The Ford F-150 Lightning is the best buy on the market in electric trucks this year. That’s the conclusion our editors reached in this, the first year we’ve broken out electric pickups as a separate category. The Lightning wins our inaugural Best Buy Award for Electric Trucks.
How We Decide
There are a lot of new car awards. But there’s nothing quite like our annual Best Buy Awards.
Many publications pin a ribbon on the new car that impresses them the most. But they tend to evaluate cars as pieces of engineering and give awards to cars with impressive performance numbers.
We award cars that are good decisions for the buyer.
Our editors drive more than 300 new cars every year. They look for cars that are pleasant to drive, comfortable, offer intuitive entertainment and information systems, and have a long list of modern safety technologies. They study reliability data. And they run the numbers on buying and owning each car, factoring in depreciation, resale value, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees, and taxes.
It takes all year. But, in the end, our editors find the vehicles that best balance driving pleasure, capability, and long-term affordability.
We gave out awards in 18 popular segments this year, including electric pickups for the first time.
The Best of a Growing Class
There aren’t many electric pickups on the market yet. Ford’s Lightning, GMC’s Hummer, startup Rivian’s R1T, and the Lordstown Endurance have the room to themselves.
But not for long.
Chevrolet is already accepting orders for a Silverado EV it hopes to deliver later this year. A more luxurious GMC Sierra EV trim will follow. Ram plans its own Ram 1500 Revolution, which touted seating for six and some creative cargo solutions.
Tesla has repeatedly delayed its futuristic Cybertruck, but a Tesla factory recently took delivery of new equipment that could signal the start of production this year. And a host of startups hope to make it to market as well.
The room could be a lot more crowded next year.
Why the Lightning Wins It
They’ll all have trouble knocking the Lightning from its perch, though.
Our editors loved its combination of startling performance with everyday truck utility. Some versions can complete a 0-60 mph run in under four seconds. Others have a range of up to 320 miles between charges.
It can tow up to 10,000 pounds and carry up to 2,000 pounds of payload while offering a comfortable cabin filled with high-tech goodies like optional Bang & Olufsen audio systems and a 15.5-inch touchscreen.
The Lightning’s price has climbed quickly since its release. Once priced under $40,000, it now starts at $55,974, plus a $1,895 destination charge.
But that remains a bargain among electric trucks and, for now, the top dog in a small but growing pack.
