Pickup trucks were the longest holdout in the transition to electric vehicles, and for good reason. Their use cases are different, more diverse, and more challenging than anything a car or SUV deals with. They need to tow and haul and off-road as well as they commute, and those all take radically different skill sets. They’re also the bestselling vehicles in America and huge profit and loyalty centers for their makers. Ford absolutely had to get its first-ever electric truck right, and with the 2022 F-150 Lightning, it damn well did.
No joke: The Lightning is one of the most important pickup trucks—vehicles, really—in history. Forget early adopters, environmentalists, and technophiles. This truck has to convince construction workers, farmers, ranchers, surveyors, and everyday truck fans that electric pickups aren’t just viable but also desirable. That an EV truck not only can do the work but also do it better. Mission accomplished.
To get to brass tacks, the Lightning is the best-driving, best-riding, and best-handling F-150 you can buy. The only reasons not to buy one over a gas- or diesel-powered F-150 are that you have nowhere to charge at home, you actually tow hundreds of miles at a time on a regular basis, or you simply don’t like—or won’t let yourself like—electric vehicles. All other reasons are invalid.
