How Far will the Ford F150 Lightning Go When Towing? Find Out What the Actual Range Could Be

The Ford F150 Lightning has been a much anticipated electric pickup truck, with many people eager to get their hands on it. But what is the actual range of the vehicle? According to reports, the extended range of the Ford F150 Lightning can hit 487 miles when not loaded down or towing. This would put it in a category above most other electric vehicles.

However, some have questioned if this number is accurate. It seems unlikely that 1,000 lbs of onboard payload would result in a loss of 40% range. The only way to find out for sure is to wait and see what real world towing numbers look like once the truck is released.

Tesla has been known to boast exaggerated rated range figures based on the best possible conditions. Most Tesla owners don't actually get those numbers in real life driving. On the other hand, Ford tends to underestimate their range estimates and customers are often pleasantly surprised by how far they can go on one charge.

When talking about towing range, driving style (speed and acceleration habits), route, and specific load matter A LOT. The effect of these factors will be roughly the same as on an internal combustion engine vehicle because most of the range reduction is caused by greatly increased aerodynamic drag and by the inertia of your trailer+load needing to be overcome when accelerating/decelerating. Regenerative braking can help reduce energy lost while towing, but it won't make up for all losses.

Based on calculations from the 131kWh battery pack, the Ford F150 Lightning should have around 325mi range under good conditions without any load. However, when it comes to regenerative braking, there won't be any significant benefit unless you're going downhill and trying to conserve energy. Ultimately, we'll just have to wait and see what kind of results people get when they start using the F150 Lightning for towing purposes.