F-150 Lightning = Confirmed Name of the F-150 Electric Pickup!

Ford F-150 Lightning Name Will Return for Electric Pickup
Ford's upcoming electric F-150 will bear the same name as V-8–powered street trucks from the '90s and early 2000s.
By Connor Hoffman
Apr 30, 2021

Illustration by Car and Driver/FordCar and Driver

• Ford's upcoming electric pickup truck will be called the F-150 Lightning.
• The name was first seen on the V-8–powered SVT F-150 Lightning from the 1990s.
• The new electric truck will have a dual-motor setup with all-wheel drive and arrive next year.

Ford's new electric pickup truck will be named the F-150 Lightning, according to a Ford document provided to Car and Driver. It's a name that was first seen on the SVT F-150 Lightning street truck that was introduced for 1993 on the ninth-generation truck and then followed on the 10th generation. The electric Ford F-150 Lightning will go on sale in the middle of next year.


2001 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning

The document shows the new name alongside a reference to the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover and E-Transit electric cargo van. When we reached out to Ford to confirm, a spokesperson responded that "we're excited to introduce the all-electric F-150 very soon, but we don't comment on speculation about future products."

Ford drew a lot of attention when it applied the Mustang name to its first electric crossover, and now the electric version of its best selling pickup will revive a legendary nameplate from V-8–powered street trucks. Ford sold 787,422 F-Series trucks last year, and the new electric model will go against other upcoming electric pickups such as the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, electric Chevy Silverado, and Tesla Cybertruck—all of which claim more than 350 miles of range.

Ford hasn't released many details on the F-150 Lightning's powertrain, but it will have a dual-motor setup providing all-wheel drive. Ford says the electric F-150 will provide more horsepower and torque and the fastest acceleration of any F-150 currently on the market. That means it'll have more than 450 horsepower and do zero to 60 mph in less than 5.0 seconds. In our 2001 test, the SVT F-150 Lightning launched to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds on its way to a 13.8-second quarter mile at 104 mph.

We expect the F-150 Lightning's battery pack to provide more than 300 miles of range since the longest-range Mustang Mach-E is EPA-rated at 305 miles of driving range. Ford also patented a removal range extender that could go in the truck's bed.

The Ford F-150 Lighting and its batteries will be produced at a new electric vehicle facility at Ford's Rouge Center in Dearborn, Michigan. It will arrive in mid-2022.

Damn, I should really wait on this

I always assumed that everyone who said that the F-150 EV would be called Lightning was simply joking and that it would never, ever happen. Boy, was I wrong. Personally speaking, I think that "Lightning" is an absolutely appropriate name for something like this. It's certainly better than Ford it simply making it another extension of an XLT, Lariat, or some other trim currently made. If they had done that, I just think that wouldn't be creative enough. So yeah, Lightning is perfect.

F150ROD said:

Damn, I should really wait on this

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Not me… living in a fairly remote place calls for way more than a 300 mile range. I’m not convinced that an EV will preform very well at -40

I really hope the grille doesn't have that ridiculous "lightning" name on it. People just want a normal-ish looking EV. It doesn't need to be crazy. The fuel-powered F150 sells like hotcakes. Make the electric one look like that with good range and good power and that's it

spectre446 said:

I really hope the grille doesn't have that ridiculous "lightning" name on it. People just want a normal-ish looking EV. It doesn't need to be crazy. The fuel-powered F150 sells like hotcakes. Make the electric one look like that with good range and good power and that's it

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That's just a rendered image for purposes of this article.

The portable range extender aka gas powered generator.

I guess the name Lightning for the EV F-150 makes sense, but I was hoping it would be reserved for another high performance street variant.

spectre446 said:

I really hope the grille doesn't have that ridiculous "lightning" name on it. People just want a normal-ish looking EV. It doesn't need to be crazy. The fuel-powered F150 sells like hotcakes. Make the electric one look like that with good range and good power and that's it

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I don’t now they will go after a younger market with this because it will be cooler and hip and more woke

Ford actually naming is pretty good on this one instead of calling a suv a mustang and a off roady escape a bronco sport

I get that the Lightning name seems appropriate for the electric version, but that name really should be reserved for another high performance street version of the pickup.
Regurgitating old names for a new product is kind of annoying to me.
The new Charger has too many doors.
The Mach E— too many doors and a total lack of imagination in the naming process. Doesn’t “Mach” denote high speed performance?

Did not care for the Impala SS of the mid 90s—again, too many doors.

If a nameplate is to be renewed, I am of the opinion it should at least try to retain some of the nostalgia..

What about towing/hauling? I would imagine the payloads and gross wt will be high but will the Forest Service add charging stations in the middle of the woods?

I like the name and will be a potential customer down the road for such a beast.

currybob said:

I like the name and will be a potential customer down the road for such a beast.

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I'll take one in Lightning Blue with black accents and a Stanley Cup, please.

I hope they prioritize range while towing. Most current EVs get about half their stated range while towing, which would make this a non-starter.