The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and 2022 Ford Maverick are making waves in the truck world. They’re brand new ideas, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Both clean up Ford’s carbon footprint, though the zero-emissions F-150 Lightning electric truck has the upper hand. But that doesn’t mean the Maverick is a gas guzzler, more like the opposite.

The Ford Maverick is a compact, city oriented, fuel efficient truck

With a hybrid powertrain, people question the legitimacy of the 2022 Ford Maverick. Is it really a truck, and is it a good one? There are certain aspects the Maverick is lacking in, but one area the Maverick beats out the competition: fuel efficiency.

Under the hood is a 2.5L four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, rated at 191 horsepower. But with that setup, you’ll get 40 city/33 highway/37 combined. The Maverick is no doubt built for the city, its compact size making narrow street navigation a breeze. But just because it’s a fuel sipper doesn’t mean it’s a sissy when it comes to capability.

Ford claims 4.5-foot bed is able to hold 1,500 lbs of payload, and the base models can tow 2,000 lbs. That said, if you upgrade to a 250 horsepower 2.0L turbocharged engine (non-hybrid), and tack on an extra $725 for a towing package, that number jumps up to 4,000. So if you need to tow a car, that’s the option to go for. How exactly this will affect MPGs remains untested. But the non-hybrid powertrain, and towing in general, will surely make an impact.

Then there’s the trim levels, starting with the incredibly bare-bones on the base XL model. It lacks cruise control, power mirrors, and power locks for the tailgate. Upgrading to the XLT gives those creature comforts back, and adds some nicer rims to the mix. However, if you’re looking for more strength and science fiction technology, then you ought to consider the F-150 Lightning

The Ford F-150 Lightning is tougher, and more technologically advanced

Unlike the Maverick, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is all-wheel drive as standard. And right away you’ll notice a power difference, with 426 horsepower from two electric motors on just the base model. On top of that, you get a whopping 775 lb-ft of instant torque, one of the many perks to electric vehicles (other than going green).

With that added power, comes added payload and towing capacities. Ford claims the base model can carry 1,800 lbs in its 5.5-foot bed, and tow 7,700 lbs. If you upgrade to the extended range package, the beefier battery gets that towing capacity up to 10,000 lbs, and even raises the horsepower to 563.

But the tech doesn’t stop there. While the Maverick has an available 110-volt, the base model F-150 Lightning Pro is engineered to power your house in the event of an outage. So long as your electric truck is plugged into a wall outlet at home, the truck can divert its power to keep the lights on for up to three days. For comparison, a single 110-volt outlet might be able to power a small electric stove.

And there is no shortage of power outlets, with four scattered across the work truck base model. Adding up to 2.4 kW of power, you get two in the cabin, two in the bed. But that can be bumped up to 9.6 kW, which adds two more 120-volt outlets and a 240-volt AC outlet to the bed. And all that power can be limited to prevent your F-150 Lightning from losing too much charge.

Now, the attentive reader will realize I’ve shied away from a few important aspects of the new car buying process. In order to figure out which truck is right for you, we have to take a look at the lifestyle you lead, and the price of each.

Which of these trucks, electric or otherwise, is right for you?

The base model 2022 Ford Maverick is set to start at $19,995, an impressively low number until you remember that this is the work truck version. For all the features you’d actually want, the XLT trim will cost about $23,775. But that is still significantly cheaper than the F-150 Lightning, which starts at $39,974 (before destination fees). And then there’s the elephant in the room: an electric truck will only have so much range.

If you drive the Maverick in the city, getting 40 mpg, the estimated range would be about 552 miles (with it’s 13.8-gallon fuel tank). The Ford F-150 Lightning Extended Range model, with tacks $10,000 onto the starting price, will only ever get you 300 miles per charge. Not to mention the slower charge times of electric cars.

If you don’t go that far in a day, can charge your truck overnight, and need the towing capabilities, then the F-150 is an excellent choice. After all, in terms of electric trucks, it is one of the cheapest. But if range anxiety gets the best of you, and you really don’t need that much strength, the Maverick is an excellent budget choice.