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.
Imagine this, but with less grille (maybe, probably), and you've got the idea.
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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