian R1T and the GMC Hummer also comes with a similar range of 300 miles if you opt for the right trim. The F-150 Lightning also comes with DC fast charging and can serve as a backup generator as well.
8 Has Excellent Towing Capacity
One of the biggest criteria that need to be fulfilled when buying a pickup truck is that it should have excellent towing and payload capacity. In this regard, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is not going to disappoint the users. The impressive event that was showcased in 2019 where the F-150 Lightning towing train cars loaded with F-150s also reveals its excellence.
The extended range variants of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning have a maximum towing capacity of 10,000 lbs, which is pretty similar to the rivals of the fully electric truck segment. However, the standard range which comes with a lower capacity battery could tow a slightly lower 7,700 lbs. The payload capacity of 2,000 lbs provided by the extended range trim is pretty decent too.
7 Exterior Looks Masculine
The masculine design language that the regular Ford F-150 has been quite synonymous with is retained in this fully-electric version as well. However, we also admire some radical changes to the design, making it stand apart from the millions of regular F-150s that are plying on the American roads.
The infused LED DRLs neatly incorporated into the LED headlight, striking LED taillight, unmatched road presence given by the length, width, and wheelbase, and many more, make the truck stand out very well. The distinctive wheel design, blacked-out front grille, and the cuts and creases on the side profile do make it even more desirable than the rivals.
6 Interior Looks Similar To The Regular F-150
Though the cabin doesn't see a lot of differences like the ravishing exterior design, the subtle changes like the massive touchscreen infotainment system, large front cargo bay, and a few updates to the dashboard do add to the elegance of the cabin. The design also does look pretty appealing and retains the masculine character of the truck very well.
The chunky steering wheel wrapped in leather coupled with the leather upholstery with contrastive stitching, silver accents to the dashboard and door cards, and the tactile switchgear also look pleasant. However, some of the interior bits felt a bit cheap, especially on the dashboard. There was quite a lot of hard scratchy plastic on use too, similar to the regular F-150.
5 Comes With The Sync 4 Infotainment System
The 12" Sync 4 touchscreen infotainment system is the latest from Ford and is offered with the PRO and XLT trims of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. The interface is top-notch, and the animations are very fluid. The learning curve is pretty minimal and everything is where it is supposed to be. We also found the display quality and touch sensitivity to be superb.
However, if you want an even better infotainment system, we would recommend you to opt for the Lariat and Platinum trims, as both of them comes with the 15" infotainment system. All the connectivity and entertainment features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth audio streaming, etc., are standard too. The audio is handled by the Bang & Olufsen audio system.
4 Offers Many Driver-Assistance Features
Like the regular Ford F-150, this all-electric Lightning variant also comes with all the safety features like ABS, EBD, traction control, tire pressure monitoring system, side-impact beams, reverse parking sensors, and many more. We also found the build quality to be excellent.
When it comes to the driver-assistance features, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, etc. are standard across the trim configuration. However, the adaptive cruise control with BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving mode is an optional extra. The truck has also not been crash-tested by both the NHTSA and IIHS yet.
3 Ride Quality Is Pretty Firm
Being a heavy-duty pickup truck, we expected the ride quality to be a bit of a hit or a miss, and that became the reality. Equipped with the double-wishbone front suspension and trailing arm rear suspension with coil springs and anti-roll bars, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is not going to be the most comfortable cruiser out on the open roads.
Drive the car at slower speeds and the suspension does transmit the bigger potholes to the cabin, which manages to unsettle the ride. Even as the speeds rise on the highways, the ride quality is never flat and composed. However, this is pretty similar to most of the pickup trucks on sale in the United States.
2 Braking Performance Is More Than Adequate
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning comes with a beefy 4-wheel disc brake system with 14" front rotors and 13.8" rear rotors. Along with that, there is 4-wheel ABS, EBD, brake assist, hill hold control, and many more, all of which make the braking a very easy process in this heavy pickup truck.
Mash on the brake pedal and the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning manages to stop with very ease. There is no twitchiness under hard braking, and the front-end dive is not going to be a deal-breaker. We also found the brakes to be very precise and offer a decent feel and feedback, even with the regenerative braking on offer.
1 Driving Dynamics Is Decent For A Pickup Truck
Since the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning comes with a stiff suspension setup, the driving dynamics turned out to be pretty decent for a pickup truck. Take the corners a bit too enthusiastically, and you would be pleasantly surprised with the lower body roll on offer, unlike the other pickup truck that comes at a similar price category.
The steering weighs up pretty well at higher speeds and is reasonably communicative as well, both of which add to the confidence of the driver. Even though this truck is not going to excite the enthusiasts out there in terms of cornering ability, the understeer and oversteer characteristics are well under control and only come out when pushed to the limits.