More Ford F-150 Lightning Owners Are Taking Full Advantage of Their Trucks
The Ford F-150 Lightning is Ford’s first all-electric full-sized truck. Launched in 2022, it was an immediate hit, luring standard truck buyers and first-time truck buyers into the fold of the F-150, America’s #1 selling vehicle. However, while some people may be new to owning an electric truck, they’ve wasted no time taking advantage of it.
According to a recent survey, Ford F-150 Lightning owners use their trucks for “truck things” more frequently and in more ways than regular truck owners. This use not only includes hauling things and using the truck’s bed but also taking advantage of some of the other the F-150 Lightning’s unique features.
Ford F-150 Lightning owners use their truck beds more than ICE truck owners
According to the Detroit Free Press, Ford recently surveyed 3,500 truck buyers between September 2021 and October 2022 to see how they used their vehicles and made some surprising information about Ford F-150 Lightning owners. The most revealing discovery is that F-150 Lightning owners use their pickup truck beds more than traditional truck buyers who own gasoline-powered trucks.
The survey indicated that 51% of traditional truck owners use their trucks at least once a month to complete home projects or haul large loads. By comparison, 74% of Ford F-150 Lightning owners use their vehicles for those same tasks. Also telling was the number of owners who used their trucks for camping. 48% of the Lightning owners regularly take their vehicles camping vs. 40% of regular truck owners.
Truck owners were also surveyed on the types of vehicles they owned before buying a Ford truck, and again the results were telling. 33% of buyers for the traditional Ford F-150 switched from a vehicle other than a pickup truck. However, more than half of the Ford F-160 Lightning’s buyers changed from another type of vehicle.
Many truck owners hardly use their trucks for ‘truck things’
The knock against many truck owners is they don’t actually use their trucks to do “truck things” like haul heavy payloads or tow a trailer. However, the same could be said for Jeep owners who never take their vehicles offroad. It’s also true of people who own exotic cars who never drive them, except to fancy restaurants with valet parking or cars and coffee events.
The simplest explanation for the lack of use is that most truck owners do not live or work in an environment where a truck is required regularly. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 2 million farms in the U.S. are operated by less than 2% of the population. Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that only about 3 million people are employed in construction, mining, manufacturing, and utilities.
Yet, CNBC shows that pickup trucks dominate the U.S. market, accounting for five of the top 10 vehicles sold. At No. 1 on the list is the Ford F Series, which sells nearly 800,000 units annually and includes models like the standard F-150 and the F-150 Lightning.
F-150 Lightning owners love the frunk
One reason why Ford F-150 Lightning owners may use their trucks more than the average truck buyer is the frunk or front trunk. The frunk is extra storage space under the hood of the Lightning, where the engine is located on a conventional gasoline-powered truck. Since the electric motor and batteries are located lower in the chassis or under the truck, the space was repurposed for extra storage and electric power ports.
Adding a frunk gives Lightning owners both a conventional truck bed for hauling large, bulky items or dirty items like dirt bikes, camping gear, or other stuff that can withstand the elements, and a lockable storage space for other items. That means in addition to being an electric vehicle, it’s also an even more versatile version of the already capable “jack of all trades” F-150.
