Ford has confirmed it will revive the F-150 ‘Lightning’ name for its next-generation fully electric pickup for the 2022 model, and has released a teaser ahead of its debut next week.
We don’t have any solid technical details to report on the new F-150 Lightning just yet, however, Ford has confirmed that the next-gen pickup will have the “power, payload and towing capability that is the hallmark” of its F-150 lineup.
The Lightning moniker was first applied to the 1993 Ford SVT Lightning, which was powered by a 5.8-litre V8, and was famed for its performance while retaining a full towing and payload capacity. It went out of production in 1995.
It was followed by the second-generation SVT Lightning in 1999, which featured a supercharged 5.4-litre V8 and transmission borrowed from the F-350. Ford stuck with the Lightning for five years, when it was ultimately replaced by the SVT/Ford Raptor brand.
In the official preview video (below), we’re shown a number of milestone vehicles in Ford’s history, namely the one that kicked it all off – the Model T – as well as each and every iteration of the fourteen generations of the F-150. Narration of the video says:
It’s time to take our grit, our determination, our ingenuity, and build on that. It’s time to take an entire century of innovation, and point it at the next century. To take the legendary and turn it into something revolutionary… to take electric, and turn it into lightning.”
Chief of Ford, Jim Farley, has said: “Every so often, a new vehicle comes along that disrupts the status quo and changes the game. The Model T, Mustang, Prius and Model 3… now comes the F-150 Lightning. The F-150 Lightning can power your home during an outage, it’s even quicker than the original F-150 Lightning performance truck and it will constantly improve through over-the-air software updates.”
Production of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is set to take place at Ford’s Rough Complex in Michigan. The reveal will take place on May 19.
https://youtu.be/3iS5f716oYQ
