[62Lincoln]

Well, the initial reviews are in, let's see what they say:

No joke: The Lightning is one of the most important pickup trucks—vehicles, really—in history. Forget early adopters, environmentalists, and technophiles. This truck has to convince construction workers, farmers, ranchers, surveyors, and everyday truck fans that electric pickups aren't just viable but desirable. That an EV truck not only can do the work but also do it better. It does that.

To get to brass tacks, the Lightning is the best-driving, best-riding, and best-handling F-150 you can buy.

And there's this:

At this point, the concept of a mass-produced electric vehicle isn't novel or new anymore. People have been driving and charging them for more than a decade now, and we've heard the arguments for and against them time and again. Electric pickups, however, aren't fully proven, with only the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV playing in that space before this. Even then, those are toys. That leaves the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning to convince the multitudes that battery-powered trucks can match—and possibly even beat—gas and diesel.

After driving it in just about every scenario—loaded, unloaded, on the road, and off it—I've gotta say that the performance is there, 100 percent. Not only that, but the sweat Ford put in to make this as livable, usable, and workable as a gas model puts it on that next level. It was a years-long job with literally billions of dollars dumped into related projects, and this is the ready-for-primetime result. The F-150 Lightning is the truck that proves electricity can be as good as—and sometimes way better than—internal combustion in ways that matter to real people.

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning First Drive: Thunderstruck!

We've finally driven the Ford F-150 Lightning—and it's one of the most important vehicles in history.

www.motortrend.com

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning First Drive Review: Nailed It

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has been hyped as the electric truck that will change everything. After driving it, that feels accurate.

www.thedrive.com

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning First Drive Review: Worth the wait

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is all-electric but familiar, full of tech and, in general, one hell of a pickup. Read all about its specs how it drives, see photos of the interior and exterior, and learn about its glut of user-friendly features in our First Drive review.

www.autoblog.com

 

[snizzle]

I've seen a few of these. I'm starting to wonder if a ground up design is going to help GM in any way. They'll be a year behind and more-so if you want a mid tier model (which is most of us that don't want a work truck or a 100k luxury trim).

 

[smith7629]

Neat. My farm is "off grid" and this truck would be pretty useful there. I could keep the truck charged at the house and work all day at the farm just 4 miles away...and have power to run irrigation pumps and lights if needed.

 

[91fairladyZ]

If GM can build as many as the public wants next year, then they should be fine as Ford can't build that many this year. But Ford is offering the whole price range right away. I hope that won't hurt GM next year only offering the expensive models.

 

[smith7629]

If GM can build as many as the public wants next year, then they should be fine as Ford can't build that many this year. But Ford is offering the whole price range right away. I hope that won't hurt GM next year only offering the expensive models.

I do like the way this Ford offering seems more purpose built and focused on the utility aspect. All I've seen from Chevrolet are hollywood celebrities driving 24" wheel bling editions around the city in commercials.

 

[ChrisNJ]

It will do just fine with the average 1/2 ton owner, basically a car, maybe towing boat to your cabin 3-4 times a year. Where it will fall short is with real contractors who haul everyday, and most likely no way to charge at the days destination, or remote boat-RV destinations.
Personally, my 5 or so RV trips a year are 150+ miles each way with no charging avail. at destination. So if I had to do it, i'd be sitting somewhere, not where I want to be, for ??hrs.
Would have to bring a gas generator in the bed. 230v units are pretty big and heavy, and probably extra gas? Would that work?
Looks really good otherwise.

 

[Oldsmobile stopped]

Really looking forward to seeing the electric Ford, Chevy, GMC & Ram pick-ups & vans the legacy producers as some label them, start to kick Tesla butt knock them off the No1 in EV sales perch in the US, that will happen as everybody will be offering a lot more EV's cars & SUV etc in the next few years Tesla won't be the only food dish on the electric avenue menu anymore, its game over.

Not much interested in the greenie aspect owning an EV pick-up or the higher initial cost of purchasing one normally pay cash never lease or buy it on the never-never pay it off hire purchase, more interested in the long term ownership the massive saving in fuel costs with $10 gas prices in Europe, that's where massive biggest savings of fuel cost are to be made on electric trucks, tend to keep something for 17 years before l upgrade again.

Electric pick-up will be great for low maintenance costs, no more expensive unhealthy carcinogenic engine, front axle, transaxle, transmission, rear axle oil or cam belts etc etc DIY become pretty easy very low cost almost maintenance- free, so it not just the big saving on fuel to be made, low cost DIY easy great maintainability, an EV pick-up also avoids paying a lot eco taxes that crucify the chances of anybody wanting to sell or own one in Europe.

Personally l think electric pick-up trucks will become very popular in places like Europe in the future, as nobody has really considered them due to them being a bit of a gas guzzler and expensive to maintain, were basically taxed priced themselves off the roads of Europe. Being electric creates a more level low cost playing field l think Europeans will start to buy them in bigger and bigger numbers with time now there is a low cost electric level playing field it's simple as that.

Ford first two years of Lightning production are all sold out, once the legacy get up to speed upscaling production that won't be a problem, now the legacy producers are offering bringing the right sort of products to the market place at long last they will start to blow Tesla away.

 

[uvikrama]

I lot times wondered why the idea of diesel electric didn't hit trucks , i was watching some documentations and all the mining trucks are diesel electric and so is locomotives.

It reduces need of a complicated gear and gets full torque from the start and as a battery gives buffer, the diesel generator can run on its optimal efficiency ....

 

[RamJet502]

GM letting Ford get to market first with the Lightning should be grounds to fire everyone in a leadership position at GM, inexcusable.

 

[snizzle]

GM letting Ford get to market first with the Lightning should be grounds to fire everyone in a leadership position at GM, inexcusable.

Technically GM got to market first with an EV truck. It's just one nobody can afford.

 

[CJH]

Personally, my 5 or so RV trips a year are 150+ miles each way with no charging avail. at destination. So if I had to do it, i'd be sitting somewhere, not where I want to be, for ??hrs.
Would have to bring a gas generator in the bed. 230v units are pretty big and heavy, and probably extra gas? Would that work?
Looks really good otherwise.

Sounds like you are a good candidate for PowerBoost until battery tech gets better.

 

[SP1966]

GM letting Ford get to market first with the Lightning should be grounds to fire everyone in a leadership position at GM, inexcusable.

In thuis case being first is irrelevant, brand loyalty will prevail in the long run in this segment IMO.

 

[09W]

GM letting Ford get to market first with the Lightning should be grounds to fire everyone in a leadership position at GM, inexcusable.

Ford got to/created the pony car segment, GM didn't follow up for 3 years... in the long run; did it matter?

 

[BORG]

Ford got to/created the pony car segment, GM didn't follow up for 3 years... in the long run; did it matter?

Uh, yes? 😂

The F-150 Lightning is a pretty amazing piece of scale, it's just staggering what they've done with that product. Not to mention all of Ford's aluminum light-weighting on F-150 is helping it out tremendously as an EV (although the next Lightning has some BONKERS specs and weight to go with it).

I don't know what people expected from a Ford EV truck, this strikes me as the most Ford thing ever. IOTW, it looks purposeful and familiar and hardly controversial.

I'm not a huge fan of the Project Menlo Sync 4a UX (the big vertical screen) over a horizontal orientation like the standard Sync 4 screen (alongside real buttons). I mean it looks neat, but it's not a great user experience and I know they are planning a major software redesign to address it. But until then, I'd rather they just skip the flashy big screen and focus on what works great. I mean Lincoln is doing the horizontal widescreen for a reason, so is GM. I think that's the right move and some new Fords are already going in that direction starting in 2024. Not sure why they can't seem to settle on this.

 

[snizzle]

I'm not a huge fan of the Project Menlo Sync 4a UX (the big vertical screen) over a horizontal orientation like the standard Sync 4 screen (alongside real buttons).

I absolutely hate the huge tablet junk. GM has this right.

 

[Usa8]

GM letting Ford get to market first with the Lightning should be grounds to fire everyone in a leadership position at GM, inexcusable.

This is it.

 

[mjd1001]

I absolutely hate the huge tablet junk. GM has this right.

I agree 100%.

I can see going with a huge touchscreen....personally not a fan of it but I can live with it. But Ford does an awful job of integrating it into the interior. It literally looks like someone took a huge table and glued it to the dash.

To me it just ruins the interior...and it appears they are going to do it with a few cars. Why not just integrate it into the dash a bit?

 

[jpd80]

F150 using LFP batteries is a great sign of changing with technology

 

[jpd80]

GM letting Ford get to market first with the Lightning should be grounds to fire everyone in a leadership position at GM, inexcusable.

Beyond the obvious, it tells us that Ultium is not ready for mass production because if it was, there would be tens of thousands of BEV Silverados out there already. This is GM brass saying one thing and forcing engineers to come up with the goods before they’re ready….

Equally, T3 Lightning is a rapid call to arms but surprisingly a good effort and shows where GM could have been without rushing Ultium. I know I’ll cop some flack for that but the reality is that we have two different plans to compare, so there’s nowhere for either company to hide.

Bottom line, I’d prefer to be in Ford’s shoes than GM, Ford is delivering exactly what everyone expecte, an electric F150 that not pretending to be something else and that’s why it will be a huge success.

 

[62Lincoln]

Beyond the obvious, it tells us that Ultium is not ready for mass production because if it was, there would be tens of thousands of BEV Silverados out there already. This is GM brass saying one thing and forcing engineers to come up with the goods before they’re ready….

?
Do you have any documentation to support your assertion that "Ultium is not ready for mass production"?