2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black Edition Hands-on: When Luxe Meets Electric Power

If you thought the Ford F-150 Lightning had peaked, Ford springs a sizzling surprise with its Platinum Black Edition. This isn’t merely a truck, folks; it’s automotive eloquence on four wheels. Allow us to take you through the design intricacies that make this edition exceptionally spellbinding.

Designer: Ford

Enchanting From Every Angle

Behold the Lightning Platinum Black edition’s alluring exterior. This isn’t your typical paint job. Ford’s custom matte black wrap is an artwork of sorts. It’s multi-faceted, transforming under varied lighting conditions—under studio lights, it flaunts subtle undertones, and under direct sun, it cloaks itself in an enigmatic shade. It’s a chameleon on the road, bound to make heads turn no matter the hour.

Taking this dramatic aesthetic up a notch, Ford introduces exclusive blacked-out accents. From the grille to the mysterious “smoked” light bars, and surprisingly, even the iconic blue Ford emblem is swathed in this shadowy hue. This gives the truck a menacing allure, guaranteeing a double take wherever it roams.

The pièce de résistance? The glossy black roof brandishes “LIGHTNING” across the panoramic sunroof. And let’s not overlook the standard black soft tonneau cover that crowns the Platinum Edition.

Wheels as Statement Pieces

Move over, standard wheels. The Platinum Black strides ahead with bespoke 22-inch black wheels, complete with matte black lug nuts. These aren’t mere aesthetic choices; these wheels are wind tunnel champions, beautifully melding aesthetics, and aerodynamics.

A Symphony of Luxury Inside

Inside this beast, luxury reigns supreme. Seats swathed in top-tier black Nirvana leather with contrast stitching scream opulence. The door jamb even boasts a special-edition series plate—talk about exclusivity.

The already-impressive 15.5-inch touchscreen seems more regal within the Platinum Black’s plush environs. And for those with a keen eye, the tweaked user interface hints at the truck’s upscale stature.

Tech That’s A Step Ahead

Ford is not one to rest on its laurels. The 2024 Platinum Black edition brings advanced features such as an upgraded BlueCruise 1.2 hands-free driving and an intuitive walk away-auto-lock mechanism. And the intelligent tech doesn’t stop there: if multiple phones are paired, the truck identifies the one used to unlock the driver’s door.

Worried about starting up to access the onboard generator? With the Lightning Platinum Black, the optional ProPower generator springs to life as you unlock. Plus, those with the 2022 and 2023 models are included, courtesy of an over-the-air update.

Performance-wise, expect the same robustness with the standard Extended Range battery pack and a 580-hp dual-motor powertrain, ensuring the Platinum stays consistent with its 300-mile range.

The Verdict: Electrifying Elegance

Ford’s F-150 Lightning Platinum Black edition is more than a truck—it’s a symphony of design and innovation. From its underlayer Agate Black paint to its finely curated interiors, there’s an attention to detail that’s simply unmatched. It’s a recalibration of luxury within the electric truck realm.

Starting at $99,000, it does command a slight premium over its predecessor. But it’s more than justified for the sheer artistry, performance, and ready-to-go package. In the bustling world of EVs, the Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black stands as a paragon of design brilliance and tech-forward prowess.

The post 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black Edition Hands-on: When Luxe Meets Electric Power first appeared on Yanko Design.

2020 GMC Sierra HD Trucks Make Trailers Transparent

Over the years, the camera technology in vehicles has dramatically improved. We started out with rudimentary low-resolution backup cameras, and now we have crystal clear images with multiple views, guidelines, and radar sensors to detect obstacles. We recently had a chance to go eyes-on with one of the most sophisticated examples of in-vehicle camera technology yet, in the 2020 GMC Sierra HD pickup truck line.

For the new model year, GMC will offer an optional camera system that provides a whopping 15 different views, including blind-spot cameras, top-down, bed, trailer hitch view, and even a view inside of your trailer. Perhaps the niftiest feature available is designed for improving safety and visibility when towing a trailer down the road. Basically, it lets you see behind trailers up to 32 feet long.

The feature, informally referred to as “Transparent Trailer” uses a combination of the tailgate camera built into the truck, along with a wired remote camera you place on the back of your trailer, and stitches them together in real time to create a live feed.

The result is impressive. While I captured the images and video here, we were towing a 13,000 pound box trailer behind the truck, and there’s no way I could have seen what cars were behind us otherwise. However, with the Transparent Trailer tech, there was a clear view of the road behind, and any vehicles that were behind or attempting to pass us.

I can imagine this being a godsend for people who regularly tow large trailers, and is sure to improve maneuverability and safety. While the feature is initially available on the 2020 Sierra HD trucks, it sounds like it should soon be an option for their light-duty Sierra trucks soon as well.

For more information on the 2020 GMC truck lineup and all of its available towing and technology features, check out the GMC website.

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