Affordable Electric Pickup

One of the biggest roadblocks to the widespread adoption of electric pickup trucks has been the purchase price, which can range from just over $40,000 to more than $100,000 for high-end models. But recently, Ford announced that their new base model electric F-150 – known as the Lightning – will list for under $40,000. With tax incentives for electric vehicle (EV) owners, that brings the purchase price down to about $30,000, making it comparable to its conventional gas counterpart.

The range of the base model is 230 miles on a full charge, and an extended range option increases that to 300 miles. When using a 150kW fast-charging station, the extended range model takes about 40 minutes to go from 15 to 80 percent capacity, and Ford’s 80 amp home charging system will fully charge the vehicle in 8 hours. What’s more, the large on-board batteries can power multiple electric devices, or be used as a mobile charging station for small electrics like bicycles and motorcycles.

While charging is still an issue, particularly for adventure drivers, more EVs will undoubtedly pave the way for more charging stations as infrastructure grows to meet demand. And, as one of the most popular pickups on the road, the electrified F-150 could have a huge impact on sales of EVs in general. The new Lightning will be available in spring 2022.