Check Out the Practical Features of the 2024 F-150 Lightning

April 12th, 2024 by

A silver 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning is shown driving through a rainy tunnel.

Practicality is often one of the most essential things for an automotive manufacturer to master if they want to be taken seriously by the billions of people in the world. Some automotive manufacturers have names as recognizable as Google and McDonald’s, with brands like Ford especially taking the cake as one of the most recognizable automotive manufacturers. The Ford F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in America and has been since 1977. So, it’s no surprise that this popular model received an electric-powered sibling, the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning. There are many practical features included with this EV truck that especially garner a greater quality of life.

Introducing the Mega Power Frunk

Regarding the most practical ways a pickup truck can enhance your life, cargo space is often at the top of the list. Pickup trucks have beds that provide their drivers with cargo space because the cabins regularly accommodate people and can’t always fit particularly wide or long items. What makes the F-150 Lightning any different? The F-150 Lightning shares an attribute that many other EVs have incorporated: ensuring no space goes unused. Where an engine would typically be in a gas-powered car now paves the way for more storage options. That’s right, it’s about time you learned about the concept of the “frunk.”

The word “frunk” reminds us of other automotive phrases like “infotainment” and its combination of the words “information” and “entertainment”––”frunk” mixes the words “front” and “trunk”. The feature is aptly named because that’s what it is: a trunk located in the front end of the truck. This screams practicality, especially given the F-150 Lightning already benefits from a sizable bed. The Lightning is offered as a crew cab with a 5.5-foot bed, which gives you 52.8 cu.ft. of cargo space. As for the frunk, it adds 14.1 cu.ft. of cargo room at the front of the vehicle. Ultimately, the 2024 F-150 Lightning has 66.9 cu.ft. of cargo space.

Ford Pro Power Onboard Generator

The 2024 F-150 Lightning has a power onboard generator, meaning there’s an electrical generator built into the bed of the truck, which delivers its power through the sockets on the inner side of the bed. A trio of 120V power outlets can be found around the truck, including one next to the 240V outlet in the truck bed. The other 120V outlets are found within the cabin and Mega Power Frunk. Ford Pro Power Onboard can provide 9.6 kW of power, which makes it a viable generator for the workplace, campsite, or tailgate. Best of all, if you need to charge your tools between job sites, you can drive the truck, and it won’t affect the generator’s functioning.

When we combine the practicality of Ford Pro Power Onboard with the extra resourcefulness of the Mega Power Frunk, the picture becomes clear: the F-150 Lightning is a truck equipped for real-world scenarios. During the work day, you can store your toolkit in the front of the vehicle, or if you’re tailgating at a football or baseball game, you can store your cooler full of drinks and snacks in the frunk and utilize the plugs in the back for any of your tailgating needs. The built-in generator is undoubtedly one of the best ways the F-150 Lightning flexes its practicality.

A light blue 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning is shown charging at a charging station.

Efficiency That Takes You Places

The powertrain is one of the most practical parts of the 2024 F-150 Lightning. No gasoline means no more gas station detours or oil changes. Electric powertrains quickly become something you learn you can’t live without. Of course, this comes at a price, and the 2024 F-150 Lightning is no bargain-bin vehicle. This truck garners a hefty premium, but that money is well spent on power, convenience, and utility with the F-150 Lightning.

With the F-150 Lightning, you get phenomenal power that places it firmly in the F-series family. You’d be forgiven for believing this type of power output is nearly impossible for extended driving sessions on an electric powertrain. Forget everything you know about EVs because the F-150 Lightning is perhaps the first real look at EVs with workhorse power and top-notch versatility while not losing what makes it so unique: the electric powertrain.

The 2024 F-150 Lightning is available with two powertrain configurations, which, aside from the different sizes of the batteries, are also referred to as ‘standard’ and ‘extended’ range. The standard range 462-horsepower dual-motor electric powertrain with all-wheel drive that serves as the base offering can take you as far as 240 miles on one full charge. This is impressive, but the extended-range powertrain goes even further, with a full battery capturing an astonishing 320 miles of travel distance. Both are phenomenal, especially for a pickup truck.

Towing as You Know It

Towing is a significant component of pickup truck performance, and EV pickup trucks are judged all the same. The 2024 F-150 Lightning’s towing capacities are lower than the regular F-150, but it’s still plenty sufficient, especially since there’s no gasoline or diesel in sight. The base powertrain features two motors and a 98 kWh battery. This standard range configuration gives base-level F-150 Lightning models an incredible performance output of 452 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain also sports the best payload capacity: 2,235 lbs, and with this battery, you’ll have a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 lbs. A towing capacity of 7,700 lbs is viable for many situations, even professionally, thanks to its accommodation for Class III towing hitches.

The extended range powertrain includes two motors with a 131 kWh battery, and this battery uses its nearly 34% larger capacity to the fullest potential. With the extended-range powertrain, the F-150’s performance lends extreme practicality. It will provide you with more than ample performance for a truck of its caliber, which includes 580 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque – a 28% increase in hp over the standard range battery. The towing capacity is the real highlight of the more powerful powertrain, as the improved towing capacity of 10,000 lbs is a nearly 30% increase over the base model, and you can also make use of Class IV hitches thanks to the additional weight it can support when hauling.

A person is shown from a rear angle walking towards a grey 2024 Ford F-150 Lighting parked in a driveway.

Your Mobile Hotspot Wherever You Go

A vehicle from the 2020s tackles practicality in numerous ways. In addition to all the ways pickup trucks have been some of the most practical vehicles to own for decades, the modern-day automotive experience dictates that cars can do more for you, even if the vehicle isn’t being driven. Take the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot in the 2024 F-150 Lightning, for example. With a hotspot built into the F-150 Lightning, it doesn’t matter if you’re out of town on a camping trip or if it’s another Monday at the worksite and you need to enable an internet connection for your laptop––you’ll have access to fast internet.

The Future of Practicality

We believe the 2024 F-150 Lightning is a jackpot for anybody looking for a practical pickup truck. Truthfully, vehicles like the F-150 Lightning don’t have it easy, and that’s because pickup trucks are often favored because of their ‘tried and true’ nature, and making significant changes like the shift to an all-electric powertrain can be harder to convince the mainstream. However, the F-150 Lightning is the future of practicality. While we’re hard-pressed to be convinced EVs will replace gasoline-powered cars entirely in the next ten years, they aren’t going anywhere and instead serve their purpose best as an efficient and carbon-free alternative for those who want to take the first step into what the future automotive experience is like––excellent power, versatility, and practicality, all stemming from pure electricity. Buying a 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning will surely help you step into the future.