It's the talk of the automotive town; it's on the lips of every major truck enthusiast out there, and it's coming soon to a Rhinebeck Ford dealer near you. What are we talking about? The Ford F-150 Lightning, of course. It's a complete departure from what most people have come to expect from Ford's highly popular light-duty pickup line. For the very first time ever, the F-150 is being turned into an all-electric vehicle, and that in itself poses some exciting times ahead for truck drivers.
But why exactly is an all-electric F-150 such a game-changer? What does that entail for the market, for Ford, and for you? Well, we're about to dive into the future of the truck industry, and the F-150 Lightning is potentially leading the way. There's a lot that will alter the way truck drivers get things done and what sort of things they can get done, thanks to the capabilities of the F-150 Lightning. So let's dive right into the main reasons why you need to be excited about the industry-altering Ford F-150 Lightning and why you should be planning a visit to Ruge's Ford.
#1 - Front and Rear Storage
One of the biggest problems with the pickup trucks for sale these days is that they don't have anywhere for you to store items besides the rear bed. They simply don't have trunks. What happens when you need to store sensitive material somewhere, or you have groceries, and it's raining out? With most trucks, if you don't have a tonneau cover, you're fresh out of luck. And even with tonneau covers, you have to pay top dollar for a quality cover. You could store your items in the rear passenger seats inside the cabin if you have a SuperCrew, but what happens when you have passengers occupying the rear seats? Again, fresh out of luck.
The exciting thing about the F-150 Lightning is that you no longer have to worry about any of your belongings being exposed to the weather by sitting in the rear bed. You also don't have to worry about the items moving or shifting around either. Why? Because the F-150 Lightning has a front trunk, better known as a frunk. You can store up to 400 pounds worth of cargo in the frunk. That's an impressive amount of space to work with and perfect for those who need a pickup that also has a compartment to store goods that aren't exposed in the rear bed. This gives both the utility and functionality of a traditional half-ton pickup but with secure storage space that you would find in a sedan.
#2 - Worksite-Ready Functionality
Many light-duty pickup trucks are designed to be work-ready. Great hauling and trailering capabilities. With the Ford F-150, it's a given that you're getting a truck that can tackle all of the ins and outs of payloads and towing. With the F-150 Lightning, in particular, you can expect to make use of a maximum payload capacity of 2,235 pounds and up to 10,000 pounds worth of trailering with the Max Trailer Tow Package equipped on the extended battery range version of the truck.
But worksite-ready trucks require more than just being able to tow and haul; they also have to be able to endure the harsh ins and outs of being used as on-site power generators, workstations, and sometimes as light sources. The good news for the F-150 Lightning is that it can accomplish all of those things and then some. You can use the onboard power for tools, generators, or external floodlights during dark winter days. Additionally, you can use the 360-degree zone lights available on the truck itself to light up an area in case the fixed work lights on-site aren't operable. You can also use the bed and tailgate surface as a makeshift workstation, proving the F-150 Lightning is perfect for every type of worksite activity.
#3 - Backup Power
You can use current vehicles to power some small devices, tools, and electronics. With a proper alternator, it's not uncommon for people to use their trucks or vans as generators. But who thought you could use a pickup to power an entire house for several days? Well, that's exactly what you can do with the Ford F-150 Lightning. The truck can not only be used for powering small electric devices but also full-on houses. Yes, houses. You won't get this kind of power from just any truck at a Rhinebeck Ford dealer, but you will find it in an F-150 Lightning.
With the standard 2.4-kilowatt onboard power and eight 120-volt outlets, you can easily charge devices or power up electronics with ease. But with the optional 9.6 kilowatts of onboard power and 240-volt outlet, you can use the F-150 Lightning for even more utilitarian tasks. With the intelligent exportable backup power, you can literally power a full-size home for up to three days. That's quite impressive. If a storm knocked out the power to your home and you need to keep the heat and lights on, you can rely on the Lightning to do so until the electric company can get out to your neighborhood. What's more, is that you can also use your smart device to connect to the truck to activate backup power or select and customize the power settings remotely. How cool is that?
#4 - BlueCruise
While every other item on this list is already exciting, none of them are as revolutionary as BlueCruise. What is BlueCruise? BlueCruise is the future. It is the next generation of technology and an evolution of Ford vehicles to make your life on the road easier, less stressful, and more comfortable. How? Well, by being a hands-free, semi-autonomous driving-assist system so that you no longer have to worry about what's on the road. This means you can relax the entire way to your destination.
Making use of the Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assists and technology, the BlueCruise combines all of the safety features such as blind-spot monitoring, lane change detection, and collision mitigation to provide drivers with a hands-free, semi-autonomous driving experience like never before. BlueCruise is compatible with up to 100,000 miles worth of road across the United States and Canada, including I-87 near Rhinebeck. Ford also has plans on expanding the compatibility of BlueCruise in the near future, so you'll have more roads to travel across in your F-150 Lightning without ever having to use your hands.
#5 - No More Gas
Look, there's one reason above all others to be excited for the Ford F-150 Lightning, and that one reason that will compel plenty of people to visit our Rhinebeck Ford dealership to get their hands on this technologically advanced pickup: it's all-electric. It sort of goes without saying, but it may bear some repeating that an all-electric F-150 is a game-changer. It completely does away with any need whatsoever for gasoline or diesel fuel.
With standard and extended range batteries offering 452 horsepower or up to 580 horsepower, you can look to take advantage of average ranges of 230 miles on a fully charged standard battery and 300 miles on the extended range battery. And for those worried about charge times, you can take advantage of DC fast charging stations to add up to 41 miles in 10 minutes of charging for the standard-range battery and up to 54 miles in 10 minutes on the extended-range battery. The best part about it is that there are multiple charging options, including the availability of charging at a public charging station or at home, either with a Level 2 charger or using any standard 120-volt outlet if you absolutely must charge the F-150 Lightning. When you get an F-150 Lightning from Ruge's Ford, your Rhinebeck Ford dealer, you never have to worry about standing in line at the pump to pay for gas ever again. Contact us today to get started.
