Ford Introduces the Sub $40,000 F-150 Lightning Pro Electric Pickup for Commercial & Fleet Customers

author: Eric Walz   

Next spring, commercial truck customers will be able to buy the new Ford F-150 Lightning Pro, a commercial version of the automaker's new Lightning electric pickup unveiled last week. The gas-powered F-Series pickups are widely popular with commercial customers, so the company made sure its new electric F-150 comes ready to meet the needs of its commercial and fleet customers.   

The 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro is the first-ever all-electric F-Series truck purpose-built for the commercial truck market. It will join Ford's E-Transit van in the growing lineup of work-ready EVs as the company expands into the commercial truck market with battery-powered models.

"F-150 Lightning Pro represents so much more than an electric workhorse - it's made for commercial customers inside and out, it gets better over time, and it's totally plugged into always-on services that can help business productivity," said Jim Farley, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company. "As more companies make the commitment to go carbon neutral, they are going to expect electric products that can integrate into their operations easily."

The surprisingly affordable Lighting Pro models will help commercial customers make the switch to zero-emissions electric vehicles.

Ford has priced the Lightning Pro just below $40,000, with an MSRP of $39,974. For the sub $40,000 price, it will come with a standard range standard lithium-ion battery and a dual motor setup with 4-wheel-drive. Ford is targeting 426 horsepower and 775 lb-ft. of torque with an EPA-estimated range of 230 miles, which is enough for a majority of Ford's commercial customers.

"More than 145 million miles of telematics data show that for the average F-150 commercial customer in the U.S., 95% of their daily travel is less than 174 miles," said Ted Cannis, general manager, Ford North America commercial business. "Commercial customers track their business expenses closely – they buy what they need and not a penny more."

The base truck has a targeted 2,000-pound maximum payload capacity and is targeting up to 5,000 pounds of towing capability. Towing capacity increases to 7,700 pounds with the optional Max Trailer Tow package. 

An extended range version of the Lightning Pro will also be available with an MSRP of $49,974. Ford is targeting 563 horsepower and a targeted EPA-estimated range of 300 miles for this model. Torque remains the same as the base model. However, when equipped with the optional Max Trailer Tow Package, maximum towing capacity increases to 10,000 pounds.

The F-150 Lightning Pro includes a complimentary 32-amp Ford Mobile Charger, making the transition to electric vehicles more affordable for small and medium-size businesses, Ford says.

The extended range Lightning Pro offers an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro. When combined with the included onboard dual chargers it enables Level 2 overnight charging using  standard AC power, which eliminates the need for more expensive, DC powered charging infrastructure. An optional higher-capacity 48-amp Ford Connected Charge Station runs on 240 volts.

When rapid charging is desired, Lightning Pro customers can leverage the Ford Charging Network's 150-kilowatt Level 3 DC fast charging locations which can deliver a 15% to 80% charge in less than 45 minutes.

When the Lightning Pro arrives next year, it will be supported by a network of 644 electric vehicle-certified Ford Commercial Vehicle Centers and 2,300 EV-certified Ford dealers across the U.S. The Commercial Vehicle Centers will offer sales, service, financing and charging solutions, Ford said. 

Ford commercial customers have exclusive access to a new Ford digital fleet planning tool that calculates a variety of factors including purchase and lease costs, federal and regional tax incentives, and regional fuel and energy costs, in order to better gauge potential purchase and operating cost savings. 

The digital fleet planning tool will help demonstrate how Ford can provide improved total cost of ownership for a full-size commercial electric truck, including lower fuel and maintenance costs, according to Cannis.

F-150 Lightning Pro targets reducing scheduled maintenance costs by 40% over eight years or 100,000 miles, according to Ford.

The F-150 Lightning Pro's interior features easy to clean vinyl seats.

In order to ensure the Lightning Pro is rugged enough for daily commercial use, Ford says it conducted millions of miles of harsh testing at its facilities and on roads across the U.S. The battery and powertrain were thoroughly tested, including hundreds of charges and runs across rocks, stones, mud baths, up high grades in desert heat with and without trailers attached and in temperatures as low as minus 40-degrees fahrenheit.

The aluminum alloy body and steel frame has been upgraded to support and protect the battery pack. Steel underbody shields were added for extra protection of the battery housing and electric motors.

"Ford commercial trucks are the backbone for many of our customers' businesses, which is why we put them through testing so harsh, some areas can only be driven by robots," Cannis said. "This helps ensure that when we say the F-150 Lightning is Built Ford Tough, customers understand what that means for their business."

The Lightning Pro is also the first F-Series truck with independent rear suspension and low center of gravity, which reduces body roll and provides a more stable ride.

The F-150 Lightning Pro brings a host of new technologies and features never before offered in a commercial pickup, including a massive cargo space with the gas engine once was. The lockable cargo space up front includes four 120-volt AC Pro Power Onboard electrical outlets and two USB ports. It's also water-tight and can hold cargo weighing up to 400 pounds. 

"When we first showed this design to our commercial truck customers, they were floored," said Cannis. "They appreciated the ability to quickly lock their tools and gear up front, while saving their cargo bed for supplies and other equipment to get the job done."

F-150 Lightning Pro will be offered in a full-size four-door, five-passenger SuperCrew configuration. It features easy-to-clean vinyl seats along with Ford's standard SYNC 4 with 12-inch color LCD touch screen and 12-inch productivity screen. Also included is Ford's Co-Pilot360 advanced driver assist system (ADAS). 

The F-150 Lightning Pro will be built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

Reservations for both versions of the Lightning Pro are open as of today at Fleet.Ford.com.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.