Exclusive: A weekend with Ford F-150 Lightning, an over-the-top electric vehicle

Among the most important names in the automotive industry, Ford one of those who faced the electrification revolution by taking a little extra time, but when he decided the time was right, he immediately threw three very heavy loads on the table. He has chosen to enter the market by exploiting three icons of his brand, namely Mustangs, Transits, and F-150s. In particular, the latter in its electric version took the name of F-150 Lightnings and immediately obtained a great response among American customers.

But while Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit are already a reality in Europe too, could the American pick-up par excellence become one too? Thanks to Ford Italia we had the rare and exclusive opportunity to try to answer this question, spending a whole weekend precisely with one of the very few specimens present in the Old Continent. So this will not be the usual review, allow me, but more the story of an experience with something different, amusing from many points of view, but also unusual and perhaps difficult to adapt to the urban and social fabric of Europe and Italy in particular. As always, a video comes in handy, even a little longer than usual, and 3D images, which we recommend viewing in normal mode and not in fisheye mode, for greater resolution; just click on the writing at the top right which identifies the current viewing mode.

[HWUVIDEO=”3314″]A weekend with Ford F-150 Lightning: HUGE![/HWUVIDEO]

Let’s start with the most important data, i.e. the dimensions. The Ford electric pickup 5.91 meters long, and almost 2.5 meters wide mirrors included. The height is close to 2 meters, and one notices above all in the dominant driving position on the road, but also the weight of the important ones, with more than 3,100 kg. it is therefore clear that it is a vehicle to which we are not at all used to, but to tell the truth, it did not turn out to be particularly complicated. After a few minutes, having taken some measurements of the overall dimensions, it drives surprisingly well, perhaps also thanks to the purity of delivery of the two electric motorswhich in the version available to us arrive at 580 HPwith 4×4 traction.

This is one of the peculiar aspects of the F-150 Lightning. It can be said, in no uncertain terms, that the acceleration and delivery agility are comparable to any Performance electric car, but all combined with a huge and heavy vehicle, and this factor creates a sensation that is difficult to experience with another vehicle. However, one never gets the idea of ​​danger, also thanks to the really effective braking system, and to the regeneration in release, a true one-pedal-drive despite the considerable weight. The 22″ wheels and the suspension with a generous travel complete the picture, making the bumpy provincial roads little more than pebbles. We couldn’t help but cross some muddy paths, but even here, taking advantage of the off road mode, the only problem was the dirt that we then had to wash off the sides. Once back on the asphalt you realize even more the power of the engines, even if in reality I later realized that I wasn’t taking full advantage of it. In fact, it was still there Sports mode to activate, which makes the F-150 Lightning a true missile on wheels. And what about the age-old problem of the range of electric vehicles? In the trial version, the Platinumthe most expensive one, the 131 kWh batterycapable of insuring approx 500km range, a fact that seemed real to us, at least in the short distances travelled. Obviously high consumption, but with a mixture of urban and motorway we often obtained values ​​of 27-28kWh/100kmnot bad all in all given the specifications.

But what makes this vehicle truly unique is its extreme load capacity and great versatility in exploiting the accumulated energy, for home and work. Starting from the first point, there is certainly no shortage of space in a pick-up, also considering the bed with a length of 1.7 metersbut as in all the best electric vehicles, there is also space at the front, and what space! An XL suitcase fits easily in the F-150 frunk, as you can see from the video, and there is still room left. And if that weren’t enough under the rear seats there too a hidden box (you can also see this detail in the video, I discovered it on the second day). All half-packed with outlets powered by alternating current, to exploit the energy of the traction battery to use tools or anything else that can be connected to it. In our video we did a simple test by recharging an electric skateboard and a floor mopping robot, but the supported power up to 9.6 kW allows the use of drills, various carpentry tools and more, or even recharge another electric car. Or simply a portable PC, because the sockets are also in the cockpitas well as in the bed and in the front load compartment. A special bidirectional wallbox is also available in the United States, with which F-150 can power a home, a situation already exploited by some owners in recent extreme climatic conditions. The system control panel, accessible from the large on-board display, allows you to set an utilization limit in kilometres, or in time, so as to always have the energy needed for the intended journeys.

So far we have seen the practical aspects and, if we want, the working aspects but, as many may know, Americans often own a pick-up as their first family car. And here too the F-150 Lightning stands out, with crazy interiors, from luxury living room. The space is enormous, and three adults seated on the rear bench are as comfortable as on the sofa at home, with 20 cm of space between the knees and the front seats. Every detail is meticulously cared for, from the materials to the upholstery, and there is no shortage of storage compartments in quantity, including the largest one in the central console. Console that can also become a large coffee table, thanks to the retractable gear lever. There is no shortage of USB sockets and induction charging for compatible smartphones. In the top-of-the-range model, the audio system designed by B&O, and it obviously plays at excellent levels, with clear and low tones even those very American. Ford also thinks about the well-being of the worker forced to drive for long hours, ed the seats are heated or cooled, with adjustable massage for the entire session, even for the passenger. The panoramic roof that can be opened is also comfortable and spectacular, with a possible closing curtain, all adjustable from the controls near the rear-view mirror.

As for the technological part, in practice nothing is missing from what was seen on the Mustang Mach-E, and it is no coincidence that the display, large and vertical, is practically the same. The identical software, with the “tab” logic which, once selected, occupy the larger upper part, perhaps one of the best systems on the market in terms of intuitiveness and interface quality. There are also Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which make a really good impression on such a large screen. With this technological aspect, the big lever as a gear selector is perhaps a little anachronistic. After a few hours, however, you familiarize yourself with the driving posture, and more than a classic gearbox, it resembles an aeronautical-derived lever, and allows you to relax your right arm in sections that are not particularly driven. Even the driving aids they are from first-class electric cars, even if we were not able to test everything due to the different regulations between the United States and Europe. From the display you can also check the external service lightswhich illuminate the surrounding environment in all directions, as you can see from the photo below.

Finally, a word about recharging. The vehicle is equipped with the socket CCS Combos, which however we were unable to test as it was in the American version, with the Type 1 upper portion. For our test we only had the home charger supplied, so the battery would have taken more than two full days to fully charge. But in the environment it comes from, the F-150 Lightning could count on charging in direct current up to 150 kW, with the 131 kWh battery capable of recharging from 15% to 80% in 41 minutes. The performances are more than good even in alternating current, with the AC charger that goes up to 19.2 kW.

How to conclude this atypical review? As I repeated several times in the video, the experience was extremely fun, both for the absolutely exaggerated vehicle (in a positive sense and in terms of size), and for the driving performance, really satisfying. After three days with the F-150 Lightning, I can say that I understand more the Americans who are madly in love with this type of vehicle, because, with the necessary space available, at home and on the road, it solves a lot of problems for you, and becomes the ‘perfect car for the family, for fun, for excursions, and at the same time the work vehicle that everyone would like. At our latitudes we are perhaps more accustomed to typical vans (such as Ford’s Transit), but I invite you to look in the many videos on YouTube for the transformations available on the market that further improve the load capacity of pick-ups, with customers who also use as a camper. We will hardly see the F-150 Lightning officially imported into Italy, but who knows if one of the many manufacturers decides to take the first step (Rivian? Tesla?) forcing Ford to evaluate the opportunities of our market as well. For those wishing to see the vehicle live, it will be on display in Turin at the ATP Finals Tennis village.

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