The F-150 Lightning, as a pure electric expression of America’s most popular truck, has been a groundbreaking vehicle in more ways than one. In November it became the best-selling electric truck in the country, with sales coming in at over 2,000 for the month and nearly 13,300 since the truck’s introduction in May. The F-150 Lightning and its great success has helped Ford become the No. 2 EV brand in the country, and on top of these accomplishments, the truck has now been named the MotorTrend Truck of the Year for 2023.
Not only is this a prestigious award to add to the F-150 Lightning’s trophy case, but the win sets an unusual precedent. The F-150 Lightning is the first electric truck to win the MotorTrend Truck of the Year award by a unanimous vote from all of the judges, and this is only the second time that any electric vehicle has won by a unanimous vote.
“It’s really brilliant for the team that Lightning is the first EV truck to win by unanimous vote,” said Darren Palmer, vice president, electric vehicle programs. “This truck is full of firsts, and this one is really special to add to Lightning’s historic launch.”
The vehicles that are up for MotorTrend Truck of the Year go through rigorous testing from the panel of judges, including acceleration testing, figure-8 handling, and 60-0 braking performance. There are also additional class-relevant tests, like acceleration and braking while towing a trailer loaded to the truck’s rated capacity, and while hauling a load weighing near to its payload capacity. The extra-challenging "frustration test" involves trucks performing a highway acceleration uphill with a trailer. The individual judges also conduct their own subjective off-road tests over different road types and surfaces.
“The F-150 Lightning and its nearly instant torque with ride and handling make it without a doubt the best truck Ford has ever made. If that feels like a bold statement, consider that amongst our judges, the F-150 Lightning won Truck of the Year by unanimous decision–the first EV truck to convince all judges across the board,” said Ed Loh, MotorTrend group head of editorial. “The Ford F-150 Lightning is no less than a milestone achievement in the history of American mobility.”
Other awards that the F-150 Lightning has recently taken home include the TIME Top 200 Invention of 2022 award, the 2023 Kelley Blue Book?Best?Buy?Award, the CarBuzz Save the Planet award, and many more. Production of the truck is being ramped up. The goal is to deliver 150,000 F-150 Lightning trucks each year, with the hope of reaching that goal by the end of 2023. You can get this award-winning vehicle for yourself by placing an order with Dunphy Ford today!
