2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Electric Truck Price
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning – The battery-powered F-150 marks the third time Ford has applied a Lightning badge to its full-size light-duty pickup.
The first two generations in the 1990s and early 2000s were developed by the former Special Vehicle Team (SVT) as performance-oriented street trucks.
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning
The new F-150 Lightning is not explicitly intended as a sports truck, but thanks to its new power source, the F-150 Lightning is faster than any model in the history of the F-series.
Ford has made no secret of the upcoming F-150 Lightning – evidenced by the company’s million-pound crane action from 2019.
Lightning shared most of the usual F-150 body and cabin but swapped the truck’s petrol-powered V-6 and V-8 engine options for a pair of electric motors and one of two different battery packs.
Standard-Range batteries produce up to 230 miles per charge, and extended-range juice packs aim for 300 miles.
But by the time the 2023 F-150 Lightning hits the market, it’s not the only electric pickup truck. The GMC’s Hummer EV SUT is close to launching, and rival trucks from the budding Rivian can beat Ford.
However, none of those trucks have the power of the F-150 name behind them, and the electric version of America’s favorite truck will surely be an impressive piece when it goes on sale around spring 2023.
2023 Ford F-150 Performances
The F-150 Lightning is scheduled to have a maximum crane rating of 10,000-pounds that puts it in the middle of the range for the lineup, but that should be enough for most users.
The 3.3-liter base V6 F-150 starts at about 5,000-lbs for towing, while some configurations with the 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 can carry up to 14,000-lbs.
With the 6,000lb trailer connected, we drove around the hill route at the test site, which included a 25% value. From the passenger seat, pulling the trailer up that level looks pretty easy, as you’d expect with 563-hp and 775 lb-ft of torque.
Towing a heavy trailer doubles your energy consumption, regardless of whether you use gasoline, diesel, or electrons.
That means the range with a 5,000-10,000 lb trailer and an extended battery is likely no more than about 150 miles.
One of the advantages of electric trucks is that they can take advantage of regenerative braking on long ramps to recharge batteries. This will help reduce the risk of overheating brakes on this stretch.
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Exterior
Electrify America has begun configuring several newer charging stations with drive-through charging rooms for vehicles that have connected trailers.
Currently, about 5% of EA sites have this configuration. Nonetheless, towing with an electric truck is probably something best reserved for shorter distances or occasional use. Those who have to pull heavy loads long distances regularly may want to stick to gas or diesel options for now.
Lightning is undergoing the same endurance testing regimen as the other F-150s, including running through narrow roads, mud swamps, and on top of dirt moguls. Lightning is equipped with a full-length steel slip plate to protect the motor and battery.
As InsideEVs cites Ford, the new Electric Ford F-150 will be the most F-150 ever. Two electric motors will drive it (one in each axle, perhaps, for AWD purposes), but that’s about where it ends up with known details on the front of the powertrain.
There will be a battery pack that inserts electrons into the motor, but automakers are silent on capacity, charging time, etc.
For argument’s sake, Ford’s first EV, the Mustang Mach-E, can be configured with a 68-kWh (Standard Range) or 88-kWh (Extended Range) battery, equipped with 288 or 376 Li-ion cells, respectively.
These cells are sourced from LG Chem, which manufactures them in Europe, at its factory in Poland. LG Chem is also a supplier for the new Ford E-Transit 2022 electric van.
Ford will assemble an electric F-150 pickup at its Rouge complex in Dearborn, Michigan, at a new facility with a $700 million investment. CNN reports that this is also where Blue Oval will assemble its electric batteries, with work planned to begin in mid-2022.
As mentioned above, the electric Ford F-150 will not come to market earlier than summer 2022, and that’s if everything goes according to plan logistically.
With the situation not improving next year, delays may still occur. Regardless, time is of the essence for Ford and its F-150 EV, as many players come to market simultaneously (or even earlier).
Lightning also has an instant response when joining from on-ramp to highway or turning left to cross a two-lane road.
Read More: 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty
Until we see what Ford plans for the upcoming Raptor R, this is the fastest F-150 ever made. While others, including the Hummer EV and Plaid Cybertruck, claim more in their most aggressive variants, Lightning will probably deliver all the performance buyers and then some.
The only specification where Lightning might be in a less favorable position is the maximum range. At 300 miles, it’s a long way from what the GMC, Chevrolet, Rivian, and Tesla claim for their long-range variants, but again, that’s enough for most use cases.
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Engine
All F-150 Lightning models come standard with two electric motors and all-wheel drive. With Standard-Range batteries, motors are combined to produce 426 horsepower, but with Extended-Range batteries, the horsepower rating rises to 563; Peak torque is an impressive 775 lb-ft with any setting.
The performance had to be fast, but we had to wait until we could install our test equipment to determine exactly how fast the new truck would be.
Ford has also filed a patent for a removable range extender motor disguised as one of the bed-mounted aftermarket toolboxes.
The motor will go in to recharge the battery if there is no charging station nearby. So far, we haven’t seen a real-life version of such a concept but could join the F-150 Lightning when it launches as an additional option.
Towing and Payload Capacity
Ford held an event in July 2019 to prove that the EV pickup prototype could pull the line of 1,000,000-pound trains containing the F-150.
The official maximum towing capacity of the production model is only 10,000 pounds, but only trucks with optional Extended-Range batteries are capable of such achievements.
Standard-Range battery models are limited to 7,700 pounds. Payload capacity is as high as 2000 pounds for Standard-Range models and as low as 1800 pounds for extended range.
Fuel Economy
The EPA has not released a fuel economy rating for the F-150 Lightning, but those estimates are usually announced when new vehicles go on sale.
We’ll test the F-150 Lightning for our 75-mph highway fuel economy test and update this story with results when we get the chance. For more information on the F-150 Lightning fuel economy, visit the EPA website.
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Interior
Like the truck’s exterior, the F-150 Lightning cabin is about the same as the gasoline-powered F-150 with some key differences, such as the extra-large infotainment display and large front luggage cargo space.
When launched, the F-150 Lightning will only be offered as a crew cabin with a 5.5-foot bed, but Ford can offer Regular (two-door) or SuperCab (half-back door) configurations later; longer bed options can also be added to the lineup.
Ford’s latest 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Ford’s latest Sync 4 software is standard, but the Lariat and Platinum models come with a larger 15.0-inch screen.
Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dashboard navigation, and Wi-Fi hotspots are all standard. Ford will leverage its partnership with Bang &Olufsen to deliver two different optional premium stereo systems, one with eight speakers on Lariat and one with 18 speakers in Platinum.
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Price
The basic commercial work truck version of the F-150 Lightning will start at under $40,000 when it goes on sale about a year from now.
The price is before the incentive and includes standard 4WD. By comparison, the F-150 XL’s crew cabin with 3.3-liter V6 and 4WD bases starts at $42,500 and has much lower capabilities than the Lightning. Lightning will also be available in XLT, Lariat, and Platinum trims, with all items reaching around $90,000.
