The Ford F-150 Lightning is KBB’s defending Best Buy Award champion in electric trucks for successfully electrifying the excellence of the F-150. We expect the 2024 lineup to start at about $50,000.
The electric pickup truck segment is slowly growing, and KBB’s top pick in this emerging class is the Ford F-150 Lightning. Ford
F,
has done an excellent job taking everything we love about the F-150 and creating an electric version with many of the same virtues as its gas-powered counterpart. We like that it even looks similar. The F-150 Lightning benefits from impressive range estimates, the lowest starting price in its class, and the latest tech features, including available hands-free highway driving.
The Ford F-150 Lightning competes in a small class of electric pickup trucks that includes the Rivian
RIVN,
R1T and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup. A few more rivals on the way include the long-rumored Tesla
TSLA,
Cybertruck and electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ram 1500.
What’s new?
The 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning lineup.
Ford
A new Platinum Black edition joins the F-150 Lightning lineup for 2024. This special edition is limited to 2,000 units and adds a distinctive black appearance package to the Platinum trim. It has a matte-black wrap on the body, special black badging, black 22-inch wheels, black leather seats, and more. There’s also a new tech-focused Flash model slotted between the XLT and Lariat trims.
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning pricing
We expect the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning to start at about $50,000. For reference, the 2023 model starts at $49,995 for the base Pro model. We expect the XLT trim to start at $55,000, the popular Lariat model to begin at $75,000, and the loaded Platinum trim to start at about $93,000. The new-for-2024 F-150 Lightning Flash, which comes standard with the extended-range battery, starts at $69,995, and the Platinum Black special edition model starts at $97,995.
The F-150 Lightning has a lower starting price than its closest rival, the Rivian R1T, which starts at $73,000. When the electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra eventually hit the market, they’ll likely be priced close to the F-150 Lightning.
See: How electric vehicle tax credits will work in 2024, and a list of cars that qualify
On top of having the lowest starting price in its segment, the F-150 Lightning earns our Lowest 5-Year Cost to Own award in its class.
| F-150 Lightning Pro | $50,000 (est) |
| F-150 Lightning XLT | $55,000 (est) |
| F-150 Lightning Flash | $69,995 |
| F-150 Lightning Lariat | $75,000 (est) |
| F-150 Lightning Platinum | $93,000 (est) |
| F-150 Lightning Platinum Black | $97,995 |
These estimates and manufacturer’s suggested retail prices don’t include the factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).
Before buying an F-150 Lightning, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay.
Driving the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning
The Ford F-150 is powered by a 462-horsepower dual-motor electric powertrain with all-wheel drive (AWD). Upgrading to the extended-range battery boosts the rating to 580 hp. The battery packs each deliver 775 lb-ft of torque.
With either battery pack, the F-150 Lightning has quick and smooth acceleration that was initially unexpected from behind the wheel of a big Ford pickup. Acceleration is not only quick from a stand-still, but there’s plenty of power and torque on tap for effortless highway passing.
There’s no rumbling V8 here; the noise in the cabin is minimal and comes from the road more than the powertrain. Driving the F-150 Lightning has a bit of a luxurious feel because of the smooth and serene power delivery. This is especially true in the decked-out upper trims.
There’s a one-pedal driving mode that makes liberal use of the regenerative braking system and minimizes the need to use the brake pedal. We liked using the one-pedal driving mode on city streets with stop-and-go traffic; it’s one of the better and more natural-feeling systems of its kind that we’ve tested in an EV.
We love the optional BlueCruise feature, which allows for hands-free driving on highways mapped by Ford. With our eyes on the road and our hands off the wheel, BlueCruise takes care of highway driving comfortably and safely. BlueCruise works well where available but doesn’t have as many miles mapped as the Super Cruise hands-free system available in the GMC Hummer EV Pickup.
While we await a dedicated off-road version of the F-150 Lightning (there are rumors of a Tremor variant), the standard AWD system with an electronic locking differential meets the demands of most drivers on snowy roads and in mild off-roading.
Check out: The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV vs. the Ford F-150 Lightning: How these two electric trucks compare
Range and charging
The Ford F-150 Lightning has a handy “frunk.”
Ford
The Ford F-150 Lightning gets an EPA-reported range of up to 240 miles with the standard battery and 320 miles with the extended-range battery. The Platinum trim, which comes standard with an extended battery, gets 300 miles of range. For comparison, the range of the Rivian R1T is between 289 and 352 miles depending on the configuration, and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup is rated for up to 314 miles.
The F-150 Lightning boasts an impressive maximum tow rating of up to 10,000 pounds and a max payload capacity of 2,235 pounds, but a word of caution is in order. Third-party tests have shown that towing makes a drastic impact on range. According to real-world testing, the F-150 Lightning Platinum with a full charge only gets about 100 miles of range when pulling a camper weighing around 5,000 pounds.
See: The big problem with chargers that’s challenging electric car owners
Interior comfort
The interior of the Ford F-150 Lightning is similar to the regular F-150 in all the right ways. We noticed a family resemblance the moment we climbed in the driver’s seat, but it has enough unique, high-tech details to make the Lightning distinct. For example, a 12-inch touchscreen comes standard, and a 15.5-inch screen is optional.
Every F-150 Lightning has a crew cab body with 43.6 inches of rear legroom. Good news; that’s the same amount of space as the crew cab on the gas-powered F-150. It’s also quite a bit more space than the smaller Rivian R1T, which only has 36.6 inches of backseat legroom.
Open the front hood of the F-150 Lightning, and you’ll find a sizable “frunk” instead of an engine with 14.1 cubic feet of room. For reference, that’s roughly the trunk size in the Honda Civic. Some clever features inside include power outlets, a cargo net, and a floor panel that can flip up vertically and act as a divider.
Exterior styling
The untrained eye might not even notice that the Ford F-150 Lightning is an EV. Like the interior, the exterior design is similar enough to the gas-powered F-150 to look like a normal truck (in a good way) but has some techy details, like a unique LED light signature. The F-150 Lightning isn’t as configurable as the standard F-150; every Lightning has a crew cab and a 5.5-foot bed.
Our favorite features and tech
Two battery options: The Ford F-150 Lightning is available with a Standard battery, giving it 462 horsepower and 240 miles of range, or an Extended Range battery, giving it 580 hp and up to 320 miles of range. In either configuration, we’re impressed with the range and performance of the Lightning.
Pro Trailer Hitch Assist: This feature controls the steering, throttle, and brakes to make easy work of hitching up a trailer. It’s part of the Tow Technology package that’s optional in the lower trims and standard in the higher versions.
SYNC 4A: The SYNC 4A infotainment system in the F-150 Lighting comes standard with a 12-inch screen, and it’s available with a bigger 15.5-inch screen. Standard infotainment features include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and a Wi-Fi hot spot.
Ford Co-Pilot360: Standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring add safety and confidence to every drive.
Mega power frunk: This standard feature has four Pro Power On-Board 120V outlets in the front trunk of the F-150 Lightning. It also has a USB-C outlet and a USB-A outlet to keep your devices topped off. It’s like having a generator in your truck that doesn’t burn any gas.
BlueCruise: The available BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving system allows for hands-free driving on highways mapped by Ford. This covers over 130,000 miles of highway in North America.
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Battery and efficiency
A 98-kWh battery pack comes standard in the Pro, XLT, and Lariat trims. An extended-range 131-kWh battery is optional in XLT and Lariat, and it’s standard in the Flash and Platinum models. The standard battery gets an EPA efficiency rating of 68 combined MPGe, and the extended-range battery gets up to 70 MPGe (66 MPGe in the Platinum trim).
According to EPA estimates, the monthly fuel costs of the F-150 Lightning are lower than the F-150 with the standard V6 engine and 4WD by a factor of about $150/month. The Rivian R1T is slightly more efficient, but its estimated fuel costs are similar to the Lightning’s.
3-year/36,000-mile warranty
Like it’s gas-powered counterpart, the Ford F-150 Lightning is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Additionally, the battery is covered by an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty. This coverage is about typical for a mainstream-brand EV.
Also on MarketWatch: Ford to resume building Michigan EV battery plant delayed by strike, but will scale it back
Safety
The Ford F-150 Lightning comes standard with the Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0 safety tech suite, which bundles features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, rear parking sensors, and more. Hands-free highway driving is available with the optional BlueCruise feature.
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This story originally ran on KBB.com.
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