For The Year, Edmunds Named Ford’s F-150 Lightning Pickup the Top EV Pickup

For the last 46 years, the Ford F-150 pickup has been the market leader. No other truck has come near the iconic pickup line. Indeed, if you look strictly at the numbers, the last time there was any real challenge to the F-150 was in the late 1960s; no other truck line has approached the F-150 lineup for market leadership.

Over the years there have been challenges

It is not that others have not tried over the years. Indeed, back in the late 1960s, pickups were primarily utilitarian work trucks with short cabs, a single bench seat, and, at that time, more than likely a manual transmission. The pickups of that era were also likely to feature rear-wheel-drive, although four-wheel-drive work trucks were also out there.

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The four-wheel drivers likely had manual locking hubs. You had to get out of your truck and twist the center post of the wheel to get the hubs to lock. Once they were locked, you had to be careful because they remained locked no matter where or how you drove. This meant that it was easy to break things.

Also, you needed to drive the four-by-fours of that era fairly slowly as they were quite unforgiving (yes, the author did drive a number of these vehicles as a young automotive journalist, and I remember not only the weird sounds coming from the locked hubs but I also remember just how unforgiving they were).

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These trucks were, by and large, driven by six-cylinder powerplants, and yes, you could have a different powerplant under the hood. As noted, sixes tended to predominate, although you could also order an eight or a diesel.

Two doors, three doors, and four doors

It wasn’t until the last 30 years or so that you could order pickups that weren’t in the two-door mode. Now, you can order the same basic pickups that are little more than work trucks (two doors and a bench seat) or pickups with three and four doors. And you can also order pickups with turbocharged powerplants like the F-150’s EcoBoost. Indeed, there are single turbos and double turbos. Today’s turbos can easily kick out 400 horsepower. Also, the interiors are quite comfortable and range from dual bench seats to four captain-style seats.

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It is quite a different world that exists now for the pickup-buying customer. Indeed, today’s pickup lines at Ford now include the Ford F-150 Lightning, one of last year’s best-selling pickup trucks. The Lightning is a true electric, featuring a low-riding battery pack and a decent range. It isn’t inexpensive, as the Lightning can run up to well over $75,000 to $100,000 for a top-of-the-line model. It is quite a vehicle.

Edmunds Editor Comments

And, for the second year, it has been named the top electric pickup by Edmunds, one of the leading sources of information about vehicles.  Edmund’s editor-in-chief put it this way when talking about the F-150 Lightning:

“Building on the appeal of the gas-powered F-150, the Lightning combines extra versatility with effortless performance," said Alistair Weaver, Edmunds editor-in-chief. "With its broad capability and rugged appeal, it feels less like an electric truck and more like a truck that just happens to be electric.”

Ford Motor Photo

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971. His automotive articles have appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.