Skip to main content

If you’re familiar with the Ford F-150 Lightning‘s onboard power capability, you know someone would push the limits. Using the pickup truck’s battery, owners can charge just about anything. We’ve already heard about powering a home for a few days, using tools on a job site, and even charging another EV. However, Out of Spec Reviews on YouTube recently decided to take it one step further. Can the Ford F-150 Lightning really charge five cars at once?

Can the Ford F-150 Lightning charge 5 other EVs?

For the test, Out of Spec Reviews used a Hyundai Ioniq 5, Smart EQ, Rivian R1T, Tesla Model 3, and Audi eTron. As you can probably guess, each one draws a different amount of power. According to The Drive, the Ioniq 5 drew 1,340 watts and the Smart EQ 890 watts. Those were plugged into the front circuit, totaling 2,230 watts. Secondly, the other inverter bank in the rear was home to the Tesla Model 3 and Audi eTron, which drew 2,380 watts combined.

However, the Rivian R1T used the 3.6 inverter bank and drew the full power available from the port. Each electric vehicle was strategically placed to avoid tripping the 20-amp breaker on the 120V outlets. Although there is a mess of adapters and portable EV chargers involved, the process was surprisingly easy. Once switched on, all five EVs began charging at the same time.

How long did the EVs charge?

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is the subject of price gouging by Ford dealers
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | Ford

All the cars were left in place overnight, which ended up being around nine hours. The YouTubers ensured the power-down timer was disabled, and the Lighting was set to continue charging the other models until its battery reached 10 miles of range. Additionally, the power limit on the front circuit when the frunk is closed was avoided by leaving it propped open the entire time. While closed, The Drive said there’s a chance of overheating when in use for that long.

More importantly, the truck couldn’t be stolen because the keys weren’t inside. Electric vehicles, like the Ford F-150 Lighting, allow owners to use the power outlets without the keys inside, which means they can’t start or drive away. When the YouTubers returned after nine hours, everything was still charging. The Pro Power Onboard system can run at high output levels for nine hours straight without overheating or running into any other issues.

Although all five EVs charged successfully, it was a prolonged process. Using Level 1 and 2 charging is slow regardless, so it wasn’t because of the F-150 Lightning. Each model gained a surprisingly large amount of power over the nine hours.

How much power did the Ford F-150 Lightning give the other EVs?

the 2022 hyundai ioniq 5, a great ev that will be built at the factory
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Hyundai

Firstly, the Smart EQ managed to go from 38% to 77%, which is a significant change. Its smaller battery allowed it to gain more power than most EVs in a shorter amount of time. Next, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 went from 69% to 80% during the same period. The other models saw a similar change in power to the Ioniq 5. Furthermore, the Audi went from 50 to 60% and the Tesla Model 3 from 38 to 51%. Finally, the YouTuber reported energy figures for the Rivian R1T, which gained 22 kWh overnight.

As for the Ford F-150 Lightning, it started the test with 97% state-of-charge using 127.65 kWh in the battery. After charging five different electric vehicles simultaneously for nine hours straight, it was down to 46.17 kWh, or 38% state-of-charge. Impressively, that’s plenty of power to get the truck home or any place to charge it back up.

Ford’s electric truck can rescue other EVs

Although the test was a bit silly and just for fun, it still proved the Ford F-150 Lightning’s capability. Charging any other stranded EV is a fantastic feature to have. A broken-down vehicle on the side of the road with a depleted battery is only an F-150 Lightning away from being on its way. Although it took a long time, charging multiple vehicles at once is very impressive.

On top of the five-EV charging over nine hours, it’s even more impressive the Lightning had some juice left. Nine hours is a long time to do anything, and powering many other EVs isn’t easy. Imagine how convenient it will be when an F-150 Lightning only needs to rescue one other model. It’ll have more than enough power left to get the rescuer wherever they need to go.

Related

How to Charge The Ford F-150 Lightning Truck

Best in Hybrids & Electrics
Avatar photo
Section Editor - SUVs

Tim Harding

Having spent half a decade managing the reconditioning and marketing processes for upwards of 400 vehicles monthly, Tim is no stranger to the automotive industry. He has a deep understanding of the many different types of vehicles on the road today and brings to the table valuable insight into the industry itself.

Tim earned an Associate’s in English and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a Marketing specialization from Ashford University. Tim joined MotorBiscuit as an Autos Writer in 2021, and his work can also be seen at Gamepur, Overtime Heroics, and Pro Game Guides.

Tim is most inspired by the constantly changing automotive industry. He looks forward to a future when cars, particularly electric vehicles, look and operate completely differently than they do today. Tim’s content draws on this inspiration while also providing MotorBiscuit readers with useful consumer advice.