Ford is making the transition to EVs, and one of the Blue Oval’s biggest entries in the segment is the Ford F-150 Lightning. It’s among the first electric pickup trucks to hit the American market, and it’s already one of the most popular EVs. Indeed, below are three reasons the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is the best electric truck.

The winners of U.S. News’ picked the’ best hybrids and EVs of 2023

U.S. News released its awards for the best hybrids and EVs of 2023, and the site has a simple methodology. It evaluated over 100 EVs and hybrids and awarded the models with the best combination of quality, value, and efficiency. The site named the Kia EV6 the Best Electric Vehicle overall, largely thanks to its 310 miles of standard range.

The new Cadillac Lyriq earned the title of Best Luxury Electric SUV, while the $138,000 Lucid Air Grand Touring was named Best Luxury Electric Car. And the Ford F-150 Lightning got the win for Best Electric Truck.

As for hybrids, the Kia Niro received the Best Hybrid SUV award, while the recently redesigned Toyota Prius took Best Hybrid Car. The Lexus ES Hybrid got the win for the Best Luxury Hybrid.

And as for PHEVs, the Hyundai Tucson PHEV won in the Best Plug-In Hybrid category, while the Lexus NX 450+ PHEV won in the Best Luxury Plug-In Hybrid segment. 

3 big reasons why the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is the best electric truck

The first two reasons U.S. News gave the highest honors to the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning involve the truck’s battery. And the last concerns its torque.

1. Ford offers two battery pack options for the Lightning, and the optional extended-range battery pack is impressive. That option is a 131-kWh battery, allowing the truck to travel up to 320 miles on a full charge.
2. The second reason the Lightning won the award is its fast charging speeds. The EPA gave it an estimated charging time of 10 hours with a 240-volt charger. That’s much faster than the Lightning’s biggest rival, the Rivian R1T.
3. The third reason the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is the best electric truck is that its electric motors deliver instant torque. Not only that, but it also produces 775 lb-ft of torque, helping this beast accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning: The best electric truck does not come cheap 

In addition to those three reasons, the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is an excellent truck overall. However, the best doesn’t come cheap, especially with the extended-range battery pack. The 2023 F-150 Lightning starts at about $56,000, but that configuration provides only an EPA-estimated 240 miles of range. The cheapest trim that can be optioned with the extended-range battery pack costs just over $80,000.

Either way, the Lightning is a highly capable truck, with its two electric motors generating a combined 462 hp. That number jumps to 580 hp with the extended-range battery pack. Because it has two electric motors, the truck also has four-wheel drive as standard. And when properly equipped, it can tow 10,000 pounds.

The F-150 Lightning also has a high-tech interior. It comes with a 12-inch digital gauge cluster display and a 12-inch touchscreen. The latter can be upgraded to a 15.5-inch version. Plus, this truck packs plenty of advanced safety features, and adaptive cruise control is an option.