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CARLOS LAGO: Hey, Carlos with Edmunds here.
And Ford has just unveiled the new all-electric F-150
Lightning.
Where some EVs in this space look like awesome supertrucks,
like the Hummer EV, or rejected props from Blade Runner,
like the Tesla Cybertruck, the F-150 Lightning
appears to be a truck that also happens to be all-electric.
Now, that doesn't mean it's boring.
Far from it, actually.
Based on the early specs, the Lightning
offers up to 563 horsepower, 775 pound-feet of torque,
0 to 60 acceleration as quick as the mid-four second range,
and the base price around $40,000 in this video,
I'm going to explain what you need
to know about the Lightning, its key features and specs,
and what you can expect when it goes on sale.
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Also, check out the links in the description for more
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an instant cash offer on your car.
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From how I see it, there are two ways
to look at the new Lightning.
One is as a pickup truck, which we'll talk about first.
The second is as a big battery that you can drive.
More on that in a bit.
First, yes, this is essentially an F-150 Super Crew or Four
Door with the short, 5 and 1/2 foot bed--
I mean, down to the same or similar exterior and interior
dimensions as a regular F-150.
The difference is, of course, it comes standard
with two electric motors, one for each axle one--
on the front, one on the rear-- so it's
all-wheel drive as well.
Like many other EVs, the Lightning
is available with two battery sizes--
a standard range and an extended range pack.
And these affect power output, acceleration, range, towing,
and payload, amongst other things.
Based on the early figures, the standard range battery
gets you approximately 230 miles of range, 426 horsepower,
775 pound-feet of torque, and a max payload of 2,000 pounds.
The larger battery increases range to 300 miles,
and with the tow package, it offers 10,000 pounds
of towing capacity.
We'll talk about that more in a bit.
This configuration also gets you that 563 horsepower
and mid-four-second 0 to 60 acceleration, which Ford points
out is quicker than a Raptor.
They're doing that Lightning name proud, thankfully.
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An EV F-150 also means big structural changes
underneath the truck.
Ford says the frame is entirely new to accommodate,
amongst other things, the batteries, electric motors,
and the independent rear suspension.
Yes, the Lightning has an IRS, and Ford tells us
it's a unique design for this application.
Also, because there's no engine, what do
you do with all that space under the hood?
Well, like most EVs, you turn it into a front trunk, frunk.
But in the case of the Lightning,
that frunk is power-operated and has 400 liters or 14 cubic feet
of cargo space--
which, again, Ford points out, is large enough
for two sets of golf clubs.
There's also four power outlets and two USB ports
up there as well.
Also, that space is water-resistant and has drains,
so there's lots of storage opportunities in there.
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Let's talk about pricing.
So far, Ford has only said that the base price is just
under $40,000, but that doesn't include
the mandatory destination fee, which usually
is about a grand for Ford.
So figure about $41,000 for a base Lightning
with the standard-range battery.
We don't know the features included with that version,
but we do know it's configured more like a commercial or fleet
trim level or spec.
Even so, forget it's a pickup for a second.
A 420-horsepower two-motor and all-wheel-drive EV for 40 grand
is a pretty crazy value compared to the other car
options out there.
And that's before adding the extended-range battery, which
you can do to the base model.
We don't yet know the price of that extended battery,
but let's assume, worst case, $10,000.
Well, then you have a $50,000 EV with 563 horsepower,
a 300-mile range, oh, and it's a truck, too.
That being said, most shoppers will probably in the upper
trim levels--
XLT, Lariat, or Platinum-- and topped out with all the options
and additions, including the new 15 and 1/2-inch large center
touchscreen, the Lightning will probably reach close
to $90,000-- again, all topped out.
And that really isn't far off the price
of a fully-loaded F-150 Platinum of the regular variety.
Also, I should say that these prices don't reflect the $7,500
federal tax rebate or any other incentives currently offered
by your state, city, or power company.
Just remember that oftentimes, these incentives
aren't straight price deductions from the vehicle.
They can depend on your tax situation,
so your mileage will vary--
or I should, say your discount will vary.
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OK, so the other way to think about the Lightning
is that it's a big, drivable battery, right?
When you opt for the extended-range battery,
it comes with Ford's 80-amp home charging station.
Add an inverter to that equation,
and you have the ability to power your home
with your Lightning.
Through a feature Ford calls Intelligent Backup Power,
the lightning can supply 9.6 kilowatt worth of energy.
That's enough to run your house for days,
and considering the events of the past year or two,
that's a pretty cool-sounding idea.
Ford also says it's working on a feature
that, during non-emergency times,
it uses the truck's battery to power your home
during high-cost peak energy hours
and then charges the truck when energy is less expensive.
It's a way to save you a bit of coin.
The Lightning also offers a bunch of tech and features from
the new F-150, like Pro Power Onboard--
that generator system that's in the bed of that truck.
In the Lightning, this feature can
supply 2.4 kilowatt at the base level,
while higher trim levels offer a combined 9.6 kilowatt--
7.2 from the outlets in the cab and the bed
and 2.4 from the outlets in the front trunk, or frunk.
Very, very neat.
There's also Ford's upcoming hands-free driving tech
called BlueCruise which works on select highways
and uses cameras to monitor the driver
to make sure they're actually in the driver's seat
and not in the back seat or asleep.
You can also get the flat fold-out interior work surface
feature and the fold-flat front seats.
With an app, you can use your phone in lieu of a key.
And like with the Mach-E and standard F-150,
the Lightning will also receive over-the-air updates,
which Ford cutely calls "power-ups."
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Now, EV trucks come with some additional consideration
when you use them like trucks.
Simply hauling and, more significantly, towing
can make big impacts on your range, and not in a good way.
So like with the Mach-E, the Lightning
adjusts its range projections based
not only on the route traffic and topography,
but on driver and usage, and well.
And it remembers all these things, too.
On top of that, the Lightning integrates the onboard scales
tech that just debuted on the F-150, where the truck uses
its sensors to approximate the additional payload
in the truck, and it adjusts the range accordingly.
The Lightning also does the same when
you tow-- assuming you have the tow package, of course--
by sensing the tongue load.
And when you tell it the size of the trailer,
it figures out the air resistance
and factors that into the range estimate as well.
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All of this sounds incredibly attractive,
and of course it does.
It's a new vehicle launch-- it should.
But we're really looking forward to getting our hands
on the Lightning to evaluate how this all
works in the real world.
Right now, speaking to the information that's currently
available, this is a highly compelling alternative
to the Tesla Cybertruck or the Rivian R1T.
But of course, we'll see how this all
shakes out when the Lightning arrives in spring 2022.
If you have any questions or want to know more,
leave a comment below.
Also, check out the links in the description
for more information.
Thank you guys for watching.
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