Ford confirms electric F-150 for production
Don't expect it to arrive for a few more years, though.
Ford has not been shy about its aspirations to electrify its fleet of future vehicles, and it's mentioned hybrid variants of both the Mustang and F-150 in the past. But now, it appears Ford's bread-and-butter pickup will also go fully electric.
This week, two Ford executives independently mentioned a forthcoming EV variant of the F-150 pickup truck -- Ford President of Global Markets Jim Farley said it in an investor call, according to Car and Driver, and according to Electrek, CEO Jim Hackett also mentioned it during a Deutsche Bank auto industry conference. Car and Driver was able to get subsequent confirmation from a Ford spokesperson.
Of course, confirmation doesn't always come with specifications or any hint of actual information about a vehicle, and that's the case here. Car and Driver notes that it's unlikely we'll see the thing for a few years, pegging its earliest debut as after the next-generation truck debuts, which is likely to happen early next decade. The hybrid F-150, though, will likely arrive as the swan song for the current generation.
At this moment, the biggest potential competitor for the electric F-150 would be Rivian's R1T, provided they both reach production. It made waves at the LA Auto Show late last year, measuring a little larger than a Honda Ridgeline but packing an all-electric powertrain that the company estimates will be good for a range beyond 400 miles with its largest battery pack. The R1T has an estimated tow rating of 11,000 pounds and a payload rating of 1,764 pounds.
It's unlikely that this announcement is a direct result of the Rivian's debut, though. According to auto analyst John Rosevear on Twitter, Ford's had this in the cards for some time, and an EV F-150 has been brought up in the past.
Whether or not Rivian's makes it to market, though, odds are Ford will be the first major automaker to debut a battery-electric pickup. The biggest questions, aside from specifications, are when it will arrive and how long it'll take the competition to deliver something similar.
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