Ford continues to put the upcoming 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck to the test before it goes on sale this spring. This story is focused on trailer towing. Ford says they took F-150 Lightning test vehicles with heavy trailers into the heat of the summer on the Davis Dam grade, and in the cold of the winter on TFLtruck’s Ike Gauntlet™ – the world’s toughest towing test.
TFLtruck was not involved in these pre-production development tests. One of our viewers (Zack Whiting) did capture these prototype trucks starting their Ike Gauntlet™ route in Boulder, CO (which is where TFLtruck HQ is located).
Ike Gauntlet is a stretch of the I-70 interstate highway from Silverthorne, CO, and goes up to Eisenhower/Johnson memorial tunnels. It’s an 8-mile stretch of 7% grade that culminates at a maximum elevation of 11,158 feet above sea level. Steep grade, high elevation, and a 60 MPH speed limit make this test extremely difficult.
The highway grade at Davis Dam, Arizona has been part of the SAE 2807 towing standard test for years. Hot temperatures and a very long climb are very taxing on any vehicle that is pulling a trailer. The maximum required speed for this test is 45 MPH.
Ford says the trucks were pulling a 24-foot long trailer with a frontal area of 60 sq.-ft. The heaviest trailer was loaded up to a total weight of 10,000 lbs – which is the maximum towing capacity of an F-150 Lightning extended range with a towing package. The Ford test team saw temperates as low as -2 F, colder wind chills, and falling snow.
Take a look at the image above that shows the gauge cluster. At this time, Ford F-150 Lightning is the only EV pickup truck manufacturer that shows the driver the truck’s battery and motor temperature/state. This information is important to see whether the drivetrain components are being worked too hard or whether the batteries are in the right state to receive maximum charging.
We are looking forward to testing a new F-150 Lightning soon. In the meantime, here is the new Rivian R1T electric pickup on the same Boulder, CO to Frisco, CO Ike Gauntlet™ route that Ford’s team did.
