As part of an announcement confirming the start of production for a new-generation 2021 F-150 pickup Thursday, Ford released a few new pieces of information about the upcoming fully electric version due in 2022.
The model, the automaker said, will have more horsepower and torque than any F-150 available today, and it will have the lowest lifetime total cost of operation among all the versions of the F-Series truck family.
With dual electric motors, the F-150 Electric won’t just boast high output numbers; Ford said it will offer the fastest acceleration and the ability to tow heavy trailers.
Ford also noted that, like the upcoming 2021 Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, the Ford F-150 Electric will improve over time with “fast over-the-air updates.”
2021 Ford F-150
The F-150 itself is the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. market, and Ford says that in a segment of more than two million full-sized pickups sold per year, Ford makes half of them.
A study conducted by Boston Consulting and distributed by the automaker found that the F-150 contributes nearly $50 billion to the U.S. GDP and about 500,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, while Ford itself supports about 1 million American jobs.
Last December, Ford confirmed that it would be building hybrid and electric versions of the F-150 in Michigan. The $700 million investment in the Rouge Complex will add 300 new jobs and will support building the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and the fully electric version of the F-150.
Ford F-Series electric truck prototype
In summer 2019 the company teased a prototype electric F-150 pickup pulling 10 double-decker rail cars weighing more than a million pounds altogether, and loaded with 42 gas-powered F-150s.
Ford has revealed very little about the F-150 Electric so far. But its strategy in giving the F-150 hybrid the PowerBoost badge and focusing on towing and hauling versus maximum fuel economy could give the company a lot more flexibility in how it positions the fully electric truck.