Here' s Why Ford Didn' t Build A Cheaper Single Motor F-150 Lightning CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Here' s Why Ford Didn' t Build A Cheaper Single Motor F-150 Lightning

Here' s Why Ford Didn' t Build A Cheaper Single Motor F-150 Lightning

May. 09, 2022 7:00 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Scoop / 8 Comments It makes a lot of sense. There may be diehard truck buyers who object to an all-electric pickup, but the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning could accomplish the tough task of changing their minds. And isn't that what an F-150 is all about... doing the tough tasks? This new, all-electric Lightning arrives with a dual-motor setup with power supplied by two battery pack sizes. The 98 kWh Standard Range model produces 452 horsepower, up from the original 426 hp estimate, and 775 lb-ft of torque. For comparison, the F-150 Raptor only produces 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbo V6. Buyers who want even more power can opt for the 131 kWh Extended Range battery, which dials the output to a whopping 580 hp. Ford clearly wanted the Lightning to exceed truck buyer's expectations, which is why the company decided not to offer a single-motor variant like many other EVs. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Speaking with F-150 Lightning Marketing Manager Jasen Turnbull, CarBuzz learned that Ford did consider building a less powerful model with only a single electric motor at the rear, and even created a prototype. "It couldn't meet our targets," Turnbull explained. "We looked at various factors such as towing, payload, and performance before deciding the capability would not be worthy of the F-150 badge." We quickly asked if that meant a single-motor setup would be more applicable on a smaller electric pickup truck like a Maverick or Ranger. To which Turnbull responded with a friendly, "no comment on future product." CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz Without the front motor (which produces equal power as the rear), the rear motor would be particularly overstressed on uphill grades while towing, a metric Ford seemed keen on for the Lightning. Though offering a single-motor variant would have potentially made the Lightning more affordable, Turnbull says it was not worth the trade-off in capability and it did not significantly improve the range. The Lightning already seems like a bargain starting at $39,974, though we imagine Ford will have trouble making dealers stick to that MSRP in this current market. CarBuzz CarBuzz CarBuzz

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Ford F-150 Lightning Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top