The new Ford F-150 Lightning is already a huge success with retail customers, but the all-electric pickup is also quickly making its mark for commercial and public entities. Quite a few businesses and government institutions have submitted orders for the EV pickup the past few months, including the city of Lakeland, Florida, Sunrun, and Fluid Truck, among many others. Now, the Ford F-150 Lightning – which is frequently included on Kelley Blue Book’s list of the most-considered electrified vehicles and a finalist for 2023 North American Truck of the Year – has also joined the U.S. Forest Service Fleet (USFS), according to the publication Outside.
The current USFS fleet comprises 17,000 vehicles and 8,775 light-duty pickups, though the agency is making strides to convert those ICE-powered machines to fully-electric vehicles. It must do so to comply with Executive Order 14057 – titled Catalyzing America’s Clean Energy Economy Through Federal Sustainability – which requires that all federal agencies must purchase only zero-emissions light-duty vehicles when 2027 arrives. To get an early start that complies with the order, USFS has already begun testing a total of three Ford F-150 Lightning pickups.
These three EV pickups have been deployed to three different regions – the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, the Huron-Manistee National Forest located in Michigan, and the White Mountain National Forest that sits near the New Hampshire and Maine border. Performing in extreme conditions and across challenging terrain, the EV trucks will help the agency consider both whether the Lightning is up to the task and a vast amount of data related to charging infrastructure, necessary fleet size, and other important variables.
“The Forest Service is embarking on an exciting study of the first-ever use of electric vehicles in a natural resources field setting,” stated Jason Kirchner, a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson. “The research will determine the feasibility of electric vehicles in field-work settings, helping the agency determine the right tool for the job when it comes to electric fleet vehicles.”
Kirchner elaborated that the F-150 Lightning is the sole EV pickup truck currently made available through the Government Services Administration, which deals with federal vehicle acquisitions. Specifically, USFS is using the stock version of the Lightning, which arrives with a 230-mile driving range, four-wheel drive, and a 2,000-pound payload. Because the truck will be operated in a fleet setting where it will be recharged each night in a fixed location, it doesn’t require significant investments of infrastructure from the agency. In fact, any USFS location designed with a standard 240-volt outlet will be able to charge the vehicles.
It’s no secret that all-electric performance offers uncompromised power with efficient and reliable designs. As the F-150 Lightning continues to grow in popularity across industries, only time will tell how versatile and capable this innovative pickup proves to be. To learn more about the latest F-150 Lightning and all its innovative features and capabilities, stay tuned to our blog at Haldeman Ford in Hamilton. Feel free to also browse our new vehicle inventory to check out all of Ford’s rugged pickup trucks!