Driving the new Ford Lightning in the cold (5 degrees) was a disappointment along with many surprises. All my cameras have lithium Ion batteries, which are not as good in the cold. My cameras had the same problem as the Lightning. I typically attach at least one camera outside to shoot trucks driving thru the mountains. This time the GoPro action camera would not stay on in the cold so I had to attach it inside the Lighting’s window. This truck even with it’s optional extended range battery in this Ford F150 Lightning Platinum ($93,000 Manufacture’s Suggested Retail Price) got less than one-half the miles on the road than it’s rated for. I knew I couldn’t tow a trailer in the cold after reading other reviews of the Lightning’s range. I charged the Lighting three times in Greeley, Colo. The high speed charging stations would still take almost an hour to charge. Luckily three charging stations were at a Village Inn in Greeley. Since you can’t run the Lightning while charging, I couldn’t sit in the truck when it was 5 degrees so I naturally went into Village Inn for pie and coffee. So add that cost to the Lightning and much to my surprise, I also had to pay a parking fee while charging the Lightning to whomever owned the parking lot where the chargers were located. The good thing about this particular charging station was I could park there with a trailer attached. Most charging stations are made for cars and a trailer would block three or four stations. Imagine driving a couple hundred miles, stop to charge for a hour, and not be towing a trailer. In town, this could work, but not towing trailers over 100-200 miles.

It was fun to drive the Ford Lightning because it’s scary fast. Very scary, like being in a dragster. Top model Platinum came with all the options, it can weigh the trucks payload, tongue weight and help adjust a weight distribution hitch if you know the trailer weight. And it’s very quiet. The Frunk — up front trunk — is it good place to store things out of the weather.

Up in the Rockies, at Poudre Canyon, it handled great with the four corner independent suspension with rear coils. Of course, the Lightening has all the high-end features with a 15.5 inch center tough screen, all-wheel drive, with rear differential locker. Yes, it will charge your house in a storm, maybe not if it’s real cold. Problem is, after you charge the house how do you charge the truck?

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I would suggest drivers lightly apply the gas pedal, this Ford wants to run, even had one pedal drive, but not sure I would take it off-road. The warmer it got in December, the more miles per kilowatt hour it got. After charging three times without a trailer, this truck cost more to drive than a gas truck with a trailer on the same route. I know it would be different in July. Which is the only way to review this “not ready for prime time” electric vehicle. There’s hope, but it needs a more powerful battery and charging infrastructure, then it could be a real option.