2023 head-to-head · Full-Size Pickup

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning vs Nissan Frontier

MPG, range and what each one really costs you to fuel, from official EPA ratings and recalculated with your own gas and electricity prices.

Swap sides
✓ Cheaper to run
$1,293/ year to fuel
70 MPGe
✓ Cheaper to run
$2,214/ year to fuel
21 MPG

The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning is the cheaper one to run. Driving 15,000 miles a year with 18¢/kWh electricity and $3.10/gal regular gas, it costs about $1,293 a year to fuel (70 MPGe), versus $2,214 for the 2023 Nissan Frontier (21 MPG). That's roughly $921 a year, or about $4,605 over five years.

Your numbers

Change these to match your driving and local prices. Every figure and chart on this page updates.

Fuel cost over 10 years

  • Ford F-150 Lightning
  • Nissan Frontier

Side by side

Ford F-150 LightningNissan Frontier
$1,293 Your annual fuel cost $2,214
70 MPGe Combined efficiency 21 MPG
78 MPGe City 18 MPG
63 MPGe Highway 24 MPG
47.9 kWh Electricity use (kWh/100 mi) —
320 mi Driving range —
0 g/mi Tailpipe CO₂ (g/mi) 437 g/mi
9/10 EPA fuel economy score 4/10
10/10 EPA greenhouse gas score 4/10
10.1 hrs Charge time at 240V —
Electric Powertrain Gas
Electricity Fuel Regular gasoline
Electric motors (420 kW) Engine / motor 3.8L 6-cyl
Single-speed Transmission 9-speed automatic
AWD Drivetrain RWD

✓ marks the better value. EPA scores run 1–10 (10 is best). Volumes come from the EPA interior volume index and aren't published for every body style.

Ford F-150 Lightning vs Nissan Frontier across model years

  • Ford F-150 Lightning
  • Nissan Frontier

Annual fuel cost of the most efficient configuration of each model year, at your prices. Click a point to open that year.

How they differ

Among 20 2023 full-size pickups, the Ford F-150 Lightning ranks 2nd and the Nissan Frontier 11th for lowest fuel cost.

Because the Ford F-150 Lightning is fully electric, it has no tailpipe emissions and its running cost depends almost entirely on your electricity rate. Cheap overnight home charging widens its advantage over the Nissan Frontier; relying on DC fast chargers can erase it.

Frequently asked questions

Which is more fuel-efficient, the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning or the 2023 Nissan Frontier?

Measured by cost to drive, the Ford F-150 Lightning. The Ford F-150 Lightning is rated 70 MPGe combined and the Nissan Frontier 21 MPG (EPA, most efficient configuration of each).

How much does it cost to fuel the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning vs. the Nissan Frontier per year?

At 15,000 miles a year with 18¢/kWh electricity and $3.10/gal regular gas, about $1,293 for the Ford F-150 Lightning and $2,214 for the Nissan Frontier.

Ford F-150 Lightning vs Nissan Frontier in other years

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