It’s finally happening. Sure, it was only a matter of time, but it’s finally happening.
An all-electric Ford F-150 is on its way.
The news broke Wednesday, in a relatively casual manner compared to the gravity of the announcement, courtesy of Jim Farley, Ford’s executive vice president and president of global markets. But considering Ford sold one F-Series pickup truck every 35 seconds during all of 2018, there’s no doubt this is all part of their master plan.
“Here’s what’s going to happen next to future-proof that global juggernaut of commercial vehicles,” Farley said, according to The Detroit News. “We’re going to be electrifying the F-Series, both battery-electric and hybrid. And we’re doing the same for Transit.”
Booyah! The key phrase here is “battery-electric.” Ford isn’t simply turning their bread-and-butter pickup into some half-hearted hybrid (which is planned for a 2020 release), they’re working on a real-deal EV workhorse.
While this is admittedly just a statement from an executive — though it does fall in line with CEO Jim Hackett’s pronouncement that Ford has 16 EVs “in design and development” — it is fantastic news for almost everyone.
For the eco-conscious and EV fanatics, this is a welcome warning signal to all electric pickup startups; the big dogs are getting in the game, so it’s time to deliver a model regular truck drivers can buy. For those who rely on the F-150 for work (or play), this is a stamp of approval on EV technology that some may have been skeptical of until now. As for the “almost everyone” part of this equation — sorry, Elon Musk fanboys. This is bad news for only you, because if Ford puts its full weight behind this endeavor, there’s a good chance they will crush his forthcoming truck.
But hey, in the game of electric pickups, you win or you die. Who will end up on either side remains to be seen. And the deck is stacked on the side of the young guns, from Tesla to Bollinger to Rivian to Workhorse to Atlis.
Time to put your money where your mouth is, Ford.
Image courtesy of Ford Motor Company
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