Ford has improved the DC fast-charging capabilities of the F-150 Lightning pickup. This concerns not only vehicles fresh from the factory but also the older ones (2022 and 2023 model years), which can now charge faster with the new software update.

State Of Charge‘s Tom Moloughney had an opportunity to test a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning with the new software and compare the results with previous sessions to see the difference.

The progress is quite noticeable, although it does not turn the Lightning into a lightning-fast DC-charging EV.

Specs

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat ER (Extended Range) is a dual-motor, all-wheel drive electric pickup. It has a 145-kWh battery (131 kWh of net capacity) and an EPA Combined range of 320 miles. The EPA highway number is 283.1 miles, while the 70 mph range test ended with a 270-mile result.

According to the original specs, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning was able to charge at up to 150 kW and recharge from 15% to 80% state-of-charge (SOC) in 41 minutes. The range replenishment rate was estimated at up to 54 miles in 10 minutes.

Charging Curve

The DC fast-charging test was conducted at an EVgo charger with a maximum output of up to 324 kW. The charger’s maximum voltage of 950 volts and maximum current of 540 amps were higher than requested by the vehicle, thus not limiting charging performance.

The first graph below presents the charger power curve for the entire session from 10% to 80% state-of-charge (SOC). The charging power quickly jumped to over 170 kW and then gradually increased to a peak of almost 182 kW around 25% SOC. This is the best part of the curve.

The highest charging power levels were achieved at nearly 500 amps (499 A to be precise), which is a new thing. Previously, the Ford F-150 Lightning was limited to about 450 amps.

Between 25% and 33% SOC, the charging power decreased slightly to around 164 kW and remained like that until about 40% SOC. Then we can see another gradual power reduction between 40% and 50% to about 125 kW. The level of 117-125 kW was maintained up to 68% SOC. At the end of the session, at 80% SOC, the power decreased to 72 kW.

Overall, the charging curve is relatively flat with an average 10-80% SOC power of 141 kW.

If we compare the results with the new and old software, the difference is clear. The new software enables it to achieve a higher peak power, as well as to maintain higher power levels for longer.

C-Rate

Assuming that the vehicle has a 145-kWh battery (total), the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariar ER’s C-rate peaked at over 1.2C. The average in the 10-80% SOC window was just under 1C. Anything around 1C can’t be considered a good result and we would gladly see something closer to 2C.

Info: The C-rate indicates the correlation between the charging power and the battery pack capacity. A value of 1C would mean that the power value in kW is equal to the battery pack capacity in kWh and that at such power (current) rate, the battery would be fully recharged in 1 hour. The higher the C-rate, the higher the load on the battery and the faster it charges. A flat 2C would translate into a 30-minute charging session (0-100% SOC).

Charging Time

The charging session from 10 to 80% SOC took 39.5 minutes, during which the vehicle received 92.3 kWh of energy, according to the charger. It’s not a great result, but it’s an improvement compared to the older software.

The result confirms the original specs, which said 15-80% SOC in 41 minutes.

The difference between the new and old software in the 10-80% SOC window appears to be around 5 minutes (nearly 40 minutes, instead of 44-45 minutes).

With the new software, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning completed the 10-80% SOC charging session in a similar time as 15-80% SOC with the old software.

The time-based graph reveals that the latest version can charge at a noticeably higher power for longer. However, after less than 20 minutes or around 50% SOC, the results are very similar — at least when compared with the 15-80% SOC session.

Range Replenishing Rate

Considering the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat ER’s EPA range of 320 miles, its range replenishment rate peaks at about 7.4 miles per minute (estimated). The values are lower if we assume the EPA highway range of 283.1 miles or 270 miles in the 70 mph range test.

Overall, the results are not very high, especially after the first 20 minutes or 50% SOC.

According to the original specs, the pickup should be able to replenish 54 miles of range in 10 minutes. This was done with ease.

Our test showed an average of 7.2 miles per minute regained over the first 10 minutes, or 72 miles of range replenished.

The second 10-minute period was slightly slower (6.0 miles per minute), and after that, it was only worse.

How Long To Add Driving Range

Alternatively, we could ask how long it would take to add a certain number of miles. The first 50 miles of EPA range can be replenished in 6.4 minutes. In less than 14 minutes, one can add 100 miles.

To add 150 miles, 23 minutes of charging will be required. Because the charging speed drops, to add 200 miles, one must spend nearly 34 minutes at the charger.

DC Fast-Charging Matrix

Here is a summary of the entire charging session in a single image — the DC fast-charging matrix. It lists several main parameters: time, average charging power, the number of replenished SOC percent points, kWh of battery capacity, and miles of EPA Combined range added between certain starting and final SOC points.

The color map is entirely green (light/dark) because the charging curve was pretty flat, with the lowest values not very far from the peak values.

Please remember that the results might differ depending on a variety of factors, including the starting point of the session (which could shift the charging curve), charger, temperatures (ambient, that of the charger and its cable, and battery), and car (exact version, age, battery state-of-health, and software version).

Summary

Ford did an outstanding job improving the DC-fast charging performance of the Ford F-150 Lightning model, including the older versions like the tested 2022 model year with 36,000 miles on the odometer.

The gains are noticeable — probably up to 5 minutes on a 10-80% SOC charging session. However, it’s not enough to change the originally so-so DC fast-charging capabilities into something spectacular. The session still took 39.5 minutes. There is no way the Ford F-150 Lightning would be able to replenish its range as fast as some of the other electric pickups, such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Tesla Cybertruck.

The latest software increased the peak charging power (through an increase of current from 450 to 500 amps) to over 180 kW, as well as the average charging power, because the charging curve is improved. The test obviously confirmed the original specs.

The main gains concern the first 20 minutes of charging (10-50% SOC). After that, the results appear similar. This means that shorter charging sessions are the most fruitful.

The C-rate (peak and average load on the battery) remains relatively low, which is the main issue. This prevents the Ford F-150 Lightning from achieving a really good charging time and range replenishment rate. In our test, the vehicle exceeded 7 miles per minute of charging in the best 10-minute period, while state-of-the-art pickups can exceed 10 miles/minute.

Check more of our DC fast charging analyses here.