5 issues about Ford’s F-150 Lightning

Ford officially unveiled the new F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck at its Dearborn, Michigan headquarters on May 19, 2021.

Michael Wayland / CNBC

DETROIT – If anyone had any doubts about the importance of the electric Ford F-150 Lightning to Ford Motor, it shouldn’t be after the vehicle made its theatrical debut at the automaker’s global headquarters this week in Michigan.

Ford turned its 12-story house – known as the “Glass House” for its boxy, glass-clad modern design – into a 64,000-square-foot projection screen for the vehicle’s official unveiling on Wednesday night. It was an over-the-top presentation, highlighting the importance of the vehicle and Ford’s pickup franchise, which brings in the lion’s share of the company’s profits.

Ford Chairman Bill Ford called it a “defining moment” and “historic day” for the company. Jim Farley, Ford CEO, said it was a “moment of tremendous pride” and a test of whether mainstream Americans really want electric vehicles.

Ford has done everything to make the vehicle attractive to pickup customers – from the price to the functionality to the design. It also added some surprising features that wouldn’t be possible with a gas-powered vehicle like a huge front trunk or trunk, and the ability to power a house for days.

Here you can find more information about these features as well as other important information about the truck.

Anti-Tesla design

The pickup is similar to the automaker’s current F-150, but with new interior and exterior features. It is powered by two electric motors and a battery pack instead of a conventional gas engine. It will be offered in two battery options with target ranges of 230 miles or 300 miles, Ford said.

The design and functionality of the F-150 Lightning pickup should be a truck, “not a scientific experiment”, according to Linda Zhang, chief engineer of the vehicle.

A commercial photograph of Tesla’s Cybertruck.

Handout

Jasen Turnbull, Marketing Manager for the Lightning, had a different view of Tesla’s cybertruck design: “Our customers told us they wanted something modern and advanced, but not for their truck to look like a doorstop or a spaceship.” “he said.” They wanted something special but not anything else.

Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck has a unique and polarizing design that was inspired by the films “Blade Runner” and “The Spy Who Loved Me”.

It can power a home

The F-150 Lightning is available with 11 sockets, including four in the Frunk and a 240-volt socket in the pickup box for heavy equipment. With the vehicle battery, the forklift also works as an electrical generator. Depending on the amount of electricity that is being used, it could power a home for up to 10 days, Ford said.

Ford is partnering with solar company Sunrun to offer a home electric vehicle charger and inverter that automatically draw power from the truck when plugged in – enough to power an entire home or certain critical products during a power outage. They also offer solar systems for owners.

A current hybrid-electric-gas model of the 2021 F-150 also has an electric generator, but not the performance of the EV version.

The F-150 Lightning is valued at up to 563 horsepower and 775 pounds of torque – about 130 horsepower and 200 pounds of torque more than the top rated engine version.

“Frunking awesome”

The Lightning also has a massive front truck or frunk.

The frunk, which is where the engine would normally be, is unique in that the vehicle’s grille is built into the hood. It creates an open, flat area that is easier to charge and discharge than a bin-type frunk found on most electric vehicles. It adds 14.1 square cubic feet of secured storage for dry or wet items. For the latter, there is also a drain on the floor.

2022 Ford F-150 Blitz

ford

“I want to say it’s great,” said Nancy Reppenhagen, Ford global feature process supervisor who led the development of the Frunk. As for the tailgate, she said it could be used as a cooler, table, or stand for a large flat-screen TV.

The Frunk also has four 110-volt sockets and two USB ports for charging. It’s designed to hold up to 400 pounds.

Price and profit

Similar to the traditional F-150, the vehicle price has a wide range. Ford said a work-oriented version of the truck will start at $ 39,974. Additional consumer-facing models start at $ 52,974 and range around $ 90,000.

The “74” at the end of the prize has a hidden meaning, a Ford spokesman told CNBC. It’s a nod to the 74th anniversary of the Ford F-Series in 2022, the first model year of the F-150 Lightning.

Ford said the vehicle will be profitable, but executives declined to comment on whether each model would make money.

It’s expected to be one of the first, if not the first, popular electric pickups by the time it hits dealerships’ showrooms in mid-2022.

Reservations

Ford took more than 44,500 reservations for its new F-150 Lightning electric pickup less than 48 hours after its official debut, CEO Jim Farley tweeted on Friday morning.

“The response has been great,” Farley said during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Thursday.

Ford’s strong reservations about the F-150 Lightning aren’t unique. Two days after the Tesla Cybertruck was unveiled in November 2019, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company had taken 146,000 reservations for the trapezoidal steel pickup.

The automaker is accepting $ 100 refundable reservations for the F-150 Lightning on its website.