by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is an electric truck that’s taking things to the next level. Ford took an extra step that rivals didn’t to provide one crucial feature that’s essential for saving your rear in emergencies. 

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning offers a full-size spare tire 

There are various electric trucks entering the scene, such as the Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck, that lack a crucial feature compared to the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. According to The Day, the F-150 Lightning is the only option that offers a full-size spare tire. 

This will be incredibly beneficial if a flat tire occurs. Instead of dealing with a little donut tire and crawling to a tire shop, you can change the tire and continue about your day. This also helps drivers from getting stranded. 

Most electric trucks are marketed as off-roaders, but if you only have a little donut tire in the wild, then you might have to wait for a tow truck. The F-150 Lightning is a lifestyle truck, and a temporary spare donut tire won’t work when you’re far away from the pavement or roadside assistance. 

Why do auto manufacturers use donut spares? 

Back in the day, full-size spare tires were universal. John Klinger, Vice President of Car Culture at Hagerty, explained that many early cars through the 1920s could have more than one full-size spare tire because tire problems used to be more common. 

But during World War II and the Korean War, there were temporary bans on spare tires in new vehicles due to rubber shortages. The space-saving donut spare cut down on rubber usage, weight and took up less space. Plus, they cuts down on production time and costs. 

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning isn’t the first truck to emphasize the need for a full spare. Front fender or side-mounted full-size spare tires were a common feature into the 1930s. Then the continental kit spare tire was seen on the back of Lincolns in the 1940s. 

Now in some images of the F-150 Lightning, you can see the spare neatly tucked under the bed. It’s visible to drivers from the rear. It provides both form and function, and the front trunk, aka the frunk, provides tons of storage. 

What else does the F-150 Lightning offer? 

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning incorporates what drivers want and need. Drivers mentioned that they wanted a full-size spare, and Ford delivered. It also has a fully independent rear suspension to improve its handling and ride quality. 

Plus, the F-150 Lightning can power your home in the event of an outage. Simply connect your truck to Ford’s charging station and a power inverter for 9.6 kW worth of constant electricity. A fully charged truck will power your home for days. The Pro Power Onboard feature will power tools. 

The Lightning begins at about $41,000 and qualifies for the $7,500 federal tax credit and other local state, city, and power company incentives. The standard range battery pack provides 426 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque with a 230-mile range. The extended-range battery cranks out 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of range with an estimated 300-mile range. 

Things such as the 12-inch touchscreen, max recline seats, multi-functional tailgate, water-resistant front trunk with plugs, electrical plugs in the bed, and more provide capability and convenience. We can’t wait to learn more about this truck. It will arrive in spring 2022.

RELATED: The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning May Face Limited Production

The post The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Offers Something Rivals Need appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

We keep seeing the signs that the Camaro will be discontinued soon. And GM keeps sticking to the script that the Camaro will hang in there at least through 2026. Now word comes that so far, in all of 2021, the Camaro has sold less than 10,000 units. Exactly 9,881 to be precise.

Can there be a good business case for keeping the 2021 Camaro around?

Those numbers are not sustainable. Neither is the embarrassing press that goes along with the dwindling numbers. Dodge Challenger numbers have actually risen, while the Mustang is down by about five percent year over year.

The Camaro is a much different story. It saw sales plummet by almost 30 percent in 2021. Or to put it a different way; the Camaro occupies just nine percent of the muscle car segment. Challenger leads the segment with 46 percent and Mustang barely under at 45 percent. 

So the Camaro is significantly underperforming compared to its peers. There are many reasons being bandied about with the one high on the list being price. But in 2019 GM addressed the perceived price being too high by offering revised trim levels that broadened its prices. The 2019 Camaro was $2,000 less than its 2018 version.

Did the Camaro refresh in 2019 help?

Then in 2020 Chevy offered an even cheaper LT1 trim level. With these competitive price strategies, the Camaro continues to see dwindling numbers. Chevy also revised styling a couple of times.

Some have complained the sixth-gen models don’t look different enough from the fifth generation. So in 2019 Chevy redesigned the front and rear fascias. Especially on SS models, the new styling was not received well. 

The new 2020 Camaro SS fascia didn’t help slow the Camaro’s slide

So for 2020 Chevy redesigned the SS fascia again. Unfortunately, that did not stop the slide. What Chevy decides to do next is anybody’s guess. 

Just a few days ago we wrote about GM killing the upcoming Z/28 package. A Z/28 option would have been a glorious way to send off the Camaro. Even if the numbers were low it would have represented the Camaro’s heritage of fast V8 coupes. 

Now, the only activity bestowed upon the Camaro is assembly line closures. This allows for microchips to be diverted to more popular models. But it does nothing to keep Camaro models on Chevy dealership lots. 

Can Chevy afford to keep the lights on at the Camaro factory?

Chevy is as aware as anyone that keeping the lights on at the factory factored over fewer Camaros means each one costs more to make. Then, reductions in price to invigorate sales means Camaro manufacturing gets squeezed at both ends. In scenarios such as these, the Camaro would reasonably be gone at the end of this year. 

But Chevy is sticking to its 2026 guns. Unless something changes rapidly we doubt there is any business case that justifies Camaro’s weak numbers in 2021. As the clock ticks, we wait for word from Chevy on when it will discontinue the Camaro.

RELATED: Pathetic State of 2022 Camaro: “Two Totally New Colors”

The post For All of 2021 Less Than 10,000 Camaros Sold: Ouch! appeared first on MotorBiscuit.