Ford’s F-series trucks have been the best-sellers in its class among American customers for the past 44 years. With the automotive industry switching to more sustainable forms of propulsion, news about the F-150 going electric is bound to jolt long-time fans, in a manner of speaking.
The All-Electric F-150 Lightning
The new truck is slated to break cover a week from now, bearing the Lightning moniker. If that sounds vaguely familiar, it’s actually a clever callback to the 90s-era SVT Lightning pickup, a product of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team that was built for blazing speed on the straights.
Back then, there was very little to suggest (if at all) that the name would eventually be appropriated for a model that did away with a combustion engine. And what a potent powertrain it was, comprising a 5.8-liter V8 which cranked out 240 hp and 461 Nm of torque for the ninth-generation F-150. That would be succeeded by an even more powerful 5.4-liter supercharged V8 on the tenth generation, making 360 hp and 597 Nm of torque.
Will the new F-150 Lightning live up to the reputation of its forebears?
The upcoming new generation rig is looking to follow in these footsteps. A video clip released in 2019 demonstrated the electric F-150’s capabilities by pulling a freight train filled with 42 regular F-150 trucks, with the entire load tipping the scales at 625 tons. While even Ford acknowledged that the stunt didn’t exactly mirror real-world usage, it’s now practically heralding the Lightning’s arrival as the fastest and most powerful F-150 yet.
The upcoming reveal wil hopefully shine a light on the future of Ford trucks
So far, that title belongs to the previous-generation F-150 Raptor, which kicked up 450 hp thanks to its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. While Ford is expected to surpass these figures with the new Raptor and even the Raptor R, it seems to reveal very little details regarding its electric truck. But knowing just how much power an electric motor can achieve when paired with lithium-ion batteries, it’s safe to say that Lightning could just as well strike twice.
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