Ahead of the launch the F-150 Lightning later this spring, Ford recently put the electric truck’s towing capacity to the test towing a 10,000lb trailer in two extreme climates.
One of the tests was in extreme cold, where Ford took the F-150 Lightning to the Ike Gauntlet.
This 8-mile stretch of highway in Colorado ascends at a 7% incline to a maximum elevation of 11,158ft above sea level. During testing last month the temperature -2°F (-16°C) with the windchill.
The other test was in extreme heat at the Davis Dam, where temperatures reached 118°F (48°C) during testing.
This particular test saw the Lightning tow the same 10,000-pound trailer for multiple loops across the dam, which rises from 550 feet elevation to 3,500 feet over 11.4 miles (18.3km).
Linda Zhang, chief engineer of the F-150 Lightning said the trucks performed “flawlessly,” explaining that towing the 10,000lb trailers was “effortless” in both scenarios.
What Ford didn’t mention in either the press release or in the video below was what all potential F-150 Lightning owners want to know – what was the impact of the truck’s range when towing?
We recently learned the range of the F-150 Lightning can vary from 230 miles (370km) up to 320 miles (515km) depending on the configuration.
As we have seen from early testing of the Rivian R1T, the range can easily drop by 50% or more when towing in close-to-ideal conditions.
Towing in these extreme conditions likely saw the range drop by even more.
You can watch the full video below.
