2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Clocks 0-60 MPH In Less Than Four Seconds

Oct. 26, 2022 9:42 AM ET by Gerhard Horn Electric Vehicles / 10 Comments

That's mighty quick for a 6,000-pound plus EV truck.

Ford's CEO, Jim Farley, recently posted a tweet stating that the official 0-60 mph time of the F-150 Lightning with the Extended Range Battery is now under four seconds. It doesn't say how far under four seconds, but it's still mighty impressive for an EV pickup that weighs more than 6,000 pounds.

The cheapest way into a Lightning with the Dual eMotor setup and the Extended Range Battery is in XLT trim. Even then, you have to hand over $83,269, including destination charges, but not the $7,500 tax rebate, which will be included at the point of sale from 1 January 2023.

https://twitter.com/jimfarley98/status/1584593279018209280

2022-2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Rear Angle View

It's worth keeping in mind that the price mentioned above is for the 2023 Lightning. The current model year is sold out, but there is hope for next year.

Equipping the Lightning with the 131-kWh Extended Range (ER) battery takes the power up to 580 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque. With the ER bolted underneath the XLT, it also takes the EPA-estimated range up to 320 miles, which is higher than Ford initially quoted when the Lightning was new. It seems Ford has a history of sandbagging, except when it comes to towing.

Thanks to the new 0-60 mph time, the Ford easily beats the recently launched GMC Sierra EV and its cousin, the Silverado EV. Even though both produce more than 700 horses, they can only sprint to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

2022-2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Side View Driving

The Lightning is not the fastest EV around, however. The Rivian R1T can reach 60 mph in about three seconds, while the 9,000-lbs Hummer EV pickup can hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

How does it stack up against ICE trucks, however? The standard F-150 Raptor sprints to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, but there are no performance figures for the Raptor R. We know the Raptor R is not as brisk as the Ram TRX, which has a claimed 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. Earlier this year, we spoke to Ram's CEO, Mike Koval, who said that the actual figure was somewhere in the threes. Ford isn't the only company sandbagging.

Does this mean anything? Not really. The sacred 0-60 mph time exists purely because humans love to quantify things using numbers, but out in the real world, it means less than zero.

Still, it makes for exciting car conversation, and that's why we're all here in the first place.