Ford's New F-150 Pickup Goes on Sale in November, a Fully-Electric Version Will Enter Production in 2022

author: FutureCar Staff    

Ford's new electric F-150 pickup will enter production by mid 2022.

U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. announced on Thursday that its new best-selling F-150 pickup truck will arrive at dealers in November. Production of the new truck is already underway in Michigan.

Ford also confirmed that a battery-powered F-150 will enter production by mid 2022. Reports of Ford working on an electric Ford F-150 began surfacing early last year. 

The internal combustion engine versions of Ford's best-selling truck are facing looming competition from a new crop of EV startups working on more powerful battery-powered trucks. Among them are Amazon and Ford-backed Rivian, Lordstown Motors, Nikola Motors, as well the Hummer EV from Ford's biggest U.S. rival General Motors. Electric automaker Tesla is also developing its electric Cybertruck.

To build the new lineup of F-150's, Ford said its making a $700 million investment in its historic Ford River Rouge Complex, which is slated to become the high-tech manufacturing home for the all-new electric F-150 and new F-150 PowerBoost hybrid.

With Ford's previous investments to build the new Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup at its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich, the automaker's total investment is $1.45 billion. Ford says it will create approximately 3,000 jobs over the next three years in Michigan alone with its upcoming new vehicles.

"We are proud to once again build and innovate for the future here at the Rouge with the debut of our all-new F-150 and the construction of a modern new manufacturing center to build the first-ever all-electric F-150," said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. 

The all-new F-150 is designed for the most towing and payload of any light-duty full-size pickup. The electric truck will feature dual electric motors that will deliver more horsepower and torque than any F-150 available today, the company said. The truck will also offer the fastest acceleration and the ability to tow heavy trailers.

A giant front trunk or "frunk" as its often referred to, on the electric F-150 will adds even more cargo-carrying versatility and security to help protect and store valuable items. Ford's electric F-150 will also offer additional power, serving as a mobile power generator, so customers can use their trucks as a power source or at job sites when needed.  

Among the new features in Ford's F-150 lineup are support over-the-air software updates that helps keep the truck always up to date with the latest technology.

In addition, for the first time a hybrid F-150 will be available. The hybrid F-150 features Ford's all-new 3.5-liter PowerBoost hybrid powertrain with an integrated power generator.

"F-Series pickups are the backbone of work and productivity across the country. And now we are preparing to build a fully electric version of America's most popular vehicle, and it will be a seriously capable, purpose-built tool for serious truck customers," said Jim Farley, Ford's chief operating officer and incoming CEO. 

The electric F-150 is already undergoing tens of thousands of hours of testing, including laboratory testing and millions of simulated and real world test miles, Ford said. 

Ford says the electric F-150 will deliver commercial and personal customers the lowest expected lifetime total cost of operation among all F-Series trucks. 

Electric vehicles, including the electric F-150, require significantly less maintenance than a typical gasoline engine, creating more than 40 percent savings for its lifetime total cost of operation.

Ford's truck sales are a big part of its annual profits. Last year, Ford sold 1.2 million trucks in total, including 896,526 F-Series pickup models. So Ford's new electric F-150 has the potential to become a big seller and help the company fend off formidable rivals in the electric truck space.

FutureCar Staff