The Tesla Model 3 Is Faster Than the Ford F-150 Lightning—But Not By Much
The Tesla Model 3 Performance beats the Ford F-150 Lightning in a drag race—but it's not by as much as you'd think.
If you were to organize a drag race between a
Tesla
Model 3 Performance and a Ford F-150 Lightning, who do you think would win?Tesla Model 3 Performance vs. Ford F-150 Lightning
As
InsideEVs
reports, the team at The Fast Lane took their electric F-150 Lightning to the Bandimere Speedway drag strip outside of Denver for a public test and tune event. The event is essentially for anyone who wants to show up and use the track to get an official time for their vehicle—for an entry fee, of course.
The team didn't know exactly what vehicle they'd be matched up against, but it happened to be a Tesla Model 3 Performance—which is no chump on the quarter-mile.
The
Model 3
Performance is the—you guessed it—performance-oriented variant of the Model 3. It's capable of a 3.1-second 0-to-60 time. For comparison's sake, the Ford F-150 Lightning is capable of hitting 0-to-60 in 4 seconds.Between the Tesla Model 3 Performance vs. Ford F-150 Lightning, how did they perform?
Per the video, the Tesla Model 3 Performance screamed off the line a bit quicker than the F-150 Lightning, though the Lightning still manages to stay not far behind the Model 3. The Tesla's official time on the quarter-mile track was 11.72 seconds, compared with the Lightning's 12.81 seconds.
The Tesla showed a trap speed (or the speed of the vehicle near the end of the race) of 113.54 mph compared with the F-150 Lightning's 104.57 mph.
Regardless of the loss, it's still an excellent showing for the Ford F-150 Lightning, which is built more with towing and hauling in mind than drag racing. The fact that it could keep up to a Tesla made with performance in mind is impressive.
Ford's electric workhorse
The
F-150 Lightning
is Ford's first electric pickup truck, as well as the first electric pickup truck to market from a mainstream automaker. The Lightning has two battery options;—the standard 98 kWh battery produces 452 hp, while the extended 131 kWh battery makes 580 hp.Both options are capable of producing 775 lb. ft of torque, making it a truly capable full-size pickup.
It also boasts a max payload of 2,000 lbs on models equipped with the standard-range battery and a max conventional towing capacity of 10,000 lbs for properly equipped XLT and Lariat models.
Its driving range varies per trim level and battery pack, but it can get between 230 and 320 miles depending on equipment choice.
Tesla's every-man EV
Tesla's
Model 3
wasn't intended to be as luxurious as its cohorts—it's meant to be affordable relative to the rest of Tesla's lineup. But that doesn't mean it lacks the power—480 horsepower—or tech of its more expensive competitors.But at $62,990 for the Tesla Model 3 Performance, is it really worth it when the cost of entry for a more practical F-150 Lightning starts at $39,974?
That's not saying Ford is a stranger to decking its vehicles out; the F-150 Lightning can go for as much as $90,874 for its highest Platinum trim.
If you’re worried about affording a new electric vehicle—regardless of if it's a Tesla Model 3 or a Ford F-150 Lightning, you should consider calling on
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