It's been almost two decades since Ford has had a new F150 Lightning, and the 2022 effort at revival is vastly different as a full-on electric truck. And with such a drastic change over to an EV, this had many pickup fans more than a little concerned.  Well, we’re here to calm any of those nerves you may have. Ford brought us down to San Antonio, Texas, where we were given the opportunity to put this all new EV Lightning through its paces. And, man oh man, it did not disappoint. 

The second you get into this Lightning; you know you are in a F-150. Everything feels right at home. And once you get on the road, there are only a few things that feel different; for one, the lack of engine noise, but more excitingly the ferocious, instant torque you get when you put your foot down! Now, that’s true regardless of whether you choose the standard battery, good for 230-miles or range, or the extended range pack for 320-miles of range.  

We found all that torque especially welcomed when merging onto the busy freeways in and around San Antonio-- some of the easiest merging we have ever experienced in a vehicle of this size. And while some EV’s feel maybe a little twitchy on the pedal, the Lightning charged ahead with a pedal response more akin to any other gas powered pickup-- just with the added bonus of instant EV torque.

The interior of the Lightning is very well thought out and executed. The infotainment is extremely user friendly and easy to navigate. And if you need to get some work done, the lay flat work surface that folds from the center console is a great help!

Kyle: “The team at Ford did a ton of homework before they decided to put this vehicle together, and boy did they hit the nail on the head. They talked to truck owners, they talked to truck buyers, they talked to people-- just, all throughout, construction workers-- all the people that need trucks out there in the world, and asked ‘what do they want? What do they need to actually look at an electric truck and say ‘you know what? I want that.’’ And they have delivered on every possible front. This truck is absolutely amazing.”

It’s an excellent highway hero, but that’s not all an F-150 is capable of; so, let’s get to the real fun stuff: towing and off-roading. The Lightning is quite shocking, with a max towing weight of 10,000 lbs-- that’s with the extended range battery; it’s 7,700 lbs with the standard battery. When you get to use all 775 lb-ft of torque when you get moving, it is immensely impressive just how quickly you get up to speed even when towing a full payload. And all the while doing so in complete silence-- it’s a unique experience.

Now to our favorite part of the trip: the off-roading. Ford created a fantastic course for us to really learn what this truck can do off the pavement. Steep grades, mud pits, and challenging rock crawls were just some of the things we were able to do with this truck. And at no point did we feel like the Lightning would get stuck over any obstacle thrown its way.

Ford has really upped their EV game with the introduction of the all-new 2022 F150 Lightning. The base model is going to start just under $42,000 with the top Platinum model starting in the low 90’s. And in between is a Lightning for just about every pickup need! Stay tuned because our full Road Test of the Ford F-150 Lightning will strike soon, right here on MotorWeek!