The new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is coming out this spring to dealerships all over the country, and Ford has recently shown off the specifics of the rigorous testing the electric pickup truck had to pass before its development program could be officiated.
Specifically, Ford engineers spent two weeks in the heart of Alaska in minus 30-degree temperatures to continue fine-tuning the F-150 Lightning pickup’s performance on low-traction surfaces like snow and ice, and in extreme cold to give customers maximum confidence. The F-150 Lightning was definitely up to the challenge, enduring everything the cold could muster at a restricted military base.
The cold-weather test also enabled the engineers to test the truck's performance on slippery surfaces like ice and snow. This way they could fine tune how the powertrain adjusts power delivery in low traction and in low temperatures. Those adjustments are made within milliseconds, giving the vehicle a very different feel to F-150s with internal-combustion power, according to Ford.
“F-150 Lightning in the snow is a very different ballgame compared to gas vehicles,” said Nick Harris, F-150 Lightning powertrain engineer. “The responses are extremely quick and the dual motors make it as if you have two engines pumping out power in one vehicle. A lot of our work is to coordinate the two motors to work together to best deliver torque to the ground, so that customers who drive in the snow and ice ultimately feel very confident.”
A dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain is standard in the F-150 Lightning, though buyers will be able to choose between 426- and 563-hp outputs, and between batteries with estimated ranges of 230 and 300 miles. The truck also comes with an electronic-locking rear differential and various drive modes.
Engineers are able to adjust the calibration in real-time while testing, helping to maximize efficiency during the 12-hour test days. In addition to Alaska, the F-150 Lightning powertrain team has conducted low-mu testing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Borrego Springs, Johnson Valley, and at Ford’s Michigan Proving Grounds near Romeo.
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