Ford Debuts All-Electric F-150 Lightning Pro for Commercial Businesses

On May 24, 2021, Ford Motor Co. debuted the all-new 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro – the first-ever all-electric F-Series truck purpose-built for commercial customers. The F-150 Lightning Pro is backed by a nationwide network offering EV-certified fleet sales, service and financing.

     F-150 Lightning Pro will be offered in a full-size four-door, five-passenger SuperCrew configuration. It features easy-to-clean vinyl seats along with standard SYNC 4 with 12-inch color LCD touch screen and 12-inch productivity screen, plus standard Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0 – a comprehensive collection of driver-assist features. A full-size spare tire is mounted under the 5.5-foot cargo bed – which has similar mounting points to the current F-150 for easy upfitting along with a standard Class IV hitch.

    The F-150 Lightning Pro offers a standard range battery and dual motor power 4x4 targeting 426 horsepower and a targeted EPA-estimated 230 miles of range. An available extended-range version targeting 563 horsepower and a targeted EPA-estimated range of 300 miles.

   Ford charging systems simplify EV integration into North American fleets with available 48- and 80-amp chargers to enable overnight charging with Level 2 AC plus Ford charge management solutions for home, public, and depot, while an electric vehicle telematics dashboard and OEM-grade electric vehicle data support fleet management.

    Under the hood, where an internal combustion engine used to be, is a spacious, high-tech cargo area complete with four 120-volt AC Pro Power Onboard electrical outlets and two USB ports. This rugged, water-tight space is strong enough to store 400 pounds of cement bags. Under the powered waterfall hood with bumper-height opening, this well-lit space can be locked, unlocked and accessed from either the remote key fob, an exterior button or from inside the vehicle. A one-way drain makes cleaning easy.

   The  4x4 F-150 Lightning Pro with the standard range battery targets an EPA-estimated 230-mile range and includes a complimentary 32-amp Ford Mobile Charger, making the transition affordable for small and medium-size businesses. Targeted to generate 426 horsepower and 775 lb.-ft. of torque with its standard lithium-ion battery, the base truck has a targeted 2,000-pound maximum payload capacity and is targeting up to 5,000 pounds of towing capability – and up to 7,700 pounds with the optional Max Trailer Tow package.

   Where more power, towing and range are needed, F-150 Lightning Pro can be optioned as an extended-range version with a targeted EPA-estimated 300-mile range. This version offers customers a targeted 563-horsepower 4x4 powertrain, while torque remains 775 lb.-ft. It includes an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro, which, when combined with the included onboard dual chargers, enables affordable Level 2 overnight charging using battery-friendly AC power – negating the need for expensive DC power installation. Equipped with the optional Max Trailer Tow Package, targeted maximum towing increases to 10,000 pounds.

     “More than 145 million miles of telematics data show that for the average F-150 commercial customer in the U.S., 95% of their daily travel is less than 174 miles,” said Ted Cannis, general manager, Ford North America commercial business.

    Pro Power Onboard is a built-in AC power source that comes standard with 2.4 kilowatts of capability through four outlets in the Mega Power Frunk, two more in the cabin and two in the bed. Available 9.6-kilowatt Pro Power Onboard – with enough power to rip up to 30 miles of half-inch plywood on a single charge on the extended-range battery – adds two more 120V and a 240-volt AC outlet in the bed. Both versions automatically adjust the truck’s battery range estimates as power is used. Fleet managers can set parameters for power usage. Should Pro Power Onboard deplete the battery charge level to the point the truck cannot reach a charge location, it will shut down automatically or based on a pre-determined customer setting to prevent the truck from becoming stranded.

   The truck’s Intelligent Range system reduces range anxiety through an adaptive monitoring system that calculates battery range needed to complete a trip, factoring in terrain, weather, cargo and trailer load, and distance to destination. That data is shared with the cloud-based Ford Power My Trip feature and SYNC 4, so customers can plan their routes and monitor charge use while driving. Should range become low, the system maps the nearest available charging station.

     Onboard Scales are available to monitor payload for even more accurate range calculations, while vehicle pre-conditioning – standard across the lineup – can manage cabin temperatures while plugged in to further optimize range. Acceleration and speed limiters come standard to further aid with range and driver safety.

Smart Charging Solutions

   F-150 Lightning Pro comes with a variety of standard and optional smart charging hardware accessories, while multiple available software technologies effortlessly manage charging data and charge transactions for turnkey fleet operation. This includes mapping, driver status and location, and fleet expenses.

    Charging hardware starts with the 32-amp Ford Mobile Charger, a 120/240-volt AC charger that’s included with the standard-range F-150 Lightning Pro. An optional higher-capacity 48-amp Ford Connected Charge Station runs on 240 volts while the available 240-volt, 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro further speeds up charge times for maximum AC home and fleet charging.

Ford is the only automaker to offer an 80-amp charge station as standard equipment with the extended-range truck, helping customers easily charge at home. It takes advantage of the only dual onboard charging system in the industry to cut the 15% to 100% charge time to around eight hours for the targeted EPA-estimated 300-mile-range battery for reliable AC overnight charging that can dramatically reduce charging infrastructure investments and battery wear.

    When rapid charging is needed on the road, customers can leverage the Ford Charging Network’s 150-kilowatt Level 3 DC fast charging locations that can deliver a 15% to 80% charge in less than 45 minutes – about the time for a typical lunch break.

EV Telematics Dashboard

     With the Ford EV Telematics dashboard active, vehicle data is shared seamlessly over the cloud so fleet managers can track vehicle health, status and range, log and pay for public charging events centrally, reimburse employees for home charging, remotely pre-condition the cabin while plugged in, and generate alerts and reports for depot and operational efficiency. 

    When activated, the standard 4G LTE modem unlocks a number of seamless connectivity services to help fleets optimize efficiency and lower operating costs. Electric vehicle-specific data, such as kilowatt-hour consumption, charge speed, distance to empty and more, are available to better understand how trucks are operating in real-time to optimize running costs and uptime.

     Additionally, the Ford Telematics and EV Telematics dashboard offer in-cab driver coaching, remote vehicle pre-conditioning and severe incident notifications to inform operators should their vehicles be involved in an accident where the airbag is triggered. Email and in-app alerts can relay the driver involved, as well as location and time of crash.