Can its brutal 1,051Nm of torque and blistering 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.5 seconds make up for the absence of a roaring V6 or V8?
Try Ford F-150 Lightning. Spain, in particular, and Europe, in general, are not territories for bicharracos like the Ford F-150, either the thermal engine (V6 or V8) of a lifetime or the brand new Lightning, the electric one.
And they are not simply because neither our cities nor the streets are prepared for brown beasts of almost 6 meters in length and 2 meters in height, and let’s not talk about parking lots, where even a mid-size SUV wants them.
But all of the above is not an obstacle so that to some – like a humble servant – these huge and exotic machines seem like the definitive mobile bicharraco.
I still remember with a smile on my face when a few years ago I was able to test a Ford F-350 snowplow in Detroit (United States), as you can see in this video.
If to all this is added the fact that the Ford F-150 is the best-selling and most successful model in the history of the United States and that it is an icon as closely linked to the United States as hamburgers or the NBA, take the step and make it this pick-up in an electric car, for some it can be considered a real heresy…
But how was Ford going to sit idly by after Elon Musk announced the launch of the Tesla Cybertruck? For now, Ford has struck twice, not only because it has more experience in the field of pick-ups, but also because it has launched the F-150 Lightning before, while Tesla has once again delayed the launch due to bottlenecks in the production.
Taking advantage of the fact that there was only one unit in Europe touring the Starlite festival in Marbella, and that the actor Antonio Banderas liked it a lot after driving it for a while, AUTO BILD has been one of the few European media that has been able to test it on Spanish roads .
It has been a short route but enough to take the pulse of the electric Ford F-150.
design and interior
The main differences in terms of the exterior design of the electric Ford F-150, which uses a dedicated platform, with respect to the thermal version refer mainly to the front, with the LEDs on both flanks and joined by a band at the top over the grill closed.
In addition, the Lightning name is printed on the side, while on the back, the design of the LED optical groups in the shape of an inverted U is replicated.
Inside the electric Ford F-150, the most striking thing is its 15.5-inch (diagonal) super screen, which, as in the Mustang Mach-E, is where the entire infotainment system is controlled, which It runs on the new Sync 4A operating system and is compatible with Android Auto and Apple Car Play.
In any case, the most impressive thing about the cabin of the Ford F-150 Lightning is its enormous interior (the battle is 3.70 meters, for a total length of 5.89 meters), how bright it is thanks to its large surface glazed and its panoramic roof.
It should be noted that thanks to the absence of an engine under the hood, the Ford F-150 Lightning adds a trunk volume of 400 liters to the enormous load capacity of the bathtub, which always comes in handy. Also, that front trunk is lined in plastic (like the one on the Mustang Mach-e) so it can be washed with water.
In addition, in the cabin of the electric F-150 there is, as in any good pick-up, a large number of storage compartments.
This is how your engine works and benefits
The Ford F-150 Lightning consists of two engines, one per axle, which develop a total power of 337 kW (here you can calculate the conversion to CV) in the case of the version with Platinum finish, which is the one I have tested. In addition, there is another variant available with a total power of 432 kW.
In both cases of power, the Ford F-150 Lightning has a brutal torque of 1,051 Nm! immediate, allowing the electric F-150 to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds.
On the other hand, the electric Ford F-150 has a 98 kWh battery –housed in the basement where the drive shaft would be–, with which it achieves a range approved according to the American EPA (Enviromental Protection Agency) standard of 482 km. There is also a version with extended autonomy up to 514 km, thanks to its 131 kWh battery.
The battery of the electric Ford F-150 can be recharged with a power of up to 150 kW, and it so happens that, like other electric cars, it is capable of supplying energy to the outside, so that it would be possible to supply electricity to a home during three days.
dynamic behavior
As on other occasions when I have had the opportunity to drive such a unique vehicle –a single unit in Europe– and especially considering that in a few hours the electric F-150 was going to be used for a DJ to do a performance by clicking on Puerto Banús, the pressure is tremendous.
Tremendous because, as I explained at the beginning, the Spanish streets are not prepared for brown beasts of almost 6 meters in length and because the only thing left to do is to make a mistake due to an oversight… Luckily, the F-150 Lightning comes loaded with radars, sensors and hawk eye vision system, and all that helps a lot.
I walk up to the door of this electric pick-up and, gosh, in a few years I’m going to need a ladder to get inside. I sit in the driver’s seat, press the starter button and… nothing! Nothing because my brain had associated the sound image of a V6 or a V8 to this bicharraco.
I start walking gently and with more caution than usual. But I can’t continue with this attitude of look at me, don’t touch me… And luckily, it has an electric motor, because if it were powered by a V6 or a V8, the engine would be scolding me for going at minimum throttle.
So as soon as I leave the narrow streets behind and approach the freeway merger, I look in the rearview mirror a hundred times before to see if there is a car coming.
I do not trust the power of this creature, which weighs a whopping 6,855 pounds (3,106 kg). Three tons is a lot of tons…
Clear field, I step on the gas and wow! How fast! Its 1,051 Nm propels this heavy beast like a surface-to-surface missile! What brutality! I have stuck to the seat like when a plane is accelerating to take off… what a lightning bolt!
After the acceleration, I’m taking the pulse of the F-150 Lightning. It’s impressive to see everyone look over their shoulders (without acrimony) but even more impressive is how narrow the lanes seem.
I leave the highway to mouse around a bit and check the behavior on the curve, and the physics is relentless: it feels heavy, I’m afraid of going too far when turning a little hard, but yes, braking, it brakes forcefully.
The direction is somewhat artificial, and the suspensions filter very well.
As for consumption, on this route of about 50 km, with the air conditioning activated, the computer has given a figure of 2.0 miles/kWh, as can be seen in the image.
The conversion of this figure in that standard corresponds to about 31.07 kWh/100 km, which shows that this huge bug has a consumption in accordance with its dimensions.
Price/Rivals
The Ford F-150 Lightning is not marketed in Spain and it is not planned in principle that it will be. In any case, in the United States it is available from $40,000 (39,338 euros), although the Platinum version costs $90,874 (89,370 euros).
As for its rivals, and until the arrival of the Tesla Cybertruck, the Ford F-150 Lightning has the Rivian RT1 as its most powerful competitor.
conclusion
Europe and Spain in particular is not the land for huge pick-ups like the Ford F-150 Lightning, but I think that the oval brand would do very well to bring a limited edition to the Old Continent if only as a declaration of intent.
It would be a movement similar to what they did at the time with the Ford Explorer, the Ford Ranger or more recently with the announcement of the arrival of the Ford Bronco.
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Icons, and Ford has quite a few in its portfolio, are also a good marketing tool.
And this Ford F-150 Lightning has left a very good taste in my mouth the little I have been able to try it. So heresy, nothing at all; the world is changing and the icons also have to adapt to the new reality.
