11/21/2023 0 Comments Ford lightning2022![]() But the original offerings didn’t fare all that well, especially all-electric models like the Focus EV. I’d been waiting for this opportunity for more than a year, ever since Chief Engineer Linda Zhang took me out for a ride at the Ford Proving Grounds north of Detroit.įord was early to electrify its lineup, offering up a mix of hybrids, plug-ins (PHEV), and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Review (Photo/Paul Eisenstein)Ī brutal Texas sun had sent temperatures soaring to record highs as I climbed into my dark-blue Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum edition. A little hint before I get into the details: I’m not canceling my order. So when I got the chance to fly down to San Antonio for my first drive, I jumped at the chance - not only to review the new pickup but to decide whether I was making the right choice. Here’s our hands-on first-drive review of this hotly anticipated vehicle.Ī personal disclosure: I have a Lightning on order. ![]() Yet it offers extended range, plenty of muscle, and lots of features, especially on premium versions like the Lightning Platinum. There’s good reason for all the excitement considering this all-electric version of America’s bestselling truck starts at less than $40,000. None has generated as much interest as the Ford F-150 Lightning, reviewed here, that’s just gone into production. Get it pointed in a straight line, though, and prepare to be wowed.Dozens of new battery-electric vehicles will reach U.S. Maximum cornering certainly isn't the Lightning's forte, but it put up a decent 0.77 g on the skidpad, which is in the ballpark with other full-size trucks. Although some may think all EVs are similarly silent, wind and road noise are still significant factors at highway speeds, and the hulking Lighting pulls off the impressive feat of being quieter than any Tesla we've ever tested. That's solidly quieter than both the R1T and any other F-150. We measured a mere 65 decibels at a steady 70-mph cruise. In addition to being the quickest F-150, the Lightning is also the quietest. (That might be overstating it, but the Lightning is nearly a Miata lighter than the Hummer). But, in light of the Hummer EV's 9000-pound curb weight, the Lightning is practically a Miata. Until now, we never thought we'd be impressed by the mass of anything this heavy. That's also within 100 pounds of a Ram 1500 TRX. That's right: at 6855 pounds, our top-trim Lightning Platinum, 1500-pound battery pack and all, weighed more than 300 pounds less than the smaller R1T. Many other pickups handle the abuse without complaint, including the heavier Rivian. Although our test may seem extreme, it gives us pause about using the upper reaches of the Lightning's maximum 10,000-pound towing capacity (8500 pounds max for Platinum trims like ours). Although it delivered a solid 180-foot stop (we report the second-best number of the six), after the third one a warning light came on to indicate the brakes were overheating, along with significant fade and smoke, to the point that the truck couldn't keep ABS engaged on the later stops. Where the R1T's 908 pound-feet of torque is ramped in smoothly, the Lightning's 775 pound-feet hits hard when smacking the accelerator, to the point that it chirps the front tires at speeds up to 30 mph or so, which tends to generate spontaneous giggles from the power-drunk pilot standing on the pedal.īraking was a different story, with the Lightning's stoppers fading significantly during our six-stop routine from 70 mph. But, surprisingly, in our 30–50-mph and 50–70-mph passing tests, the Lightning essentially ties the Rivian (0.1 second quicker in the former, and 0.1 second slower in the latter). ![]() ![]() The Rivian R1T is substantially quicker-nearly a second in the quarter-mile-and is still the quickest pickup we’ve ever tested. And a Mustang Mach 1 would have to be exceptionally well driven to open up the narrowest of gaps in the quarter. Even a Mach-E GT is no quicker in the quarter-mile. The performance of this first electric F-150 positively dominates any other in Ford's truck lineup, including the Raptor, by more than a second in either metric. Our test vehicle was a top-trim Platinum that includes the larger, 131.0-kWh battery pack, and, with a couple of minor options, wore a sticker price of $93,609.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |