2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Redesign, Specs, Availability – Ford has launched its most ambitious invention since the Model T with the introduction of the all-electric F-150 Lightning, resulting in a speedy and capable pickup truck with zero emissions. The Lightning shares much of the conventional F-150’s exterior and cabin, but its gasoline-powered V-6 and V-8 engine options have been replaced with two electric motors and one of two battery packs. The Standard-Range battery provides 230 miles per charge, while the Extended-Range battery provides 320 miles per charge. It is not the first electric pickup truck released this year; GMC’s Hummer EV SUT and the Rivian R1T debuted. However, neither of these trucks has the reputation of the F-150, and the base price of the electric performance of America’s favorite truck is significantly lower than that of its competitors.
Regardless of what’s (or isn’t) under the hood, the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning is an excellent pickup truck. The Lightning has a robust electric motor that offers quick acceleration, up to 320 miles of range on an available charge, and a towing capacity of 10,000 pounds. It provides enough space for passengers and baggage and is comfortable and soothing to drive through city traffic or on the highway. It is also available with numerous useful technological features, such as BlueCruise hands-free driving assistance and a two-way charging system that can power an entire construction site (or even a house during an outage). Overall, the Lightning is like the standard Ford F-150 but with a reduced carbon footprint.
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Redesign
Although it rides on an entirely different platform than the gas-powered F-150, the Lightning and the regular Crew Cab share virtually identical dimensions. Unlike the forthcoming Chevrolet Silverado 1500 EV, the Lightning’s cab and 5,5-footbed are shared with the standard F-150, making it a familiar vehicle. But there are a lot of changes, like new wheels, a closed grille, and lights that look different.
These design aspects vary with trim, with the base Pro model appearing similar to a standard F-150. There is no futuristic light bar above its utilitarian plastic grille. The XLT model gains a front light bar, while the Lariat gains a rear horizontal light bar. There are eleven different paint colors to choose from, including Agate Black Metallic, Antimatter Blue Metallic, Atlas Blue Metallic, Carbonized Gray Metallic, Iced Blue Silver, Iconic Silver Metallic, Oxford White, Rapid Red Metallic Tinted, Smoked Quartz Metallic, Star White Metallic, and Stone Grey Metallic.
The base F-150 Lightning Pro and XLT vehicles ride on macho 18-inch wheels, but the XLT can be equipped with the same 20-inch Dark Carbonized Grey alloys that are standard on the Lariat trim. The only way to acquire dazzling 22-inch wheels is to choose the Platinum trim. All frames feature the bed’s discreet blue “Lightning” badging and an excellent American flag and lightning logo on the tailgate. We love how Ford designed the Lightning to appear familiar instead of creating a dramatic new style. Customers of trucks are creatures of habit, so we believe Ford was wise not to reinvent the wheel in this instance.
Interior
The F-150 Lightning features a substantial front trunk (trunk) that exploits the space where the standard F-150’s engine would sit to carry up to 400 pounds of additional cargo. The F-150 Lightning’s interior is identical to the gasoline-powered F-150, except for an extra-large infotainment display and a spacious front-trunk cargo area. The F-150 Lightning is only available with a crew cab and a 5,5-footbed. Although Ford may provide regular (two-door) or SuperCab (rear half-doors) versions in the future, we believe most purchasers will choose the spacious four-door cabin.
The Standard has a 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the most recent version of Ford’s Sync 4 software, but Lariat and Platinum models come with a more prominent 15.0-inch display. Standard features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, in-dash navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Using its relationship with Bang & Olufsen, Ford will offer two optional premium stereo systems, one with 8 speakers in the Lariat and one with 18 speakers in the Platinum.
Engine
All F-150 Lightning variants use two electric motors and all-wheel drive as standard equipment. The motors produce a combined 452 horsepower with the standard-range battery and 580 horsepower with the extended-range battery; peak torque is a remarkable 775 pound-feet with either configuration. The performance is swift for such a large truck. The Lightning Platinum we tested attained 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and 107 mph in 12.7 seconds over a quarter-mile distance. Not only were we impressed by the LIGHTNING’s lightning-quick acceleration, but we were also pleasantly surprised by the fact that it maintained the standard F-150’s polished road characteristics. The Lightning handles a little better because its center of gravity is lower, which helps keep the body from rolling.
Ford asserts a range of 230 miles per charge with the smaller 98.0-kWh battery; upgrading to the larger 131.0-kWh pack increases the oven to 320 miles. During our highway range test at 75 mph, the Lightning Platinum achieved a range of 230 miles. Customers can charge their F-150 Lightning at home using 110-and 220-volt outlets, but the truck can also be charged at public DC fast-charging stations; Ford claims it can charge from 15% to 80% battery capacity in 44 minutes. Ford also made the F-150 Lightning work as a backup generator. The company says that a fully charged truck can power a typical home for up to three days if the power goes out.
The F-150 Lightning Extended-Range achieves up to 78 MPGe in the city and 63 MPGe on the highway, while the Standard-Range models achieve 76 MPGe in the city and 61 MPGe on the road. Throughout our time with the Lightning Platinum, we only observed 54 MPGe. Visit the EPA’s website for more information on the F-150 Lightning’s fuel efficiency.
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Price and Release Date
The introductory MSRP for the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning is $39,974. This is a bargain compared to other electric pickups, such as the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV, but it is expensive compared to the full-size pickup truck segment. The price increases to $52,974 for the XLT trim and $67,474 for the Lariat trim. The base price of the F-150 Lightning Platinum model is $90,875. The Ford F-150 Lightning’s release date in the United States is slated for summer 2024.