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6 Ways the All-Electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Isn’t Like Other F-150s

ford f 150 lightning 2022  04 exterior  oem  profile  silver jpg 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | Manufacturer image

Ford’s 2022 F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup truck, the Blue Oval’s latest foray into electric vehicles, debuted Wednesday (following a soft debut with President Joe Biden the day before). You can check out the detailed coverage at the link below over on our sister site, PickupTrucks.com.

Related: 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning EV Debuts With Truck and Trick Capabilities

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The Lightning looks a little more futuristic than its F-150 siblings, but the differences go beyond just looks. For an abbreviated summary of how it stands out in Ford’s F-150 lineup, here are six things that make the F-150 Lightning very different from other F-150s:

1. More Power

It’s almost too obvious to mention, but with Ford aiming for 563 horsepower and 775 pounds-feet of torque from the F-150 Lightning’s battery-electric powertrain, it’s worth taking the time. Those numbers would make the Lightning the most powerful F-150 yet, and a targeted mid-4-second 0-60-mph time would make it the quickest (at least until numbers for the Raptor R come out ahead of its 2022 on-sale date). That appears to have been confirmed by Biden, the first non-Ford person to drive a prototype and then publicly comment about it, who said: “This sucker’s quick!”

2. Even More Power

On the gas and hybrid F-150s, buyers can opt for a Pro Power Onboard generator system that can deliver 2.0, 2.4 or 7.2 kilowatts of energy and power a variety of items — think power tools at a job site, an entire tailgate party, etc. The F-150 Lightning trumps them all with a 9.6-kW onboard generator system.

But wait, there’s more: When connected to the 80-amp home charger — optional with the standard-range battery and standard with the extended-range — in a properly equipped home, the F-150 Lightning can power that home should traditional power sources become unavailable. When the power comes back on, the Lightning will go right back to charging. For owners interested in this feature, Ford is partnering with solar energy company Sunrun to handle installation of the necessary equipment and, should owners desire them, solar panels.

3. Still More Power (and Storage)

But that’s still not all when it comes to power delivery. With no internal-combustion engine under the hood, Ford has taken the traditional step of giving the F-150 Lightning a front trunk, or frunk. It holds a claimed 400 liters and up to 400 pounds of cargo, is washable, has underfloor storage, and has hooks and D-rings for securing cargo.

That’s all nifty, but there’s also a 2.4-kW generator system in the Mega Power Frunk (Ford’s name for it) for when you need to provide external power that’s not 9.6 kW’s worth.

4. More Comfortable Ride (Maybe)

With the Lightning’s dual motors on the front and rear axles, the traditional solid rear axle configuration didn’t work. So, for the first time in an F-Series pickup, Ford is using an independent rear suspension. Ride and handling characteristics are improved, according to Ford — we’ll have to wait until we drive the Lightning to see if we agree — and towing and payload capacities don’t suffer too much. The F-150 Lightning’s maximum payload capacity is 2,000 pounds and its max towing capacity 10,000 pounds, putting it roughly mid-pack among the traditional F-150’s various configurations.

5. More Touchscreen

On Lariat and Platinum trims, the F-150 Lightning gets even more futuristic with Ford’s Sync 4A touchscreen, a 15.5-inch vertically oriented tablet-style display. (The current F-150’s Sync 4 display tops out at 12 inches.) Just how long this remains a defining feature for the Lightning isn’t clear, as Ford will likely update other F-150s with Sync 4A sometime in the future (though perhaps on a smaller display). For now, if you want the latest tech Ford has to offer in a pickup, the Lightning is the way to go.

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6. More Pit Stops

If the F-150 Lightning hits all of Ford’s targets, it should be competitive with other anticipated electric pickup trucks like the Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck. That includes range estimates, with Ford aiming for 300 miles of range for the extended-range Lightning and 230 miles for the standard-range variant. The regular F-150 has it well beaten, however, with Ford claiming the PowerBoost hybrid F-150 is capable of more than 700 miles of range. Whether that difference will matter to EV, pickup and EV pickup buyers remains to be seen — reservations for the Lightning are now open, but Ford expects it to arrive in dealerships in spring 2022.

Charging numbers are comparable to other EVs. Ford says the Lightning can go from 15% to 80% charge on a public DC fast charger in as little as 41 minutes and from 15% to 100% on the 80-amp home charger in eight hours.

We’re looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the F-150 Lightning and seeing just how it’s different from — and similar to — other F-150s.

Related Video: 2021 Ford F-150: Review

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.

Brian Normile
Road Test Editor Brian Normile joined the automotive industry and Cars.com in 2013, and he became part of the Editorial staff in 2014. Brian spent his childhood devouring every car magazine he got his hands on — not literally, eventually — and now reviews and tests vehicles to help consumers make informed choices. Someday, Brian hopes to learn what to do with his hands when he’s reviewing a car on camera. He would daily-drive an Alfa Romeo 4C if he could.
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