The most important EV of the decade? We drive the F-150 Lightning

Enlarge / At first glance, this could be any other Ford F-150 pickup, but the aerodynamic wheels and nose treatment mark it out as the all-electric F-150 Lightning. This is the top-spec Platinum trim. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Simply put, the Ford F-150 Lightning is the most important new electric vehicle we'll drive for some time. Auto journalists can be accused of using that cliché all too readily, but in this case, I think it's defensible. Americans love pickup trucks more than any other four-wheeled vehicle, and when it comes to pickup trucks, they love Ford's F-series enough that it has been the nation's bestseller for almost as long as I've been alive.

Making a fully battery-electric version of its favorite pickup therefore seems like a good way to spur adoption of electric vehicles in a country that's lagging behind Europe and China. But only if the truck is any good. Part of the reason Ford sells so many F-series trucks is that many of them are put to work, pulling trailers or hauling heavy loads in their beds. And it's just as important to decarbonize those trucks, which means that a stripped-down electric F-150 has to be able to cut it on the job site just as much as in the role of a suburban dad's fully loaded commuter pickup.

To a casual observer, there's little that marks the F-150 Lightning as being anything other than just another F-150 with a super crew cab and a 5.5-foot bed. Instead of an open grille, there's a more aerodynamic treatment at the front, plus some distinctive daytime running lights. The alloy wheels' surfaces are more disc-like than you'd normally see. And if you look carefully, you'll spot the occasional lightning bolt. The cab is light and airy thanks to large glass moonroofs, and there's plenty of room in the back for large adults.