The Ford F-150 Lightning officially arrives in Europe, with Norway as its first market

For 46 consecutive years the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling pick-up in the United States, and it has also been the best-selling vehicle for 41 years in an uninterrupted run. Unfortunately, it was never officially available in Europe unless you imported one yourself. What will reach Europe is the F-150 Lightning, the all-electric version of the acclaimed pick-up, specifically in Norway.

It seems the F-150 Lightning has a large number of devoted fans in Norway. According to Per Gunnar Berg, CEO of Ford Norway, many Norwegians have been pleading for this model to arrive in their country. Norway is no coincidence: it is the only country in the world where electric vehicles enjoy such wide acceptance, especially in terms of market share, with nearly 80% of 2022 sales going to electric vehicles and a charging network of 20,000 public stations.

These figures are undoubtedly what led Ford to opt for bringing its F-150 Lightning to Europe and starting its introduction in Norway. We will see whether more countries join later, but note that it will only do so under a strict and limited number of units, a figure that has not been specified. What Ford has confirmed is that its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn will expand its facilities to reach a production of 150,000 F-150 Lightning units this same year and meet demand.

The Ford F-150 Lightning will arrive in Norway in the Lariat Launch Edition, which also means it will only be sold in the SuperCrew Cab version and in the eye-catching Antimatter Blue metallic color as the only available option. The five occupants it can seat will enjoy technologies such as the SYNC 4A infotainment system, featuring a 15.5-inch touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while the driver will also have a fully customizable 12-inch digital instrument cluster.

The Ford F-150 Lightning also has features that make life easier, whether used for work or leisure. An example is the rear camera, which makes aligning and hitching a trailer simpler. In addition, the onboard scale and the Smart Hitch provide an approximate estimate of the weight in the cargo area and its distribution. Adding to this is the Pro Trailer Backup Assist system, which lets the driver reverse with a trailer by controlling movements via the touchscreen and steering with a dedicated knob.

Mechanically, the F-150 Lightning uses a dual electric motor with an output of 458 CV and a torque of 1,050 Nm sent to all four wheels. These figures allow it to accelerate to 100 km/h in under 5 seconds and to tackle the most varied terrain, with four driving modes available at all times (Normal, Sport, Off-Road and Tow/Haul). It will also be equipped with a lithium-ion battery of 98 kWh capacity, which can go from 15% to 80% charge in 39 minutes using a 150 kW DC fast-charging system.

For now, Ford has not revealed either the availability date or the price of the F-150 Lightning in Norway, a figure that could serve as a reference should this pick-up reach more European markets.