Take a look at these new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning prototypes undergoing high-elevation cold-weather testing in Boulder, Colorado. One of the trucks is towing a large tandem axle box trailer. As you can see in the images the Lightning with a trailer is using a weight-distribution-hitch (WDH), which means the truck is likely pulling a trailer that is loaded to over 5,000 lbs.
Big thanks to Zack Whiting for sending us these images.
This morning is the coldest February day on (123 years) record in Boulder, CO. The wind chill was -13F or colder this morning. The elevation of Boulder is just about 1-mile above sea level. All vehicles become less efficient in cold temperatures. Lots of extra heat is required to keep the cabin warm. Towing a trailer with a battery-electric pickup truck in these conditions really puts it to the test.
The driving range on the 2022 F-150 Lightning with a larger battery pack is listed at 300 miles by Ford. The Lightning is not yet EPA certified (as of this writing). As we have shown in our real-world testing – electric vehicles (Tesla Model X and Rivian R1T) can lose between 40%-65% of their range when towing heavy trailers. Cold temperatures will challenge these new EVs even further.
It’s great to see that Ford is putting the F-150 Lightning to the test in a variety of real-world conditions. There is also an F-150 Lightning – maximum towing package – which provides additional cooling/warming for the battery system. The F-150 Lightning extended range is rated to tow up to 10,000 lbs with a maximum payload of up to 1,800 lbs. We cannot wait to put one of these trucks to the test.
