AUTO

F-150 Lightning Tow Test on Colorado’s Coldest Day

April 2, 2022

Towing is one of the most important capabilities a truck can offer. Because of that, “How does it tow?” is one of the most important questions a V8 die-hard will ask of an electric truck. Last month, on the coldest day recorded in Boulder, CO in more than 100 years, a new F-150 Lightning answered that question.

Last month, Ford engineers put some pre-production F-150 Lightning electric pickups through what some call the world’s toughest towing test: TFLtruck’s Ike Gauntlet.

We’ll keep the suspense to a minimum here and let you know that the truck passed with flying colors — despite wind chills registering below 0° F and the Ike Gauntlet itself, which covers an 8-mile stretch of I-70 in Colorado that follow at a 7% incline to a maximum elevation of 11,158-ft. above sea level around the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel. It’s a challenge for engines, brakes, and drivers alike, and the big electric Ford trucks powered through.

Ford Runs Hot and Cold

Towing in wintery conditions, however, is only one part of the equation. To prove the truck’s muster towing in extreme heat, Ford took the F-150 Lightning to the extreme grades of Davis Dam. With ground temperatures reaching a high of 118-degrees Fahrenheit during testing, F-150 Lightning preproduction units towed the same 10,000-pound trailers for multiple loops across the dam. Davis Dam, located on State Route 68 between Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam, ascends from 550 feet elevation to 3,500 feet in 11.4-grueling miles.

Between the two locations, their steep continuous inclines, expressway speeds, and trailers in tow – in this case the truck’s targeted maximum 10,000 lbs. – makes them extremely grueling for gas, diesel, and electric trucks alike. The two testing trips are examples of the hundreds of hours of rigorous towing testing the all-new F-150 Lightning has endured during development.

You can watch Ford’s official towing test video, below — then let us know if you’re convinced by Ford’s impressive display of power in the comments section at the bottom of the page.