ELECTRIFIED TOWING

Are electric trucks ready for towing boats? We pit kilowatts against gasoline to find the answer.

- JIM HENDRICKS

The age of electric vehicles (EVS) has arrived. As the world seeks solutions to climate change, replacing internal-combustion vehicles with EVS has emerged as one strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In fact, in California where I live, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order (backed by a ruling by the California Air Resources Board) requiring 100 percent of new-car sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Other states such as New York, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington tend to follow California emissions mandates, so some of those states will likely adopt similar rules in the future.

The onset of EVs looms large for a huge population of skippers who need capable vehicles to tow boats on trailers. While there's no firm data on the number of trailer boats, the National Marine Manufacturers Association reports that 95 percent of US boats are less than 26 feet in length and can be trailered by a vehicle to local waterways. That means the vast majority of today's craft are carried on trailers.

To find out how this majority will fare in the future, we decided to tow-test one of today's most powerful electric trucks-a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning-and pit it against a traditional gasoline-powered F-150. What we learned might help guide your next vehicle-buying decision.

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There are more than 2.3 million electric vehicles in the US today, but few possess the power of the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperCrew ($81,124 total suggested retail as delivered). The version we tested punched out 580 hp and 775 pound-feet of torque, and came with four-wheel drive and the Max Trailer Tow Package rated at 10,000 pounds with the optional extended-range battery pack. Among EVs now on the market, this rating is exceeded only by the Rivian RIT electric pickup, which boasts an 11,000-pound towing capacity.