by Ford’s first all-electric pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning, has finally started hitting driveways across the US — and owners are finding an unexpected accessory in the delivery box.
One of the most impressive features of the Lightning is its bi-directional charging capability – meaning its ability to send power to other electric Ford models or even an entire house. However, according to recent posts on the Lightning owners (opens in new tab) Forum (discovered by InsideEV’s (opens in new tab)) the car manufacturer also provides customers with an adapter for charging stranded Teslas.
The J1772 adapter, which is “compatible with all Tesla vehicles,” was reportedly not previously listed by Ford as a standard accessory to ship with the F-150 Lightning — Tesla itself sells one almost identical connector (opens in new tab) for $50 on his own website – although new owners of the so-called “truck of the future” seem to welcome the surprise.
“When I find dead Teslas I’ll have my Ford Lightning come to the rescue,” one user joked on the forum, while another wrote, “I’ll add a ‘Tesla Rescue Squad’ bumper sticker.”
Check out an image of the adapter in question below:
Of course, there’s no telling whether Ford’s inclusion of this accessory is actually making fun of its automotive competitor – one that remains the leading name in the electric vehicle market – but it’s hard to view the move as a subtle marketing ploy ( makes Ford Yes, really interested in giving its customers the opportunity to charge cars from competing manufacturers?).
Ironically, it would probably be more beneficial for Teslas to come with Ford-compatible charging capabilities, since the former have access to one extensive network of own charging stations giving drivers more boot-up options than any other electric car manufacturer.
Still, we tend to think of Ford’s adapter mount as nothing more than a tongue-in-cheek nod to Elon Musk’s company. And in any case, it’s far from the most notable thing about the F-150 Lightning.
Borrowing its name from a previous performance-oriented iteration of the best-selling F-Series, Ford’s electric pickup can sprint from 0-60mph in just 4 seconds – thanks to a 555hp powertrain with all-wheel drive – and offers drivers a whopping 775 lb ft of torque.
Of course, the Lightning is also a mighty strong machine. The standard variant with 18-inch wheels offers a maximum payload of 907 kg and a towing capacity of up to 4536 kg. To add some perspective, that means it could comfortably tow an adult hippopotamus – or two and a half Tesla Model 3s…
