2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Launch

The official launch of the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning happened last night and there were some shocking numbers thrown about – starting with the starting price: $39,974, before any credits!!! Of course that’s not the one you or I will actually want – it’s a base, commercial-oriented trim level. Optioned out it’ll top off at around $90k – similar to a King Ranch if you tick all the boxes in a traditional F-150.

Note: although the quoted prices are in U.S. dollars, Ford tend to keep their Canadian products very similar in Canadian dollars.

The mid-level XLT models will start from $52,974 (before rebates) – again very similar to the traditional F-150 XLT price. The Canadian government will give you $5,000 off that in a rebate, if you’re fortunate to live in Quebec or B.C. you’ll get provincial rebates on top of that. Prospective customers can reserve theirs at Ford’s website now with a $100 deposit.

The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning will arrive next spring, 2022.

“We’re not just electrifying fringe vehicles. The Mustang & the F-150 are the heart of what Ford is, so this is a signal about how serious we are about electrification.

This really showcases where the industry can go & should go.”

~ Ford Chairman, William Ford Jr.

Looking at the other numbers…

- 4 Trim levels: Fleet, XLT, Lariat and Platinum
- 2 Battery Packs: Standard Range battery/ dual-motor and Extended Range/ dual-motor – meaning 4×4… all the time
- Ford wanted to ensure that the F-150 Lightning’s battery will be able to cope in tough driving conditions, including towing heavy trailers, payload and off-roading – the battery packs are designed for the entire life of the vehicle
- The power operated Frunk is a very useful 400 litres (14.1 cu-ft) and up to 400 lbs. of payload
- The Lightning will also be the first F-Series truck to feature an independent rear suspension
- Using a 150kW DC public fast charger, the F-150 Lightning requires 41 minutes to charge from 15 to 80%
- 0-60 mph sprint in the mid-4 seconds (Extended Range)
- Ford’s “Intelligent Range Software” displays the remaining driving range – taking into account things like payload and towing for a more accurate prediction and adjust its prediction accordingly
- On-board scales to ensure you don’t over-tax the vehicle – surely this is a first in any vehicle! PIC – int 16
- One-person “Smart Hitch” using you mobile phone

Standard Range

- output of 426 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque
- driving range: 230 miles (370 kms)
- Payload capability is rated at up to 2,000 lbs
- Towing capacity is rated at up to 7,700 lbs
- Two lithium-ion battery pack options will be available: an entry-level unit targeting 230 miles (370 kms) of driving range and the extended range battery is estimated at 300 miles (482 kms)
- An optional 48A house charger will charge the battery from 15 to 100% in around 10 hours

Extended Range

output of 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque
driving range: 300 miles (482 kms)
Payload capability is rated at up to 1,800 lbs
Towing capacity is rated at up to 10,000 lbs
Combined with the dual charger and plugged into an 80A house charger, charging will take from 15 to 100% in about 8 hours

Charge Times:
The Standard Range battery will get an 11.3 kW single charger
The Extended Range battery will get a dual charger – up to 19.2 kW – this is designed to offer the fastest possible charging times, to the limits of the SAE charging standards

“Our Customers Didn’t Want Their Truck To Look Like A Doorstop”

The front end will be available with three different “grille” designs, and in the higher-end Lariat and Platinum trim levels, the front and rear e will be dominated by new LED light bars that span the width of the truck in the pictures provided.

Jasen Turnbull, Ford F-150 Lightning Marketing Manager said: “Our customers told us they want something modern and advanced but didn’t want their truck to look like a doorstop or a spaceship, we made sure that the F-150 Lightning stayed true to the Ford truck DNA.”

Interior
The new F-150 Lightning is the first F-150 equipped with Ford’s latest SYNC4A infotainment system, just like the one in the Mustang Mach-E. This only is standard in the Lariat and Platinum editions. Using a 15.5-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen display, it features “natural voice control,” cloud-connected navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as over-the-air software updates which are going to be the norm for all Ford vehicles in the future.

Also optional in the F-150 Lightning will be Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free L2 driver-assistance system, which can be enabled on more than 100,000 miles (160,000 kms) of pre-qualified divided highways in the U.S. and Canada. At present this is an $800 non-option on the regular F-150 and will go live later this year.