Production F-150 Lightning Has More Power, Capacity, & Range Than Ford Promised

When the F-150 Lightning was revealed, Ford made promises about how much power and torque the truck would have, how much payload you could carry, and a number of other things. The reveal was during the pandemic, and Ford wasn’t able to have the normal launch party it usually has, but the company got a shot at a better in-person celebration when the vehicle went into customer hands, but one key detail got lost in the shuffle: Ford actually beat its original estimates and delivered more capability to customers than it had promised.

“We were seriously focused on raising the bar on this truck, including after we revealed it, so we can deliver more for our customers,” said Dapo Adewusi, F-150 Lightning vehicle engineering manager. “And our drive for continuous improvement will get a big boost when we start getting feedback and ideas from customers when they receive their Lightnings.”

So, how does the production Lightning compare to the concept Lightning’s promises? It’s better by around 20 horsepower (depending on which pack you choose). The standard-range pack delivers 452 horsepower, exceeding Ford’s promises by 26 horsepower. The longer range pack has more battery cells, allowing it to make even more power. Ford promised 563 horsepower, but delivered 580. And torque? Either pack delivers 775 lb-ft of torque, which is more torque than any F-150 has ever delivered.

All of this power makes the truck a lot more fun, and that’s going to make people using it as a commuter very happy. People used to shell out hundreds or thousands of bucks just to get a few more horsepower, after all. But that extra power and torque is also something that you can put to work.

Ford originally promised 2,000 pounds of cargo-hauling capability, which is less than most gas versions. The extra weight of the battery pack puts more load on the suspension than a gas tank and an ICE engine, after all. But, Ford decided to give the final F-150 some upgrades in that area, too. The final production Lightning can haul 2,235 pounds, which might not sound like a huge difference (235 pounds), but when you’re doing work, that’s just a little more work you can do. For people using an F-150 Lightning for fun, that’s a little more camping gear in a slide-in camper, for example.

“I have been very excited for this truck ever since it debuted a year ago. The experience of driving one was simply amazing,” says F-150 Lightning customer and deputy fire marshal Matthew Brown. “Now you are telling me that is has more horsepower and can haul over a ton of weight in the bed. Absolutely blows my mind!”

But that’s not all Ford had up their sleeves. The company also managed to deliver a few more miles of range in the final product. Ford promised 300 miles of range from the larger battery pack, but ended up with a final EPA range figure of 320 miles. As we know, EPA range figures can be deceiving, but Ford does have a great range estimation system that can give you a pretty accurate range under a variety of conditions, towing weights, and payloads. But, this extra 20 miles does show us that Ford managed to squeeze a little more efficiency out of the final design, which will give you a little more range under most conditions.

When you look at all of these things, none of them are huge. 20 horsepower, 235 pounds, and 20 miles of range aren’t game changers, but they do show that Ford didn’t just put out a “good enough” truck. They went the extra mile, and delivered all that they could.

Featured image by Ford.