The new Ford F-150 Lightning is a 420 kW electric bakkie that will go from zero to 100 kph in about 4.5 seconds…

If you think the 190 kW Volkswagen Amarok isfast, think again, the age of electric bakkies is here!

Ford has revealed an all-electric F-150 bakkie and its aptly named, Lightning, a Ford moniker last used in the ’90s and early 2000’s. It’s due to go on sale in the USA in 2022 and it will rival new electric bakkie products such as the Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T and the GMC Hummer EV, setting the scene for anelectric bakkie showdown.

In that company, however, the Ford F-150 Lightning falls short in terms of outputs, zero to 100km/h sprint time and to a degree, range. Let’s look at some numbers…

How much power does the Ford F-150 Lightning have?

A 400-litre frunk is just one of the many practical features on offer in the new Ford F-150 Lightning.

The new Ford F-150 Lightning adopts a dual electric motor setup, one motor over each axle, that produces no less than 420 kW and 1 050 Nm of torque when equipped with the extended lithium-ion battery pack which enables a range of approximately 483 km. With the standard battery pack, 370 km of range is offered but power drops to 318 kW while torque remains the same at 1 050 Nm.

As for acceleration, zero to 100 km/h in about 4.5 seconds is fast by bakkie standards but it’s notably slower than the claimed figures of less than 2.9 seconds for the Tesla Cybertruck and 3 seconds for the Rivian R1T and Hummer EV.

In terms of towing, the F-150 Lighting can tow up to over 4.5 tons with a payload of just over 900 kg. The standard 48A home charger will charge the Lightning from 15% to 100% in about 10 hours with the Lightning equipped with a range entender battery pack gains a dual charger and 80A home charger that will charge up in about 8 hours. Using a 150 kW DC fast charger, 15% to 80% charge can be achieved in 41 minutes.

The F-150 Lightning also offers a large 400-litre frunk that can be used to store valuables out of sight, solving perhaps one of our biggest gripes with conventional ICE bakkies. Another amazing feature is the Intelligent Backup System which makes it possible to store up to 9.6 kW of energy which is enough to power a home for 3 days! The Lightning can also be used as a power source on work sites or for camping in the outdoors with up to 11 power outlets on offer.

In terms of tech, the F-150 Lightning is equipped with Ford's latest SYNC4A infotainment system with a large 15.5-inch portrait-style touchscreen display with all the modern connectivity features at your fingertips. Also, Ford is also offering its L2 hands-free driver assistance system called Ford BlueCruise which will be enabled on more than 160 000 kilometresof pre-qualified highway systems.

A large tablet-style infotainment system is fitted with the latest SYNC4A operating system.

How much does the ford F-150 Lighting Cost?

Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the new Ford F-150 Lightning is its pricing. EV’s are notoriously expensive, especially in South Africa, but the entry-level Lightning is expected to be priced from roughly $30 000 or roughly R422 000 at current exchange rates. At the top of the range, buyers will be paying roughly $90 000 for the top-spec Lightning which is over R1.2 million, only R200 000 more than the 190 kW Volkswagen Amarok…

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