Skip to main content

The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is fast, but it looks like the Lightning Lariat package is the fastest. The Lariat is the mid-level trim but, crucially, because it’s the mid-level trim and doesn’t come with hundreds of pounds of heated and ventilated seats, aluminum and wood trim, and the large wheels of the Premium package, it weighs less and goes faster. But, this truck can offer an extra-range battery pack, which means more power.

Ford F-150 Lightning configurations

A grey F-150 Lightning driving in dirt
Ford F-150 Lightning | Ford

The Lightning Platinum is the heaviest, so heavy in fact that its range with the big battery is just 300 miles, compared to 320 for the Pro work truck and the Lariat versions. The base battery in the F-150 Lightning has a potent 452 horsepower. The extended range battery packs more power as well as range and boosts the truck’s output to 580 horsepower. The extended-range battery that gives that extra juice, however, is a $10,000 option. In the Lariat that means a 320-mile range.

How fast is the Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat?

The Lariat version is legit supercar fast. According to new testing at MotorTrend, it will do the quarter mile in 12.4 seconds, and do a 0-to-60 mph run in 3.8 seconds. That’s 0.2 seconds quicker than a heavier Platinum version the magazine tested. That figure puts it in some good company, including the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, the BMW M5, and the Jaguar XJR. Of course, those vehicles are made to go quick on a racetrack and the Lightning is made to haul plywood to the job site. It’s on par with many other 2022 EV trucks.

What is the Lariat package on the F-150 Lightning?

The Ford F-150 Lightning with its frunk full a nd a rack with kayaks.
Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat | Ford

The Lariat is the mid-grade F-150 Lightning trim, but that doesn’t mean it’s cheap. The Lariat starts at $67,474, but add $10,000 for that extended-range battery. The Lariat comes with a lot of options that make it suited to more than just  a job site, like a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power tailgate, wireless charging, a giant 15.5-inch touchscreen, and premium sound. You can also add a trailer hitch and two Ford Co-Pilot 360.

For comparison, the Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum is $90,874, but it comes standard with a long-range battery.

How much is a base 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning?

a blue Ford Lighting Pro on a road
Ford Lightning Pro | Ford

The The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro starts at $39,974 with the standard range battery and a dual-motor 4×4 drivetrain if you can find one. The extended range version, which has more power, has a 300-mile range at an MSRP of $49,974. But that’s if you can find one.

Ford trucks can be ordered with 48- and 80-amp fast chargers for overnight charging. The F-150 Lightning Pro has “always on” 4×4, and has a 230-mile range with the standard battery pack that makes 426 horsepower and a diesel-rivaling 775 lb.-ft. of torque for about $40,000. It can carry 2,000 pounds of payload and tow up to 7,700 pounds with a trailering package. Ford is also offering an extended range version with a 300-mile range and 563 horsepower.

The frunk of the F-150 Lightning Pro has four 120-volt AC outlets and two USB ports. Every Lightning Pro is a five-passenger SuperCrew truck, with vinyl seats and a 12-inch LCD touch screen. Pro Power Onboard is optional. With the fleet options, you can add telematics and vehicle data-logging instrumentation.

Related

Diesel vs. Electric Trucks: What’s the Better Work Truck?

Best in Trucks & SUVs
Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.