- The editors at Edmunds have driven a Ford F-150 Lightning for about three years.
- After roughly 22,000 miles, the car experts weigh the good and bad: better at towing than you’d think, but still not the best for every type of truck duty.
- Would they buy a Lightning a second time? That’s complicated.
The Ford F-150 Lightning was one of the first electric pickups in the United States, and because it wore the F-150 badge, it had to live up to high standards. This couldn’t be some science experiment. It had to be every bit as good as Ford truck owners demand, and then some.
So, how does a 2022 Lightning fare after three years and roughly 22,000 miles? The folks at Edmunds have the answer to that question, and you can check out the whole rundown of the publication’s ownership experience in the video below.
In short: it’s complicated.
First, let’s get reliability out of the way. Since new, Edmunds’ electric pickup had to go through a couple of recall repairs, which were done for free at the dealer, but that’s about it. Nothing went wrong and there were no unexpected bills to pay. That’s great news for anyone who’s looking to get a Ford F-150 Lightning on the used market, where prices seem to start at around $30,000 for well-maintained examples with less than 30,000 miles.
Range-wise, the Lightning with the biggest battery, called the Extended Range model, is good for about 345 miles in the real world, according to Edmunds—about 25 miles more than the EPA rating. The interior is also a nicer place to be in compared to the newer and longer-range Chevrolet Silverado EV.
Towing with Ford’s electric pickup is also a no-brainer. The fact that the driver can input the trailer’s weight in the infotainment system and get a more accurate range estimate is great. “The Lightning makes a terrific tow rig, it’s super torquey and very quiet,” the Edmunds staff said in their three-year review.
Even with the faster-charging and longer-range Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV now available, Edmunds’ editors would still choose the F-150 Lightning over GM’s offerings. But that’s not the end of the story because there’s an even better pickup out there, and it also comes from Ford.
While owning the electric F-150, the website’s editors have also been driving a hybrid F-150, and that one takes the overall win as the better pickup. (Even here at InsideEVs, we’ve come to a similar conclusion.) The Lightning’s cabin has more squeaks and rattles, and it takes a huge range hit when towing big trailers on long journeys. Plus, it doesn’t charge very fast.
The Lightning remains compelling because it’s more of a truck than a toy, whereas most competitors lean more toward the lifestyle aspect. It does truck things that a Tesla Cybertruck or a Rivian R1T don’t quite nail.
However, when it comes to the F-150 famlyly in general, the all-electric Lightning, however good of an EV it may be, is still not as good as the F-150 hybrid as an all-rounder.
