Considering making the switch to electric and eyeing the Ford F-150 Lightning? As content creators at cardiagxpert.com and seasoned auto enthusiasts, we’ve spent a year living with the all-electric F-150 Lightning in the Midwest, and we’re here to deliver an in-depth, real-world Ford Lightning Review. Forget generic specs; we’re diving into the nitty-gritty of daily life, road trips, charging, and even winter performance with this groundbreaking electric truck.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll cover:
- Ford F-150 Lightning Tech Specs: A breakdown of our Platinum model and key features.
- Why Electric? Our Truck Story: Understanding our needs and motivations for choosing the Lightning.
- Real-World Range in the Midwest: What to actually expect for range, and how it fits our lifestyle.
- Charging at Home and On-the-Go: Home setup, workplace charging, costs, and public charging experiences.
- Electric Road Trip Adventures: Midwest road tripping with the Lightning, fast charging realities, and infrastructure.
- Conquering the Midwest Winter: Lightning performance in snow, ice, and cold temperatures.
- Sustainability and the Electric Truck Footprint: Examining the environmental impact of electric trucks.
Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum: Under the Hood (and Frunk!)
Let’s kick off this Ford Lightning review with the technical details of our specific model. We opted for the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum – the top-tier trim – to experience the full spectrum of what this electric truck offers.
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Battery and Range: Crucially, we chose the extended range battery. This means a substantial 131 kWh battery pack, providing an EPA-estimated range of 300 miles on a full charge. This extended range was a key factor in our decision, addressing range concerns often associated with electric vehicles.
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Performance and Capability: The Lightning Platinum is a powerhouse. It boasts All-Wheel Drive (AWD) thanks to dual electric motors – one on each axle. The battery pack is strategically positioned along the floor, contributing to a low center of gravity and enhanced stability. Despite being electric, it retains impressive truck capabilities: towing up to 8,600 lbs and a payload capacity of 1,565 lbs.
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Charging Ecosystem:
- Portable Charger: Ford includes a portable Level 1 & 2 charger. This versatile charger is a permanent fixture in our truck, providing charging flexibility wherever we go.
- Bidirectional Charging: The Lightning is equipped with a game-changing bidirectional charger, enabling “vehicle-to-home” power. While we haven’t yet activated this feature, it’s a major draw, especially as we integrate solar and home battery storage. Stay tuned for updates on this feature in our ongoing Ford Lightning review.
1. Why We Went Electric: The F-150 Lightning in Our Family Life
Why an electric truck, and why the F-150 Lightning? This part of our Ford Lightning review delves into our personal motivations and how this EV truck fits into our lifestyle.
The F-150 Lightning has become our primary family vehicle. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. Having previously owned and loved a Ford Mustang Mach-E, we were already convinced about the viability of electric vehicles for our needs. Road trips in the Mach-E across the Midwest solidified our confidence in going fully electric. This led us to sell our last gasoline car and embrace the electric truck revolution.
How We Use Our Ford Lightning: More Than Just a Truck
The versatility of the F-150 Lightning is a standout feature in this Ford Lightning review. It’s far more than just a workhorse; it seamlessly integrates into various aspects of our lives.
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Camping and Outdoor Adventures: As avid nature lovers, the Lightning has become our ultimate camping companion. Sleeping in a tent in the truck bed offers a unique connection with nature. The abundance of power outlets in the bed and front frunk transforms camping into a comfortable “glamping” experience.
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Family and Friends: The Lightning’s spacious cabin comfortably accommodates five adults with ample room for luggage. This is invaluable when family and friends visit, especially with international visitors bringing extra baggage.
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Daily Commuting and Errands: From daily work commutes to grocery runs, the Lightning is a practical daily driver. The frunk (front trunk) is a game-changer for grocery loading, keeping the cabin clutter-free.
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Road Trips: Being our only vehicle, the Lightning handles long road trips to visit family in Michigan (500-600 miles). While not the most aerodynamic EV for extended journeys, it’s more than capable, proving its versatility in this Ford Lightning review.
2. Midwest Range Reality: What to Expect from Your Ford Lightning
Range is a crucial aspect of any EV discussion, and our Ford Lightning review wouldn’t be complete without addressing real-world range in the Midwest climate.
As early adopters of the F-150 Lightning in our area, we frequently encounter curiosity about its electric nature. The most common question? “What’s the range?”
The official EPA-estimated range for our long-range F-150 Lightning Platinum is 300 miles. However, it’s essential to understand that this is a standardized figure obtained under controlled lab conditions.
Why Real-World Range Differs from EPA Estimates
Like fuel efficiency in gasoline cars, EV range is influenced by numerous factors: driving style, weather, road conditions, traffic, and accessory usage (AC, heating). Everything from propulsion to climate control draws power from the battery, impacting the actual range you’ll experience.
In our experience with the Lightning in diverse Midwest conditions, we observe a range variation between 200 to 300 miles per charge. This fluctuation depends on driving habits, seasonal temperatures, and cargo load.
EV Range vs. ICE Fuel Efficiency: A Useful Analogy
Think of EV range like MPG in a gasoline car. MPG varies based on driving style, speed, towing, terrain, etc. Similarly, EV range isn’t a fixed number.
A key difference emerges in winter. Gasoline engines generate heat as a byproduct, aiding cabin heating. EVs lack this inherent heat source, relying on electric heating systems, which can impact range, especially in cold climates.
However, this lack of heat waste is a key reason EVs are more efficient. Gasoline cars are notoriously inefficient, converting only about 30% of fuel energy into motion, with the rest lost as heat. EVs, conversely, achieve 90-95% efficiency by directly converting battery energy into motion, minimizing wasted energy.
Range Anxiety? Not for Us.
Range anxiety is a common concern for potential EV owners. In our Ford Lightning review, we emphasize that range has not been a significant issue for us. For daily driving and shorter trips within a 100-mile radius, we rarely even check the battery level. We typically use only about half the battery capacity, easily replenished by home or workplace charging.
Range becomes a factor primarily on road trips. However, with readily available tools and resources for planning charging stops, we approach road trips with “charging awareness,” not “range anxiety.” We rely on trip planning apps to guide us to charging locations and optimize our routes, ensuring confident and stress-free EV travel.
3. Charging Life: Home, Work, and Costs
Charging is fundamental to EV ownership, and this section of our Ford Lightning review details our charging experiences at home and work, along with cost considerations.
Home charging is our primary method. We utilize our solar system and an Emporia Level 2 charger in our garage, connected to a 240V outlet. This setup has been completely reliable, providing seamless home charging for our Lightning.
Our truck is parked outdoors year-round. The Emporia charger cable is long enough to reach the truck parked outside, and we’ve installed an external mount for the charging handle for added convenience, even for visiting EV owners.
Workplace charging is an added perk. We have access to a commercial Level 2 charger from Cyber Switching. While permitting took some time, it’s now a valuable resource for EV-driving employees. For more on workplace charging, read this.
Charging Times: Beyond a Single Number
Charging times aren’t straightforward, as explained in this helpful video about EV charging options. Unlike refueling a gasoline car, EV charging offers multiple options depending on location and needs.
“Topping Off”: Our Preferred Charging Strategy
Whether at home or public chargers, we primarily use a “topping off” approach. Instead of fully depleting and then fully charging the battery, we charge in smaller increments, maintaining a consistent state of charge.
For example, our weekly commute is about 300 miles. Instead of starting the week at 100% and depleting it, we maintain a charge level around 50-60%. 60% charge provides about 180 miles of range in our Lightning. We set charging limits in the Ford app to control this.
This “topping off” strategy, charging for just 1-2 hours daily (adding about 40-50 miles of range per hour with Level 2 charging), offers flexibility and is beneficial for long-term battery health. Lithium-ion batteries with NMC cathodes prefer staying within an intermediate charge range (around 50%) for optimal lifespan, as detailed here and in this video.
Home Charging Costs: Before and After Solar
Before solar panel installation, home charging cost us 13-17 cents per kWh. For our 130 kWh battery, a full charge would be around $20 for 300 miles of range. With solar, our charging costs are significantly reduced, making electric vehicle ownership even more economical.
Workplace Charging Costs: Employer Dependent
Workplace charging policies vary. Systems like the Cyber Switching CSE1 allow employers to customize payment systems, potentially offering free charging, paid charging, or subsidized rates as employee benefits.
4. Road Tripping the Midwest in a Ford Lightning: Public Fast Charging Experiences
Initially hesitant about EV road trips, we’ve become confident EV travelers, even in the Midwest. This Ford Lightning review section shares our experiences with public fast charging and road trip planning.
Documenting our EV road trips on social media (Instagram @electrified.veronika and TikTok @ev_veronika) has become a passion. We enjoy sharing real-time stories of our trip planning and charging experiences, like this Instagram highlight.
Midwest Road Trip Reality: Wisconsin to Michigan
Our frequent trips from Wisconsin to Michigan provide excellent opportunities to showcase EV road tripping. Planning initially felt daunting, but with experience and the right tools, it’s become routine.
While OEM apps exist, we prefer “ABPR, A Better Routeplanner” for its advanced features. ABPR can integrate with your EV via an OBD2 dongle for real-time battery data, dynamically adjusting charging stops based on driving conditions. We use ABPR both offline for pre-planning and online during trips, finding it the most accurate and reliable route prediction tool.
Planning Your Electric Road Trip: Stop Strategies
When planning a longer trip, we typically check the route the day before. ABPR allows you to input your EV model, starting/ending charge levels, and charging preferences, ranging from “Few but long stops” to “Quickest Arrival” to “Short but many stops”.
Here’s an example of how these settings impact a Wisconsin to Northern Michigan trip:
- “Short but many Stops”: This strategy resembles our “topping off” approach, with frequent, shorter charging breaks. For our trip, this meant 5 stops between 6 and 23 minutes, adding about 40 minutes to the total travel time compared to the quickest arrival option. Ideal for those who prefer frequent breaks.
- “Few but long Stops” / “Quickest Arrival”: These options prioritize fewer, longer charging stops. For our trip, this meant one main charging stop, potentially for lunch or a longer break. Interestingly, total travel times are similar across these options, highlighting that the choice is largely based on personal preference.
Our preferred approach is a balance: a bathroom/brief charge in Chicago, followed by a longer lunch/dinner stop with a more substantial charge in Kalamazoo, and perhaps additional shorter stops as needed.
Factors Affecting Charging Times on Road Trips
Charging times on road trips depend on several factors:
- EV characteristics: Efficiency, charging speed (battery chemistry, size, voltage, thermal management).
- Charging infrastructure: Charger power output and availability at charging stations.
- Ambient temperature: Colder temperatures generally increase charging times.
- Battery State of Charge (SOC): DC fast charging is most efficient between 10% and 80% SOC.
Apps like ABPR dynamically account for these factors, providing real-time updates and simplifying the complexities of EV road trip charging.
DC Fast Charging Costs: Public Charging Networks
DC fast charging costs vary based on location, provider, and charging speed. In the US, providers like “Electrify America” and “EVGo” charge per kWh. While subscriptions are available, we haven’t found them necessary for occasional road trips.
Ford partners with Electrify America through “Plug and Charge,” similar to the Tesla Supercharger experience. This allows automatic payment setup via the Ford app for seamless charging at Electrify America stations, often incentivized by Ford-provided charging credits upon EV purchase.
Current DC fast charging costs in Illinois and Michigan are around $0.48/kWh, a noticeable increase from ~$0.31/kWh we observed last year. A recent 50-minute charging session cost us $45.79, as shown in this receipt.
Midwest Charging Infrastructure: Adequate, but Room for Growth
Is the Midwest charging infrastructure sufficient? Yes and no. Urban areas and major cities are reasonably well-served, but rural areas lag behind. The network is constantly expanding, however.
Wisconsin’s northern regions need charging infrastructure improvements for easier EV travel. For our typical routes (west, south, and through Chicago to Michigan), charging stations are adequate. However, station density decreases further north.
The debate about EV range sufficiency is tied to charging network density. In our view, 300 miles of range is sufficient with a robust and reliable public charging network.
Road Trip Charging Downtime: How We Spend It
Charging stops offer breaks during road trips. Activities depend on charger locations. Some are conveniently located near shopping centers or restaurants, while others are more isolated. Planning ahead and checking charger amenities using apps is essential, especially for late-night charging.
Shorter stops (10-20 minutes) are for bathroom breaks or coffee. Longer stops (45-60 minutes) allow for meals. If amenities are limited, we stay in the car and stream entertainment.
Charging Problems? Rare, but Plan for Flexibility
We’ve been fortunate to avoid major charging issues that have disrupted our road trips. Occasionally, a charger at a station may be out of service, but we’ve always found alternatives at the same location. Only once did we have to wait for another EV to finish charging.
While charger reliability can require some flexibility and added planning time, it hasn’t resulted in any emergencies for our road trips.
5. Ford Lightning in the Midwest Winter: Cold Weather Performance
Midwest winters are demanding, but EVs perform well even in harsh conditions. Norway’s high EV adoption (73% of new cars) despite snowy winters and cold temperatures demonstrates this. Our Ford Lightning review includes our winter driving experiences.
Cold Weather EV Range: Expect Some Reduction
Yes, EV range decreases in winter, a common question we encounter.
“Cool truck! What’s the range?” “But what about winter range?”
Two primary factors cause winter range loss:
- Battery Efficiency: Lithium-ion batteries (NMC chemistry) perform optimally between 50°F and 86°F (10°C to 30°C). Efficiency drops at lower temperatures. EVs use thermal management systems to heat batteries in cold weather to mitigate this.
- Increased Energy Demand: Heating the battery, cabin, and defrosting windows consumes battery power, reducing energy available for driving.
This results in up to a 30% range reduction in winter compared to summer for our Lightning.
Data from Recurrent Auto, analyzing 7,000 EVs, shows winter range losses up to 33% across various EV models, depending on the vehicle.
Winter Driving Adjustments: Preconditioning and More
While range loss is unavoidable, we make some adjustments for winter driving with the Lightning. Our truck is parked outdoors year-round, often covered in snow.
- Preconditioning: We utilize the FordPass app to precondition the battery and cabin while the truck is plugged in. This warms the battery and cabin using grid power, minimizing range impact when driving.
We haven’t yet tested towing in winter with the Lightning, but will update this Ford Lightning review when we do.
6. Sustainability and Electric Trucks: Environmental Considerations
“Why does everyone in the US need a truck? Can’t they drive more efficient cars?” This sentiment, often from European perspectives, has some validity. While some may drive oversized vehicles unnecessarily, many rely on trucks for work and practical purposes.
In the Midwest, truck culture is prevalent, and for us, the electric truck aligns with our lifestyle, serving as a work truck, adventure vehicle, and family car. Being our only vehicle and primarily charged by solar, it’s an efficient solution for our needs.
But are electric trucks truly sustainable? This section of our Ford Lightning review examines their environmental impact through lifecycle assessments (LCAs).
Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs): A Holistic View of Environmental Impact
LCAs evaluate the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life cycle: raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal/recycling. LCAs are crucial for comparing EVs to gasoline cars and assessing the environmental footprint of different vehicles.
LCA Considerations for Electric Cars:
- Raw material extraction and processing for batteries (lithium, cobalt, nickel).
- EV component manufacturing (motors, electronics).
- Energy used in vehicle manufacturing.
- Energy consumption during vehicle use (charging from different electricity sources).
- Vehicle maintenance impacts.
- End-of-life considerations: recyclability and component reuse.
- Battery disposal/recycling.
LCA Considerations for Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Cars:
- Raw material extraction and processing (steel, aluminum, plastic).
- ICE component manufacturing (engine, transmission).
- Energy used in vehicle manufacturing.
- Fuel production and distribution (extraction, refining, transportation).
- Energy consumption during vehicle use (fuel combustion and emissions).
- Vehicle maintenance impacts (oil changes, filters).
- End-of-life considerations: recycling/disposal.
- Exhaust emissions and air pollution.
Numerous LCAs compare EVs to ICE vehicles. A 2022 study by University of Michigan and Ford researchers compared greenhouse gas emissions of ICEVs, HEVs, and BEVs (battery electric vehicles).
This study found that BEVs (sedans, SUVs, and pickup trucks) have approximately 64% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than ICEVs on average across the US. Find the full study here.
Carbon Counter: Evaluating Vehicle Emissions Against Climate Targets
“CARBONCOUNTER.com” is a tool developed by MIT Trancik Lab (based on this study) for comparing vehicle lifecycle emissions and costs against climate targets. This interactive tool allows customization of:
- Fuel, electricity, and hydrogen prices.
- Electricity source for charging (state/location-specific).
- Annual driving distance and vehicle lifetime.
The tool displays ~200 vehicles categorized by propulsion type (ICE black, hybrids red, BEVs yellow, hydrogen blue). The turquoise line represents the 2030 climate target. Even with the current US average electricity grid mix, most EVs are below the 2030 target.
Electric Trucks and 2030 Emission Targets:
Filtering Carbon Counter for AWD pickup trucks reveals gas-powered versions and the F-150 Lightning and Rivian electric trucks. Based on this tool, even with the US average electricity grid, these electric trucks do not meet the 2030 emission targets.
Electricity Source Impact on Electric Truck Emissions:
Changing the electricity mix in Carbon Counter to Wisconsin’s (coal-heavy) shows slightly worse results. California’s electricity mix (cleaner) significantly improves emissions for electric trucks.
Charging our Lightning primarily with solar at home likely places our emissions closer to or better than California’s grid. However, road trips using the public grid impact this.
Focusing solely on EVs in Carbon Counter and transitioning to “cleaner” electricity grids demonstrates the sustainability potential of EVs. With a “100% low carbon electricity grid” (like solar), EVs already meet the 2050 emission target. While EV emissions aren’t zero (due to manufacturing, materials, recycling), the progress is substantial.
Conclusion: One Year with the Ford F-150 Lightning – Our Verdict
After a year of Ford F-150 Lightning review and ownership, our conclusion is simple: we love it. Not a single day have we missed a gasoline vehicle. The Lightning genuinely fits our lifestyle.
Future improvements we’d like to see for the Lightning and EVs in general:
- Lower vehicle costs.
- Infotainment enhancements, especially navigation and route planning.
- Improved data access (battery SOC history, EV data) compared to competitors.
- Greener and denser DC fast charging grids and better charging station locations (highway rest stops).
Anything else you’d like to know about our Ford Lightning review experience?
#EV Electrified Veronika
*E**xpertise, Empathy, Enthusiasm*
