Ford F-150 Lightning beats targets, goes 320 miles in EPA testing
When Ford announced the F-150 Lightning, the company’s first electric pickup truck, the automaker pledged that the Lightning’s $40,000 base model would travel 230 miles (370 km) on a full charge—and that the extended-range model would reach 300 miles (483 km). Not too shabby for a 6,500-pound (2,500 kg) truck with a not-insignificant drag area.
It turns out that at least one of those numbers was conservative. Ford said today that the base Lightning model did reach its predicted 230 miles under EPA testing, but the extended-range model sailed past estimates to reach 320 miles (515 km).
“We are laser-focused on continually improving our energy consumption efficiency for Lightning, and the team is really happy to deliver these results for our customers,” said Linda Zhang, the trucks’s chief program engineer.
Ford made waves when it first announced the Lightning as a truck that would start at $40,000 and could reach 300 miles on the extended-range battery. Initially, the company didn’t say how much that battery would cost, though.
Depending on the model ordered, the extended-range battery will add at least $10,000 to the price of the truck. Buyers of the mid-range XLT model are required to add $9,500 worth of options, though, including 20″ wheels, 9.6 kW of onboard power, heated seats and steering wheel, power driver’s seat, power tailgate, and Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0, a safety suite that does not include automated cruise control.
Fleet customers can still buy an extended-range Lightning for just under $50,000, but the cheapest 320-mile Lightning available to consumers will cost $72,474 (before another $1,695 in destination fees).
The cheapest Lightning model available with Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free Level 2 advanced driver-assistance system—a Lariat with the standard 230-mile battery—will run $69,694. To get a 320-mile Lightning with BlueCruise, you have to drop $77,474. None of those costs factor in the available $7,500 federal tax credit.
The range bump also puts the top-end Platinum model, which starts at $90,874, at 300 miles per charge. Top-end models of EVs frequently get lower ratings because they often have larger, heavier wheels, and their added features plump up the curb weight. It probably won’t hurt Ford’s sales proposition to have its priciest model crest the psychologically important 300-mile barrier.
Other electric trucks may travel farther, but they will also cost substantially more. The sold-out, $110,000 Hummer EV Edition 1 has an estimated range of 329 miles (529 km), while the Rivian R1T with its $16,000 “Max” battery pack is expected to travel more than 400 miles (644 km) on a charge.
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