Ford F-150 Lightning battery pack specs revealed

UPDATE, December 20, 2021: Ford has officially announced the battery pack specifications for its F-150 Lightning, seven months after the electric truck was first revealed.

Confirming the electric pick-up truck would feature two battery options, the Standard Range pack will have a usable capacity of 98kWh while the larger, Extended Range pack is bolstered out to 131kWh.

In its most basic form, the F-150 Lightning with the Standard Range battery has a claimed 240 mile (386 kilometre) driving range, extended out to 300 miles (483 kilometres) in Extended Range guise – although this can be reduced depending on wheel specs and other accessories.

Despite Ford having to double its production capabilities due to high demand for the F-150 Lightning, it faces strong competition from traditional rivals General Motors, with the all-electric Chevrolet Silverado expected to feature a similar driving range when it launches.

8

The story to here

May 20, 2021: The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has been revealed as the first fully electric Blue Oval pick-up truck ever made.

Borrowing the iconic moniker of the supercharged V8 Ford F-150 Lightnings of the 1990s, this new EV truck will take it to the likes of Chevrolet’s Silverado EV and Tesla’s crazy Cybertruck (if it's ever actually built).

Aussie fans of the Blue Oval or massive pick-up trucks shouldn’t be celebrating however, as the Lightning hasn’t been homologated for right-hand drive and probably never will be.

For American customers, Ford offers two lithium-ion battery pack sizes from launch – Standard-Range and Extended-Range.

Both models will feature a dual electric motor set-up as well as four-wheel drive.

8

The Standard battery pack is claimed to be good for 318kW and a scarcely believable 1051Nm, while the driving range is rated at 370km.

0-100km/h is claimed to take five seconds, which is very impressive, considering the F-150 has a kerb weight of 2950 kilograms, and the battery pack alone weighs 817 kilograms (about the same as a Series 2 Lotus Elise).

The Standard’s onboard charger power (input/output) is 11.3 kW/10.5 kW, and charging times vary depending on what method is chosen.

Using a 150kW DC fast charger will enable the battery levels to be raised from 15-80 per cent in just 44 minutes. Using a 50kW DC fast charger will take 91 minutes to reach the same level of charge.

The Standard comes with a 32A/240W mobile charger, and to go from 15-100 per cent charge, the 32A/240W will take 14 hours.

Purchasing the optional 48A Ford Connected Charge Station or 80A Ford Charge Station Pro with Ford Intelligent Backup Power capability will drop the 15-100 per cent charge time to 10 hours.

8

The Extended-Range F-150 gets even more power than the Standard, with 420kW on tap and the same amount of torque.

The 0-100km/h sprint takes even less time, at just 4.5 seconds, while the driving range is bumped up to 483 kilometres.

Onboard charger power (input/output) is 19.2kW/17.6 kW, and when a 150kW DC fast charger is utilised, the Extended F-150 can go from 15-80 per cent in 41 minutes. The 50kW DC fast charger will perform the same level of charge in 122 minutes.

The more expensive F-150 gets both the 32A/240W mobile charger and 80A Ford Charge Station Pro with Ford Intelligent Backup Power capability as standard.

Using the former will charge the batteries from 15-100 per cent charge in 19 hours, while the latter will take eight hours.

8

Both vehicles can also be optioned with a 9.6kW Pro Power Onboard vehicle-to-load charging system which essentially turns the F-150 into a three-tonne generator for when you go camping.

Despite the switch to electricity, the 14-generation pick-up truck hasn’t lost any of its towing capabilities, with the Dearborn firm claiming the Lightning will be capable of pulling a braked weight of 4540 kilograms.

The EV F-150 will also be the first F-Series truck to feature independent rear suspension in its 73 year history.

Ford says the vehicle’s frame has been bolstered to cope with the extra 817 kilos worth of batteries it has to lug around.

8

To differentiate the Lightning from its regular ICE-powered siblings, Ford has bestowed its EV with aesthetic and functional upgrades like a wrap-around LED daytime running light strip encompassing both the headlight surrounds and bonnet lip.

Bespoke 18-inch alloy wheels have also been fitted, and the gaping grille found on normal F-150s has been blanked out to ensure the EV is just that little bit slipperier through the air.

Inside, the Lightning scores the same 15.5-inch vertical touchscreen display found in the electric Mustang Mach-E, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless over-the-air OS updates, 12-inch digital dash, and Max Recline Seats.

Prices are expected to start from US$39,974 (AU$51,550) for the base commercial offering, while the mid-spec XLT will cost US$52,974 (AU$68,300), and the range-topping Platinum is reported by Car and Driver to set buyers back up to US$90,000 (AU$116,000).

8