Buyers of the all-new electric F-150 may be in for a pleasant surprise, as critics believe it may have longer range than advertised.
Ford introduced the electric F-150 to great fanfare, including a test drive by President Biden. The company is offering the truck in two variations, one with 230 miles of range, and one with 300.
According to Darren Palmer, Ford’s head of EVs, the new F-150 Lightning is more likely to underpromise and overdeliver on its range estimates. Palmer told Business Insider that Ford tested the vehicles with a 1,000 pound payload and without a bed cover.
In real-world uses, many people will be driving the trucks without an additional 1,000 pounds in the bed, and some will use bed covers, both of which will have a positive impact on the range. The end result is that the F-150 Lightning may get more than advertised — which Ford is ok with.
The truck’s Intelligent Range software is also very accurate at estimating range based on how it’s currently being used and how it’s loaded. For example, when towing a trailer, drivers can input the dimensions and weight, which are factored into the calculations. The software also takes into account the route being driven, elevation, wind and other factors. All of this is designed to help build customers’ confidence and help ease “range anxiety.”
“It says what it does and it does what it says,” Palmer told BI.