The Ford F-150 Lightning is one quick electric pickup truck, but it turns out it is quicker than originally advertised.
When the automaker announced the F-150 Lightning's targeted performance specs, it said the 0-60 mph sprint would take around 4.5 seconds when equipped with the Extended Range Battery. Now, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley has taken to Twitter to announce that the F-150 Lightning with Extended Range Battery needs under 4.0 seconds to complete the benchmark sprint, a half-second improvement.
Farley said the electric F-150 is "lightning fast" in his tweet, which was accompanied by a short clip showing the F-150 Lighting driving fast on a banked oval track. Farley's description is both fitting and accurate because full-size pickups are not supposed to reach 60 mph from a standstill in under four seconds.
This is a by-product of electrification, and we've also seen that with the quad-motor Rivian R1T, which can cover the same sprint in as little as 3.0 seconds. In both cases, we're talking supercar territory, and the fact a 6,600-pound (3,000-kilogram) pickup truck like the F-150 Lightning is able to deliver such neck-snapping acceleration is truly mind-boggling.
Buyers don't really need it, but it probably feels good to know your F-150 Lightning can smoke sports cars at the traffic lights. Asked whether only new F-150 Lightning vehicles get the improved acceleration, the executive made it clear that "this is just confirming official numbers on existing vehicles" after Ford had targeted mid-4 seconds.
As a reminder, the Ford F-150 Lightning with the Extended Range Battery features an optional 131-kWh pack that enables a driving range of up to 320 miles (515 kilometers) for the XLT and Lariat trims. The big battery powers two electric motors delivering a combined 433 kilowatts (580 horsepower) and 775 pound-feet (1,050 Newton-meters) of torque.
Jim Farley's announcement of the improved 0-60 mph time reminds us that Ford said before the start of deliveries that the F-150 Lightning would launch with more power, more range (320 miles versus 300 miles) and higher payload capacity than originally promised. It also comes not long after Ford revealed that the 2023 F-150 Lightning with the Standard Range Battery has a longer EPA-estimated range than initially announced: 240 miles versus 230.
One can't help but wonder whether this is part of a strategy from Ford to come out with improved specifications from time to time, even though it likely knew the F-150 Lighting's final acceleration and range figures from the get-go. Nevertheless, it's good news for owners and reservation holders.
