Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck EV revealed

The wild Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck EV has emerged, ready to tackle the world-famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 23.

Following on from last year’s Ford SuperVan 4.2 EV that set a new Open Class record on the race to the clouds, the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has been developed in partnership with Austrian race team and engineering outfit STARD.

Looking almost nothing like the regular Ford F-150 Lightning work truck, the all-electric Pikes Peak racer gets a bespoke body designed to maximise its aero up the 20km climb to the summit.

Ford has yet to release full details but the combination of its jutting front splitter, flared wheel-arches, aggressive side intakes, enormous rear diffuser and towering rear wing are all said to help the Ford ute produce an incredible 2700kg of downforce at 240km/h.

With that level of downforce and an improvement in power output compared to the 1050kW triple-motor version of the SuperVan 4.2, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck EV is on track to set new records on the famous mountain climb.

With racer Roman Dumas behind the wheel, the Blue Oval stands a good chance of achieving a successful outcome as the Frenchman remains the holder of the outright Pikes Peak record with his run up the mountain in the Volkswagen ID. R Pikes Peak in 2018.

As well as competing at Pikes Peak, the new F-150 Lightning SuperTruck is said to preview software and battery cell chemistry that will be used in future Blue Oval vehicles, including the production version of the F-150 Lightning Switchgear concept shown earlier this year.

A zero-emissions take on its Ford F-150 Raptor, the Switchgear saw the electric truck adopt race-spec suspension, carbon-fibre body panels and extra bash plates.

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