Historically, Ford applied the Lightning badge to the most on-road-oriented F-150 trim. The original F-150 Lightning debuted for the 1993 model year. With a 240-hp 5.8-liter V-8 under its hood, the 1993 F-150 Lightning required just 7.2 seconds to hit the mile-a-minute mark in our testing. Later F-150 Lightnings packed up to 380 hp courtesy of a supercharged V-8.
While prior F-150 Lightnings were masters of on-road performance, the new electric F-150 Lightning will likely trade some of its predecessors’ pavement pulverizing nature to emerge as a jack of all trades—just like any regular F-150. As such, we expect the forthcoming Ford EV to perform equally as well both on- and off-tarmac.
That said, the new truck’s straight-line speed is sure to impress, with Jim Farley, Ford’s chief executive officer, stating in a press release that the new Lighting “is even quicker than the original.” Admittedly, a 7.2-second trot to 60 mph isn’t exactly a high bar to clear, even if it is plenty quick for typical day-to-day driving.
