Ford confirmed Monday that all of its electric pickup trucks will be renamed the F-150 Thunderbolt, a name restored that donated the SVT F-150 once in the 1990s. The company did not say much about the power train, range or other specs. However, Ford President and CEO Jim Farley have provided new details about the electronic pickup that will hit the market next year. Most notably, the Ford F-150 Lightning’s battery seems to have the power to power a home during an outage.
Ford has expressed interest in the ability to get a job site or equipment of a hybrid F-150, but this is the first time the company has said that any of its vehicles can act as a backup generator in any home. Farley added that the electronic truck is capable of handling over-the-air software updates and will be faster than the original F-150 Lightning performance truck of the V8-powered truck, which debuted in 1993.
“Every now and then, a new car comes along that disrupts stability and changes the game … Model T, Mustang, Prius, Model 3. Now the F-150 power,” Farley said in a statement. “For almost half a century, America’s favorite vehicle has been digital and fully electronic. The F-150 can power your home during a power outage; it’s faster than the original F-150 lightning performance truck; and it will continue to improve through over-the-air updates.” Production of the electronic pickup truck is expected to begin next spring at the company’s Ford Rouge electric vehicle center.
The Ford F-150 will be released via livestream on May 19 at the company’s headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The Ford has been rigorously pressed into detail but we know the F-150 will bring an electric dual motor power train, which will help provide traction. It will accelerate faster than any F-150 of today and will have the ability to scatter heavy trailers. Ford used a prototype to drive 10 double-decker trains weighing one million pounds last June.
Other new features F-150 power owners can wait on top of regular trucks include a front trunk (a.k.a. a franc), less frequent maintenance and power take-off. Ford says the pickup will be able to power a home during an outage. It will also be on a high-tech ride, with Ford promising digital aspects. We know that is a constant improvement through extra-air updates. Production of the electronic F-150 will begin next spring at Ford’s Roosevelt plant in Dearborn, Michigan, which has been churning Ford pickups since 1948, as well as the hybrid F-150 PowerBoost, which has recently gone into production at the plant.
