Will the Ford Lightning work for Fleets?
A couple of our team members have recently had the chance to experience the Ford F-150 Lightning in real life and we thought it would be worthwhile to add a quick update on if the Ford Lightning is meeting the needs of fleets. The takeaway - it’s a truck designed to do the work of a truck, is comfortable as roomy, and the storage in the frunk is extremely useful. We expect to see this truck in use by fleets of all types.
“Last month I had the opportunity to sit in the drivers seat of the new F-150 Lightning for the first time and it felt just right.”
My first vehicle was my dad’s hand-me-down, two-tone ‘89 F150 and boy did I love that truck. I begged my dad to let me buy it from him when I went to college. But I think he liked it, too, and wanted it back. I have to say, watching Ford’s launch of the F150 Lightning got me thinking about that truck (which had 2 gas tanks!) and how pickups serve so many purposes for people from coast-to-coast.
Honestly, at Sawatch, we were beginning to wonder if anyone was listening to fleets. We’ve been hearing from fleets for years that their electric pickup wishlist is quite simple:
4WD
Ability to haul and tow
Looks like a pickup
Priced affordably
Beyond my personal fondness for F150s, what got me even more excited about the launch last night was the price point for the commercial fleet series.
It seems that Ford has achieved the perfect blend of technology and practicality with the F-150 Lightning. From the exterior the truck remains distinctly F-150 with subtle nods to its electrified powertrain. From the front, the trucks enclosed grille is topped with an integrated light bar which connects its unmistakable F-150 headlights. This design feature lends the truck a tough, futuristic appearance. The traditional blue oval is shifted from the center of the tailgate and an attractive American flag emblem has been added, surely a nod to the trucks place of manufacture.
The interior of the Lightning will be very familiar to current model F-150 drivers. With the exception of the large, center console mounted screen, the truck has retained much of the look and feel of the existing F-150 lineup. The Lightning’s easy to navigate, familiar interior feels approachable. While I prefer manual control knobs over on screen buttons, the locations of the soft buttons are good and seem easy to use while driving. Overall it is easy to see why this truck has been such a massive sales success for Ford. A balanced combination of technology and every day practicality makes this truck very desirable.
We work with fleets all over the country that are trying to figure out how to meet their electrification targets and have been struggling because they haven’t had a pickup option. They don’t need a lot of range, they don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. If the commercial series F150 Lightning comes in just under $40K as they’re projecting, this truck might do the trick.
Our team jumped at the opportunity to see just how the Lightning would compare. Would it meet the driving needs every day? Would the total cost of ownership (TCO) be comparable? This morning we ran the analysis for one of our clients, a University fleet with aggressive electrification goals. We analyzed 4 months of driving data using our ezEV software. Of the 28 half-ton pickups in their fleet, seven are a good operational and economic fit for replacement with the Lightning. That means they can replace 25% of their pickups with the Lightning today, without financial incentives, without additional fleet discounts, and save money.
It’s exciting to get to share these types of results with our clients. If the Lightning is a good fit for so many vehicles in this relatively small fleet, we can’t wait to see what we can find for the rest of our clients. If you’re wondering “Will a Lightning work for my truck?", reach out, we’d love to find out right along with you.
