Ford has taken the covers off its new F-150 Lightning – the first electric version of its best-selling pick-up that will go head-to-head with Elon Musk’s Tesla Cybertruck when it hits the US market early next year.
On the outside, it looks very much like its immensely popular gas-powered version.
However, batteries and electric motors replace the conventional internal combustion engine – even freeing up space for a ‘mega power frunk’ that can carry up to 400 pounds (181kg) of whatever you need to carry.
Range is up to 300 miles on a full charge, based on the American EPA test cycle, and it produces more torque than any F-150 before it.
The all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck was unveiled at the company’s headquarters in Michigan on Wednesday
A huge lithium-ion battery powering the car is stored in the chassis floor to keep the centre of gravity low and spreads the additional bulk across the footprint of the vehicle.
While it will tip the scale far heavier than a petrol equivalent (though kerb weight is yet to be revealed), it’s far from slow.
It will be sold to customers with the choice of two battery capacities, offering official ranges of 230 miles or 300 miles for the extended range version.
The latter should be a match for the entry version of Musk’s much-anticipated Cybertruck, though a ‘tri-motor’ version is rumoured to offer up to 500 miles of range on a full battery.
Linked to a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain, the smaller capacity F150 Lightening produces 421bhp and 775lb ft of torque, while the extended range version ups power to 555bhp (torque remains the same).
Choose the latter and it will be ‘wickedly quick off the mark’ [Ford’s words, not ours], accelerating from zero to 60mph in around 4.5 seconds. That means it should be able to keep up with a Bentley Continental GT in a sprint.
It is due to hit the market in spring 2022 with a starting price of $39,974 (£28,200) – thought it won’t be available in the UK.
Jim Farley, Ford’s president and CEO described its unveiling on Wednesday as ‘a massive moment’ for the brand.
‘It will be built at the Rouge factory, where Henry Ford changed the world and my grandfather punched in every day. F-150 Lightning represents all that our country can do when we push for progress,’ he added.
Ford has calculated that an electric version of America’s top-selling vehicle will appeal to the sorts of buyers who favor rugged pick-up trucks prized for strength and durability.
If it succeeds, it could speed the nation’s transition away from petroleum burners – a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s broad effort to fight climate change.
‘It’s a watershed moment to me,’ Ford CEO Jim Farley said of the electric truck, which was formally unveiled on Wednesday night.
‘It’s a very important transition for our industry.’
Ford claims a maximum payload of 907kg for examples fitted with 18-inch wheels and a towing capacity of up to 4536kg – more than enough to haul a decent-size boat or caravan.
Customers will be offered a home charging station as standard when they buy the truck that will be capable of 150kW DC fast-charging. Owners will be able to boost the batteries from 15 per cent to 80 per cent charge in just 41 minutes.
It also has a ‘Power at Home’ function, which has the capacity to use 9.6kW of the battery charge to power a home if there’s a black out for up to 10 days – or to charge power tools and other electrical equipment.
One of the standout features is the under-bonnet ‘mega power frunk’.
It offers 400 litres of storage space and is fitted out with four electrical outlets and two USB chargers.
Ford says there’s enough space for ‘two carry-on bags and one checked bag, or two sets of golf club,’ and in its promotional video shows the funk loaded with five bags of cement.
Inside, there’s plenty of technology too, with Ford’s latest Sync 4A infotainment system, a 15.5-inch touchscreen and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster and features self-driving technology that can be used on US highways.
The F-150 Lightning will be built at Ford’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Centre in Dearborn, Michigan.
‘For both Ford and the American auto industry, F-150 Lightning represents a defining moment as we progress toward a zero-emissions, digitally connected future,’ said Bill Ford, executive chairman at Ford Motor Company.
‘F-Series is America’s best-selling truck for 44 years, the backbone of work across the country, and a trusted icon for generations of customers. Now we are revolutionizing it for a new generation.’
Joe Biden has already given the electric Ford F150 Lightening the Presidential seal of approval
By EMILY GOODIN, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
President Joe Biden got to test drive Ford’s first electric truck during a stop in Michigan on Tuesday to tout his infrastructure plan, saying ‘this sucker’s quick.’
He capped his visit to the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn with a surprise stop to speed his way around the test track.
During his factory tour, he got an advance look at the F150 Lighting truck. He bragged he got to sit in and said during his remarks he wished he could take it for a spin.
‘I’d sure like to drive it,’ Biden, 78, said. ‘I wonder whether or not I can lose the Secret Service and go out to the track.’
He didn’t ditch the Secret Service but he did make a stop at the testing track and get to drive a grey-ish version of the vehicle.
He sped by, later saying he took the truck up 80, and then stopped the truck to speak with the reporters traveling with him.
Biden stuck his head out of the window, wearing his signature aviator sunglasses, and said: ‘This sucker’s quick.’
He said he’d buy one if he could. The truck goes on sale Wednesday and will compete against the GMC Hummer EV, Tesla Cybertruck and Lordstown Endurance full-size electric pickups.
‘I’m just gonna step on it. I’ll come off at 80 miles an hour,’ Biden said.
One reporter asked the president if she could ask him about Israel.
‘No, you can’t,’ he responded. ‘Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it. I’m only teasing.’
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