Ford F-150 Lightning: on tour in the electric XXL pick-up

There is probably no car that has been sung about as often in American music culture as this one: the “Eff Uann Fifftie”. Pick-up for the people, millions of sold workhorses of farmers, craftsmen and homeowners.

Used, scratched, dented, but always indestructible for nine generations. The smallest in Ford’s F-Series. And the cheapest. He stands in front of houses all over the country, which are often not much bigger than this truck.

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For city cowboys: The electric Ford F-150 takes the tight corners of the Hollywood Hills.

In the electric Ford across California

And people stop, look, almost go crazy, and whoever comes around speaks to me, congratulates me, asks: “Where did you get that? How much does it cost? What can it pull? You lucky guy!”

Yes, I’m a lucky guy on my way from Hollywood to the highways across California. current westward. 2500 kilometers in a car that can revolutionize the US market. Because such a popular model has what it takes to get people excited about a new technology. Even if the entry-level Lightning just got more expensive and now costs $48,769 net.

The high-end version I ride (Platinum) has a price tag of $98,669. The enthusiasm of some (big city) cowboys quickly wanes. But to blast through the dust with electricity instead of gas for the same money is becoming more and more tempting for traditional truckers because of the gas prices.

First Lightning, then Rainbow: Overnight stay in the western town of Lone Pine.

Let’s go. The two motors can be supplied with power from the huge 131 kWh battery at the touch of a button and briefly show how powerfully a three-ton pick-up can accelerate.

When the traffic light starts, the e-pickup easily outperforms many sports cars

After a few sports car drivers next to me at the traffic light probably only said “What the truck?” think, when I leave them, I change the driving program from “Sport” to “Normal” and ride my Lightning out of the big city and onto the country road.

Consumption is higher than expected

Where do I have my luggage? he asks, looking at the empty area behind the double cabin. Without a word and at the push of a button, I fold up the front hood and he stares in amazement at my two suitcases, which fit into the 400-liter frunk (front trunk).

The equipment of the F-150 Lightning is more than noble

In general, the equipment: more than noble. Fully digital cockpit, state-of-the-art connectivity, a huge 15.5-inch touchscreen, 360-degree camera, digital scales for the truck bed. Plus BlueCruise, Ford’s level 2 autonomous driving. That and much more under a glass roof and the wide open sky of California.

I leave Lone Pine on the beautiful Highway 395 towards Reno. It’s 423 kilometers to get there. The 395 is actually a country road, perfect for the Lightning, which now uses a good 28 kWh.

It’s better not to stay here with an empty battery: Ford F-150 Lightning in Inyo National Park.

In Gambling Town, I lose $100 at the blackjack table but make a new friend 32 miles west. Kurt, a GM pickup driver from the town of Truckee, wants to know everything about my Lightning. But I can’t convince him. “I would take a diesel hybrid. It consumes little but doesn’t need a charging station.”

150 km more range after 10 minutes at the charging station

I now use less electricity on the way to San Francisco. Because it goes down almost 2000 meters and I let the Lightning roll again. A good 170 kW of energy is pumped into the battery on a 350 kW charger; after ten minutes I have electricity for another 150 km.

Bridge Technology: Ford F-150 Lightning at the Golden Gate.

Because the next day comes the mammoth route. From San Francisco back to Los Angeles: a good 600 kilometers. Halfway down at Harris Ranch, I stop for 40 minutes for lunch for a 1 pound steak. In the meantime my truck has charged 79 kWh, enough for the second leg to Hollywood.

“Big wheels keep on turnin'”, I sing and wonder if Ford will also bring the F-150 Lightning to Germany. I know that Martin Sander, Ford’s EV boss for Europe, is asking the same question right now.

As night falls on the Sunset Strip, among the nightclubs and strip joints, I too sin again. I turn on the Propulsion Sound for a few miles, which is supposed to give my electric rider a classic engine sound. But it sounds artificial. The F-150 didn’t deserve that. The electric drive does.

Specifications and price: Ford F-150 Lightning

• Drive one electric motor per axle; four wheel drive; input gear
• Perfomance 426 kW (580 hp)
• Max. Torque 1050 Nm
• Battery capacity 131 kWh (net)
• maximum range 480 km
• Charging power up to 170 kW
• L/W/H 5911/2032/1989mm
• curb weight 3130kg
• Payload 839 kg
• Towing capacity 3.8t
• 0-100km/h 4.5s
• Top speed 180km/h
• Test consumption 28.4kWh/100km
• Test car price $98,669 (net)