Ford F-150 Lightning’s range beats Rivian electric pickups, lags GMC

DETROIT – Ford Motor’s 2022 F-150 Lightning pickup will have an electric range of up to 320 miles, according to final Environmental Protection Agency estimates released Monday by the automaker.

The top range of the all-electric pickup is 20 miles higher than Ford initially estimated, placing it just above the range of the 2022 Rivian R1T, but still shy of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV.

The Rivian R1T with a larger optional battery pack is rated at up to 314 miles. The GMC Hummer Edition 1 pickup is at a GM-estimated 329 miles. Both are the only versions of the vehicles currently available.

Rivian and GM both confirmed longer-range options of the pickups will be available at later dates, including an R1T with a range of more than 400 miles and a Hummer pickup at 350 miles. Those models are not currently on sale.

While the F-150 Lightning has a lower range than the Hummer, it is more efficient. Both the Lightning and the R1T have a combined highway and city rating of 70 MPGe, an electric vehicle range equivalent for miles per gallon. The Hummer has a rating of 47 MPGe, about 33% less than the other pickups, according to Car and Driver.

Overall, the F-150 Lightning will come with a range of 230 miles, 300 miles or 320 miles, depending on model and size of the battery packs in the vehicles.

Ford is expected to start serial production of the F-150 Lightning shortly, with deliveries beginning in the spring. A work-oriented version of the F-150 lightning will start at about $40,000, while a high-end model will top out at about $90,000.

A Tesla pickup could one day lead the pack, but not yet. When CEO Elon Musk first unveiled his automaker’s Cybertruck in November 2019, he claimed versions of the angular electric pickup would have a range of 500 miles. Musk said in January that production of the pickup suffered several delays and is not expected until next year.