IS A BRUTISH PICKUP WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO DRAG THE U.S. INTO AN ELECTRIC ERA?

SILENT AND VIOLENT

- DAVE VANDERWERP

IT'S ALMOST TOO SIMPLE. Automakers are sprinting full speed ahead toward electric vehicles, and they need offerings that people want to buy. So why not take the bestselling vehicle the Ford F-150-and make it an EV?

Bingo. Some 200,000 people have queued up to buy Ford's electric pickup, before they could even see one up close or drive it. That's 10 times the initial annual volume Ford was planning for the Lightning. After multiple expansions to its plant in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford will eventually be able to build 150,000 a year.

Are F-150 buyers ready to make the switch to electric? Not exactly, as more than half of reservation holders have never owned a Ford vehicle. These folks won't appreciate how F-150-familiar the Lightning feels.

All Lightnings have the F-150's generous four-door crew cab and all-wheel drive with a motor at each axle. As is typical with EVs, peak power is limited by battery output, so the standard 98.0-kWh battery maxes out at 452 horsepower, while the 131.0-kWh upgrade pack increases that to 580 horses. Both versions make a healthy 775 pound-feet of torque.

Plus: Mustang GT acceleration, full-size truck capability, nearly silent.

Minus: Body-on-frame jiggles, interior isn't $90K nice, range is still an issue.

Equals: A very quick and quiet F-150.