Ford announced today that the F-150 Lightning pickup will come with 250 kWh of complimentary charging, available through FordPass Rewards, at Electrify America ultra-fast charging stations.
However, there is a catch. The benefit is available solely to Ford F-150 Lightning retail customers. The bonus basically mirrors the one applied to the Ford Mustang Mach-E in 2020 (also 250 kWh).
Ford estimates that a 250 kWh credit is equivalent to nearly three "fill-ups" or up to 575 miles of electric driving (in the case of the standard-range battery version).
It's not a big bonus as its value is probably under $100, but it's always nice to get something free. Especially considering that the prices increased.
We guess that the main point of the benefit for Ford and Electrify America is to convince customers to use their charging services, rather than to buy a vehicle (the queue is already very long).
Electrify America network currently includes roughly 800 fast charging stations in the US, equipped with about 3,500 individual chargers "open or with construction completed". By 2026, those numbers are expected to significantly increase to over 1,800 stations and over 10,000 stalls.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is quickly becoming the best-selling electric pickup in the world. According to the latest press release, 4,400 units have already been sold in the first few months.
In terms of fast charging, the extended-range battery can replenish about 54 miles of range in 10 minutes, while recharging from 15 to 80% of state-of-charge (SOC) takes about 41 minutes. The real-world results might differ slightly, compared to the manufacturer's data.
Some other manufacturers offer 250-1,000 kWh of complimentary charging or 1, 2 or even 3 years of free charging.
Here is the list of Electrify America's DC fast charging agreements with manufacturers (as of the day of announcement - might be different now):
- Audi:
Audi e-tron SUV/Audi e-tron Sportback - 1,000 kWh of free charging
Audi e-tron GT - 3 years of free charging - BMW:
BMW i4 and BMW iX - 2 years of free 30-minute complimentary charging sessions - Byton:
Byton EVs (market launch was canceled) - 2 years of free charging - Ford:
Ford F-150 Lightning - 250 kWh of free charging (retail customers)
Ford Mustang Mach-E - 250 kWh of free charging - Genesis:
Genesis GV60 - 2 years of unlimited 30-minute charging sessions free of cost - Harley-Davidson:
Harley-Davidson LiveWire - 500 kWh of free charging - Hyundai:
Hyundai Ioniq 5 - 2 years of unlimited 30-minute charging sessions free of cost
Hyundai Kona Electric and Hyundai IONIQ Electric - 250 kWh of free charging - Kia:
Kia EV6 - 1,000 kWh of complimentary EV charging - Lucid Motors:
Lucid Air - 3 years of free charging - Mercedes-Benz:
Mercedes-Benz EQS - 2 years of free charging - Polestar
Polestar 2 - 2 years of free charging - Porsche:
Porsche Taycan - 3 years of free charging - Volkswagen:
Volkswagen ID.4 - 3 years of unlimited charging plan - Volvo:
Volvo XC40 Recharge/C40 Recharge - 250 kWh of free charging
