The Ford F-150 Lightning<\/a> looks like a gasoline F-150 in all but front and rear styling cues (and corresponding lighting), but it turns out a whole lot about the electric truck is different underneath. It gets a new frame\u2014somewhat wider to fit the battery pack suspended between it, with thicker cross members. Steering and braking are reengineered for the Lightning, which also gets an independent rear suspension with coil-over springs.<\/p>\n What results is a truck that rides and handles better than the gasoline F-150 in most conditions, with unparalleled quiet and refinement. Plus, in washboard gravel, off-road trails, or snow-slicked roads, the virtually instantaneous traction systems working with the electric motors show their strength and allow you to pull up that boat ramp\u2014or over that wet log\u2014without upsetting the tires\u2019 footing. Pop the hood, and you get something the gasoline truck doesn\u2019t have: a vast frunk that offers power plugs and can hold up to 400 pounds. How \u2018bout some frunkgating?<\/p>\n 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning<\/p>\n<\/div>\n All versions of the F-150 Lightning are built with front and rear permanent-magnet motors providing all-wheel drive, with a crew-cab layout and the same bed length. There are essentially two tech specs: Versions with the 98-kwh standard range battery pack make 452 hp and 775 lb-ft, while those with the 131-kwh extended range pack make 580 hp and 775 lb-ft. EPA driving range for the Lightning<\/a> stands at 240 miles and 320 miles, respectively.<\/p>\n Unladen, the Lightning leaps forward, with enough of a shriek of the tires to let you know it\u2019s using every bit of available traction. Ford has cited a 0-60 mph acceleration time of under four seconds and, seated from high up, with a body that squats and dives a fair amount, it\u2019s as much a fun-park ride inside as it must appear from outside\u2014truer to the Lightning label than the gasoline truck that used to bear the name.<\/p>\n It offers more payload capability than many of its gasoline counterparts. And at up to 10,000 pounds, it will out-tow much of the gasoline-truck lineup. Just don\u2019t plan to pull that trailer very far.<\/p>\n Ford F-150 Lightning at Electrify America<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The F-150 Lightning doesn\u2019t charge quickly if you think in road-trip terms. Ford says that it will charge at up to 150 kw, or from 15-80% in less than 45 minutes, but those are both best-case-scenarios from what we\u2019ve seen at typical U.S. Electrify America hardware.<\/p>\n If you happen to have 100 amps free for its own circuit, install the 80-amp Charge Station Pro and charge times for a full charge drop to about 8 hours on 240 volts\u2014or about 30 miles per hour. That unit forms the basis for where the Lightning truly becomes an EV trendsetter: Add the $3,895 Home Integration System<\/a>, and with Ford\u2019s app the Lightning can become its own power ecosystem\u2014helping juggle solar, or acting just as a portable generator (minus the hum and diesel odor) when the power goes out.<\/p>\n 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning<\/p>\n<\/div>\n That system and its inclusion under warranty go a long way toward convincing us that Ford sees a big picture that others haven\u2019t. So does the company\u2019s Ford Pro fleet-software push, and its strategy not to make electric vehicles a niche sub-brand but actual vehicles that compete on nearly every level\u2014even outshine\u2014the gasoline versions of F-150, Transit, and Mustang.<\/p>\n The F-150 Lightning has some undeniable strengths versus any of our other finalists for Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2023<\/a>\u2014most notably, that it feels fully baked, is available in all 50 states, and doesn\u2019t feel like it was held back somewhere along the way.<\/p>\n The Cadillac Lyriq<\/a> signals the start of a generation of Ultium-platform vehicles, and it\u2019s impressive in many respects, like styling, ride, and handling. But what we\u2019ve seen so far hasn\u2019t quite delivered on the interface or charging side. Its efficiency deserves a longer look, too\u2014one we haven\u2019t yet been able to take. We love the no-holds-barred attitude behind the Genesis GV60<\/a>, and how it takes personal luxury into a new space\u2014with a line-green \u201cboost\u201d button and crystal-ball shifter\u2014though at the end of the day we just can\u2019t give top props to a model that\u2019s offered only in a portion of the U.S. The Kia EV6<\/a> wins if style were the main criteria, and it offers speedy charging and an impressive interface, but in dropping base versions the brand seems to be playing a niche game rather than taking advantage of all the capital in that design. The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV<\/a> builds on the impressive efficiency of the EQS hatchback, adding three rows of seating and trail ability, plus U.S. assembly, but it simply doesn\u2019t push the bar higher.<\/p>\n 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The biggest Lightning strike-outs so far have been its unavailability and repeated price hikes<\/a>. Ford hadn\u2019t even been accepting reservations for some of the past year; just nine months since first deliveries, the standard range base 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro starts at $57,869 (including a hiked $1,895 destination fee)\u2014up nearly 40% from the original $41,669, including destination, for the 2022 model year.<\/p>\n![\"2022](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-platinum_100859822_l.jpg\" "\\"2022")
<\/p>\n![\"Ford](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/ford-f-150-lightning-at-electrify-america_100866366_l.jpg\" "\\"Ford")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-ford-f-150-lightning_100869083_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n![\"2023](\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/2023-ford-f-150-lightning_100869096_l.jpg\" "\\"2023")
<\/p>\n