Get Hotcars Premium. Start your free trial today

The F-150 is a staple of American culture and the new F-150 Lightning seems to want to continue this trend, even when the last of the oil has gone.

The Ford F-150 has been part of the American auto industry since the late 1940s and has become one of the most popular private and commercial vehicles on the planet. It has been sold in multiple configurations, been powered by different propulsion methods, and it's had many trims. Now, it adds an entirely new version to its catalog.

The current F-150 is among the best ever made, but it's on the verge of becoming a bit boring. Yes, the truck is capable, practical and tough, but it mostly looks like a relatively generic pickup. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the perspective, but it must be said that Ford has done some pretty amazing things to spice up the range. For one, the current F-150 Raptor is a beast with its new look and awesome exhaust system. Moreover, Ford has announced and unveiled the new Raptor R – a supercharged V8 version to fight with the RAM TRX and possibly claim the ridiculously powerful pickup truck crown. But they have also gone the complete opposite way and have gotten rid of the engine entirely, instead fitting two electric motors and some batteries – doing what Tesla still haven’t been able to do.

So, the F-150 is a staple of American culture – both in a practical and a ridiculous sense – and the new F-150 Lightning seems to want to continue this trend even when the last of the oil has been used up. With that, here are eight things we like about the new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning.

Related: A Closer Look At The Awesome 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro SSV Electric Police Vehicle

The Ford F-150 Lightning is – for the moment – a unique vehicle. Its only rivals are the GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T, but unlike those two competitors, the Lightning is completely unpretentious. Whereas the Hummer and the Rivian take the more futuristic approach, the Lightning is just a normal F-150.

It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it always was. The Lightning still has all the comforts and capabilities of a regular EcoBoost or Coyote-powered truck, but with the added benefit of having a trunk in the front. It is really rather good, actually.

All current F-150 Lightnings are fitted with dual motors, one on each axle, and provide permanent all-wheel-drive. The base configuration produces 452 hp and has 775 lb.ft of torque. The smaller battery version also supports a 2,000 lb payload. The higher specification produces 580 hp and the same amount of torque. The larger battery provides a stronger chassis, which means it has a payload of around 2,235 lbs.

The great thing about the Lightning is that it has independent rear suspension, unlike the normal F-150, so it handles better and with more precision. It also helps the driver to control the 6,600 lb weight of the entire vehicle.

The F-150 lightning has three different specifications – Standard, Extended and Platinum. The Standard spec has a 98 KWh battery pack, coupled to the less powerful motors, offering around 230 miles of range. The Extended specification has the same power figures, but is fitted with the 131 KWh battery, boosting range to 320 miles.

Finally, the highest spec Lightning is the Platinum. It is fitted with the larger battery and the more powerful motors, resulting in around 300 miles of range. These are claimed ranges, so be weary of them as MotorTrend tested a Platinum and only got around 255 miles out of a full charge.

The Lightning has some pretty impressive towing capabilities. Ford showcased this by having a prototype tow a 1.25-million-pound train – setting a world record in the process. The standard truck – while having an impressive towing capacity – isn’t quite as good at it.

The Standard and Extended models have a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs, while the Platinum – with the larger battery and more power – has a capacity of 7,700 lbs. Ford offers a Towing package which strengthens the chassis and adds electronic aids, upping the towing capacity to an impressive 10,000 lbs. Unfortunately, the range takes a huge hit when towing, in many cases reducing the 300-mile range to just 90 miles.

Related: This Ford F-150 Lightning Has Some Serious Pulling Power

The F-150 Lightning has some pretty cool features in and around the vehicle. The best feature is the front trunk – often referred to as a ‘frunk’ – as pickup trucks don’t really have safe and concealed spaces to store valuable items.

Other features include the multitude of power outlets all around the vehicle, making it easy to plug in a camping refrigerator or power tools. The Lightning can also work as an energy storage unit, which can be used to power an entire house for around three days – according to Ford, however this still needs to be tested independently.

Related: Towing Contest Sees A Ford F-150 Lightning Pickup Vs A GMC Sierra Denali

The Lightning – other than its awesome name – also has a sense of humor. One of the extra parts the owner of an F-150 Lightning can get is a charging adapter which works on most EVs. The funny thing about it is the fact that it says ‘compatible with all Tesla Vehicles’, taking a dig at the most valuable automaker on the planet.

While it's quite funny, it does showcase that the Lightning will be able to charge other electric vehicles using its own battery – which is a pretty cool feature. This gives the Lightning the electric vehicle equivalent to giving a car a Jerry can of gasoline when it runs out of juice.

The Ford Raptor is one quick truck, easily posting a 0-60 mph time of just 5.2 seconds. The base F-150 Lightning with the smaller battery and lower power can do the same test in 5.5 seconds – not bad for a vehicle which weighs nearly 1,000 lbs heavier than the Raptor.

The Lightning Platinum on the other hand, is easily able to complete the 0-60 sprint in just 4.0-seconds thanks to the added power. This is still nearly a second off the likes of the Rivian and Hummer but is only 0.3 seconds off the RAM TRX. Not bad at all.

Related: The New Ford F-150 Raptor R Is An Offroad Beast

The Ford F-150 Lightning is the right vehicle at the right time as its main competitors – the upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV and RAM EV truck are still a little while off. Its current rivals, the Rivian and Hummer EV are both great vehicles, but they are in a completely different class, costing almost double what the base Lightning costs.

This means that the Lightning is – for the moment – in a league of its own, filling a segment which will soon most likely become overwhelmed, especially in the US. This puts the Lightning in the same position as the original Mustang was – taking command and dominating the class. Sure, the Silverado and RAM EV trucks will be hits and sell hundreds of thousands of units, but Ford got to it first. This seems to have become a bit of a trend.

Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate - Adopt a V8.