A new milestone for electric vehicles has been achieved by Ford — the Ford F-150 Lightning will become the first electric truck to serve as the pace car for a NASCAR race. It joins the Mustang Mach-E, which served as the pace car at the Talladega Speedway last April, and an electric Ford Focus in 2012 as the only Ford electric vehicles that have served as a pace car. With two electric motors producing 563 horsepower, 775 pound-feet of torque, and a 0-60 time in the mid 4-seconds, the F-150 Lightning will easily handle its duties as the pace car.
The F-150 Lightning can easily handle work off of the track as well. Those 775 pound-feet of torque produced allow it to tow up to 10,000 pounds, and all-wheel drive is standard on all models. Additionally, the 5.5 foot crew cab allows truck owners to easily haul cargo without towing it. This cargo space is increased with the new front trunk that utilizes the empty space where the F-150's engine once was and can hold up to 400 pounds. All of these features allow the F-150 Lightning to easily handle all of the tasks that a gas truck owner needs, and more.
Ford has equipped the new F-150 Lightning with capabilities to connect to a home Ford Charge Station Pro and serve as a backup generator in case of a power outage and can supply three days of power if needed. Ford also plans to introduce Intelligent Power, which will use the car's stored battery charge for home usage during high-cost and peak energy hours, and will recharge it when power costs are lower.
On the road, the battery has 230-320 miles of range, plenty for daily use, and is rated by the EPA for 78 MPGe during city driving and 63 MPGe for highway driving. This efficiency and battery capacity is coupled with the F-150 Lightning's ability to charge from 15 percent to 80 percent of battery capacity in just 44 minutes.
All told, the F-150 Lightning is a bold entry into the electric truck space and can easily handle the demands of a working truck.