The Ford F-150 Lightning became the big truck superstar in 2022. Of course, with most of the capability and good looks of the standard F-150 truck but with a lot more electric power. The main difference is that it’s electric, compared to traditional F-150s that run on gasoline or diesel. Ford, however, has come out the door with a cheaper work truck version it calls the Pro, which might be a better value than the upgraded XLT.
What is the Ford F-150 Lighting Pro? It is the cheapest Ford Lightning pickup.
The Pro is the most basic version of the 2023 Ford F-150 Lighting. Trucks that come with specs like this are typically intended for fleet service at your local school district or utility, and it’s the most affordable Ford Lightning truck. cheap. That means you don’t get the fancy LED lights, nicer interior with soft-touch cloth seats, or even the 15.5-inch touchscreen of the upgraded XLT trim. Other than that, it’s hard to tell the electric work truck apart.
But, the Pro’s 12.0-inch screen gets the job done, and those who wear thick gloves every day will appreciate that Ford has switched the HVAC controls to on-screen knobs. Also, the Pro has easy-to-clean vinyl seats and rubber flooring, which suits this truck’s mission very well, thank you. Other than those few changes, it’s not much different from the much more expensive XLT.
Is the Ford XLT package worth it?
Both the XLT and Pro offer many of the same options, including the same low-voltage Pro Power Onboard system for powering tools. But the XLT offers several upgrades, like the extended-range battery option, a 360-degree camera, and cloth seats. It is not a luxury truck. That’s Platinum’s competition.
However, the XLT offers several of the basics we’ve come to expect. The XLT gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel, carpet instead of floor mats, extended running boards, and a few other trim pieces. Both trucks have four-wheel drive with a two-motor powertrain, as well as a base range of 240 miles.
The Lighting Pro saw a big price increase
The Pro version was designed to appeal to those who want a basic work truck. When Lighting launched, you could get a Pro, with no options, for around $44,000. Now, the base price of the base F-150 Lightning is a whopping $55,974 before tax credits. It’s impossible to see where the extra $15,000 went on the 2023 model, but it could be that Ford designed the Pro version to be a loss leader and put the lights on the road sooner. And according InsideEVsonly some Lightnings will qualify for tax credits.
The XLT, however, also saw a price increase. The base price for a 2022 trim was $52,974, while the 2023 trim starts at $63,474, again before tax credits. That is also a sharp increase in price. However, these trucks are in high demand and that usually means big price increases. While the Pro version looks, well, simple, is the $11,000 price upgrade for cloth seats and a bigger screen worth it?