Advertisement
The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in Canada—and you can get an all-electric version, the F-150 Lightning. See how much you could save on gas.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is the all-electric version of Ford’s best-selling pickup, and it’s a machine with the distinction of being the first mass-market electric pickup on the road. It’s also one of eight Ford electric vehicle models available in Canada.
With various battery and motor combinations targeting a range of shoppers after a tech-savvy and fuel-free pickup truck experience, the F-150 Lightning comes packed with the latest in connectivity, safety and convenience tech—not to mention fully digital instrumentation, standard 4×4 and available range of over 480 kilometres.
Yes, and it’s every bit as tough and hardworking as other F-150s. All models get 775 lb.-ft of torque, with up to 563 horsepower available. The F-150 Lightning supports both AC and DC fast-charging. With a 150-kW DC fast charger, it can charge from 15% to 80% in about 41 minutes, though most owners simply recharge overnight in their parking spaces or driveways. A 15.5-inch touchscreen display doubles as a high-resolution backup camera, too.
With its spacious cabin, functional box with power outlets, and a unique “frunk,” the F-150 Lightning makes camping a breeze in several ways. First, the frunk provides a secondary large storage area that’s covered, lockable and weather-sealed. With no need for an engine, cooling system or transmission, the Lightning’s engineers repurposed the area for functional storage—complete with an easy-to-clean surface, built-in lighting and numerous high-output power outlets.
With rugged 4×4 traction and pickup construction, the F-150 Lightning is tough enough to access even remote camping locations, packing plenty of space, functionality and exportable power along for the trip. Few EVs on the road today are as handy for active families and outdoor enthusiasts, making this pickup truck an easy pick for our best EV for camping. Best of all, Ford F-150 Lightning owners are fully backed up by the support of the Ford dealer network, coast to coast.
The F-150 Lightning can provide electricity to your home during a power outage—think of it as a big four-wheel-drive power bank. It’s great for powering tools and gear at work sites and camp sites, too. When camping, some Lightning drivers rent an RV site with a power outlet, so they can recharge their truck.
The cost of the F-150 Lightning starts at $59,995. Ford has four models to choose from—the most expensive one starts at $117,395. (Beyond your budget? See our other picks for the best EVs in Canada, including the best affordable EV.)
How much can you save on gas by switching to an electric pickup truck?
Suppose you currently drive a Ford F-150 with a 5-litre V8 engine and four-wheel drive. In this configuration, based on Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) fuel economy ratings, your truck uses about 13 litres of gas to drive 100 kilometres on average at room temperature. Assuming fuel costs $1.55 per litre, driving 100 kilometres in this truck costs you about $20. If you drive 22,000 kilometres per year, that’s an annual fuel cost of about $4,430, or approximately $370 per month.
To drive the same 100 kilometres in an F-150 Lightning at room temperature, you’ll need about 29 kWh of electricity. Using the off-peak charging rates in Sudbury, Ont., where I live (7.4 cents per kWh), driving 100 kilometres in the F-150 Lightning costs about $2.21. That’s a fuel cost of about $485 per year (about $40 per month), assuming you charge exclusively at home during off-peak hours.
In summary, driving 100 kilometres in the F-150 Lightning will add about $2.20 to your electricity bill but reduce your fuel bill by about $20—saving you $17.80 per 100 kilometres driven. That’s about an 89% reduction, a savings of roughly $3,945 per year. Remember, your results will vary.
Auto insurance quotes are based on several factors, including your age, location and more. Here’s the estimated monthly cost to insure a 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning for these driver profiles:
Quotes provided by Ratehub*. (Ratehub and MoneySense are both owned by Ratehub Inc.) Policies include $1 million liability coverage, $1,000 collision deductible and $1,000 comprehensive deductible, with discounts for bundling and UBI.
Prices and specifications are subject to change.
Affiliate (monetized) links can sometimes result in a payment to MoneySense (owned by Ratehub Inc.), which helps our website stay free to our users. If a link has an asterisk (*) or is labelled as “Featured,” it is an affiliate link. If a link is labelled as “Sponsored,” it is a paid placement, which may or may not have an affiliate link. Our editorial content will never be influenced by these links. We are committed to looking at all available products in the market. Where a product ranks in our article, and whether or not it’s included in the first place, is never driven by compensation. For more details, read our MoneySense Monetization policy.
Share this article Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share on Reddit Share on Email
Why Canadians are still feeling the squeeze of high food costs, and what to do about it.
If you’re one of the many Canadians looking for Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts, here’s how to know...
Cards that waive or refund the fee for foreign currency charges are few and far between—but if you’re a...
Looking for a new car? What you should know about leasing versus owning.
These impressive travel cards can help turn your everyday spending into flights, hotels and more.
In this excerpt from The Big Fix, authors Denise Hearn and Vass Bednar argue companies increasingly want to collect...
Through free or discounted flights, hotel stays and car rental insurance, the right credit cards can get you to...
Wealthsimple Cash comes with high interest rates and a no foreign transaction fee card. Let’s take a closer look...
Spending thousands of dollars on upgrades to your living space can be daunting for seniors. Here are some financing...
