Ford F-150 Lightning in the test: then with violence

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The first impression:

chunky, but also chummy.

So very different from Tesla's Cybertruck in Startrek design and Rivian's R1T with spaceship cockpit.

That's what the manufacturer says:

"That's the right big thing," says Darren Palmer about the F-150 Lightning.

The chief developer for electric vehicles at Ford says: It is a car for the masses.

The F-150 has been the best-selling car in the USA for almost 50 years.

"Now we're opening up a completely new target group for electromobility and paving the way for it to spread throughout society." It is unlikely that Americans will switch from pick-ups to other, possibly even smaller, vehicles.

The new drive should make the segment even more attractive.

"We didn't just electrify our bestseller," says project manager Linda Zhang.

»We have reinvented the pick-up and created so many more possibilities.« The woman behind the macho car is currently being celebrated in the US media for this idea.

Zhang is particularly proud of the huge frunk, the 400 liter storage compartment in the bow.

In it, for the first time in a pick-up, sensitive cargo can be transported in a protected and locked manner.

She also likes to talk about the battery in the car floor.

You and half a dozen sockets turn the car into a mobile power station.

And to the civil protection officer: if requested, Ford partners can install the wall box in the home garage in such a way that the F-150 can supply the entire house with electricity.

A normal family can use the energy from the car battery for around three days.

That's a selling point in the US, where blackouts are common.

Thanks to such promises, the F-150 Lightning is something like a sign of life from the car dinosaur Ford. Many had already written off the manufacturer, like General Motors and Chrysler.

Ford is a bit ahead of the competition from Detroit and has already achieved respectable success with the Mustang Mach-E.

The electric pick-up should now also show Tesla limits.

“We want to become number 1 among electrical suppliers,” says Palmer.

For this he received a budget of 50 billion dollars from CEO Jim Farley.

Ford's e-mobility specialists are organized according to start-up structures.

Hierarchies and PowerPoint presentations are taboo, quick decisions are encouraged.

Model E is called the unit.

The name is reminiscent of the Model T, with which Ford introduced assembly line production a hundred years ago and revolutionized the automotive world.

Here's what we noticed:

The F-150 Lightning gives occupants a sense of being on top of things -- that's common in this class.

Overview is important in order to bring a colossus of almost six meters in length to its destination without a scratch.

The car exudes a lot of composure.

The ambiance feels familiar - apart from the huge touchscreen in front of the center console - along with the half-dozen cup holders, the refrigerator-sized storage compartment under the armrest and the living room-like seats.

Even the engine hum is still there – even if it is generated by a sound generator at the push of a button.

However, the habit effect collapses when the right foot lowers to the floor pan.

With a shock, the two electric motors with a total torque of 1050 Nm ram an invisible fist into the driver's stomach and catapult the three-ton colossus forward.

It goes from 0 to 100 km/h in well under five seconds - some Mustangs appear as lame nags.

But Ford hasn't installed that much power because the F-150 Lightning is supposed to be a sports car.

But the driving behavior is too sluggish, the steering too indifferent.

The pick-up needs the oomph for use on farms, in mines and on construction sites.

Or in your free time: A good tonne of payload as well as a horse or boat trailer on the hook should be moved comfortably.

The ample torque is helpful in sand, mud or snow at the latest.

Unlike in Europe, off-road driving is part of everyday life in the USA.

You have to know that:

The F-150 Lightning has been completely rebuilt.

It uses a skateboard architecture with a battery in the bottom and motors on the trucks.

In the case of the Ford, these are two electric motors with a total of 452 or 580 hp.

In addition, a battery with either 98 or 130 kWh storage capacity, which, according to the US standard, is sufficient for 370 or 515 kilometers.

Prices start at just under $40,000, the top version costs more than $90,000 with all the extras.

The F-150 Lightning is built in its own electric car plant in Michigan, for which Ford has invested 700 million dollars.

Production has started, demonstration cars will be available to dealers in May and the first cars to customers from July.

At the German Ford headquarters in Cologne, too, some are flirting with the F-150 Lightning.

After all, Ford intends to convert all passenger cars in Europe to battery-powered vehicles by 2030 – and all commercial vehicles by 2035.

An image-laden train number would fit.

But that won't happen any time soon.

Because in the USA more than 200,000 orders were received within a few weeks, which is why the electric F-150 cannot be ordered at all.

With a production capacity of 150,000 cars a year, it will take some time before the initial hype is over.

We won't forget that:

the little lightning bolt and the US flag on the tailgate.

They only catch the eye at second glance at the earliest.

But the symbols make it clear: This car should finally electrify the USA.

Thomas Geiger is a freelance author and was supported in his research by Ford.

Reporting is independent of this.