The all-new F-150 Lightning has officially made its first appearance in Canada. On Wednesday, May 19th at 9:30 pm, we were introduced to this truck that will represent the beginning of a great change for the truck/pickup industry. Of course, we were expecting change, but not this much… Ford listened to its customers and made many improvements, which makes its new F-150 an extremely difficult model to compete with.
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PERFORMANCE
Many of us have wondered how an electric vehicle could compete with a gasoline vehicle in terms of performance. Well… Ford has managed to blow us away. The Lightning has two battery styles, Standard and Extended. It has two lithium-ion battery packs, one under the front hood and one under the rear box, so it has a different engine for the front and rear wheels. Needless to say, the torque is almost instantaneous as the response from the steering wheel to the wheels is fast, efficient and offers outstanding performance. The extended battery develops 563 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque: this allows the Lightning to reach 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, making it the fastest F-150 yet.
100% ELECTRIC AND MORE!
The extended lithium-ion battery packs offer an EPA-estimated range of 480 km, which is more than I expected for a vehicle as heavy as this one. What’s more impressive is not so much the range, but Ford’s new optional smart power system. This allows you to transfer the electrical power from your Ford directly to your home by producing up to 9.6 kW of energy. This means it can supply your home with electricity for an average of three days. The power transfer can be done both manually and automatically with the Ford Charge Station Pro. This 80-amp charging station is also optional and allows you to go from 15% to 100% in 8 hours for a maximum power of 9.2 kW. A total of ten 120V charging outlets are available on some models (four in the bed, two in the cab and four in the front trunk). In addition, there is a 240V/30-amp outlet in the bed.
SPACE, DO YOU WANT IT? HERE IT IS!
Don’t think that just because the F-150 is electric, it will be less useful on the job site. The independent rear suspension with semi-drawn arms helps isolate the imperfections of the road you’re on and allows for better handling. The towing capacity and load capacity are simply incredible. The Lightning allows you to tow up to 10,000 pounds and load up to 2,000 pounds in the rear box. I say “rear box” because, thanks to the space savings created by integrating two batteries instead of one, another storage space has been created under the hood. The front trunk has 400 liters of storage space, making it the largest in its class for storage capacity.
EVEN MORE TECHNOLOGY
Ford has put even more effort into the most important aspect of an F-150, which is towing. Not to be judgmental, but “towing backwards” is not for everyone! Well… Ford has solved the problem with some brand new technology. PRO Hitch Assist technology automatically controls steering, acceleration and braking to align the hitch ball with the trailer hitch. Once aligned, the vehicle stops and all you have to do is lower the trailer onto the hitch ball. The Protrailer backup assist system will then help you by backing up the trailer for you. All you have to do is turn the control knob on the center screen in the direction you want to back up the trailer. Once you do that, the F-150 will do the rest for you, park the trailer in the direction you want!
Another aspect that often bothers truck owners is the weight of the load: not knowing if you’ve overloaded the truck or if you can put more on it can be a little annoying. Once again, Ford offers a solution to this problem. When you load the truck, whether directly into the box or with a trailer, the central display will not only tell you whether you’re overloaded or not, but also how to properly distribute the weight to allow for better stability and handling on the road. You can even set the balance mode to reset the current load to zero and calculate additional loads.
A ROADSIDE OFFICE
The interior has been redesigned to allow drivers to work directly from the vehicle. Since most of the F-150’s customers are people who have to travel for work and/or work on the road, the American manufacturer has done a little more. The gearshift lever fits into the center console, which has been expanded and on which you can put your laptop to work. 4G LTE Wi-Fi is also available on some models.
TO WATCH ON THE ROAD
This new truck is simply amazing. The F-150 Lightning will give its competitors a hard time. Not only has its efficiency on job sites just stepped up a notch, but with its 100% electric power, it will also be able to attract customers who take the environment to heart. As if it wasn’t spectacular enough, it was even endorsed by Joe Biden himself during a test drive at the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. It is now possible to make a reservation on the website www.ford.ca since 9:30 pm on Wednesday, May 19. Prices range from $68,000 to $110,000 depending on the model chosen. So what are you waiting for?
