2018 Ford F-150

Ford F-150 Lightning Switchgear Concept

It's electric and features 37-inch tires: The F-150 Lightning Switchgear from Ford Performance is a high performance on- and off-road demonstrator vehicle based on America's best-selling electric truck.

Designed and built in collaboration with RTR Vehicles and inspired by the F-150 RTR Ultimate Fun-Haver project vehicle from 2016, we designed Switchgear's custom exterior carbon bodywork with a Ford Performance 2024 livery and underpinned it with off-road upgrades to take F-150 Lightning where it's never been.

It's the latest in our Ford Performance Demonstrator program - joining SuperVan 4.0 and 4.2, the Mustang Mach-E 1400, Mustang CobraJet 1400 and the F-100 Eluminator - that showcases the possibilities of what an electric vehicle can be and provides a playground for engineers to advance learnings quickly for future electric vehicles.

Switchgear specifically provides a testbed for pushing the boundaries of what's expected from electric trucks.

 
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it's the wild new Ford F-150 Lightning Switchgear

Ford’s latest one-off EV demonstrator shows how dirty - and airborne - its EV pick-up can get

Ford has a rich recent history of taking sensible electric cars and turning them into freaks with superpowers. Remember the SuperVan 4.0, Mustang Mach-E 1400, Mustang CobraJet 1400 and F-100 Eluminator? All the work of the Ford Performance Demonstrator Program, and this is the latest member of the gang – the F-150 Lightning Switchgear.

Ford calls it an F-150 Lightning heavily modified to “provide a playground for engineers to advance learnings quickly for future electric vehicles". All you need to know is it’s here to prove that EV trucks weighing the same as a small planet can have off-road fun, too.

Built in collaboration with Vaughn Gittin Jr's RTR Vehicles and based on an F-150 Lightning SuperCrew, it gets full carbon-fibre bodywork, wider track width, more suspension travel and better ground clearance thanks to Fox 3-inch internal bypass shocks, and reprofiled front and rear bumpers. There’s also custom independent double wishbone suspension at the front and independent multi-link suspension at the rear with coilovers. If off-road’s your thing, salivation may be occurring.

 
Ford showcases F-150 Lightning Switchgear - just don’t call it Raptor electric

Ford is giving us an interesting take on off-road vehicles with the F-150 Lightning Switchgear. The one-off vehicle is done in collaboration with RTR Vehicles and Ford hopes it can prove that EVs can deliver the same all-terrain performance as their gas-powered counterparts.

Ford decided that an unmodified 580-horsepower powertrain found in F-150 Lightning XLT was up to the task. While 580 hp is clearly less than the 720 hp found in the gas-powered Raptor, the torque figure tells a different story. The F-150 Lightning Switchgear packs 1,051 Nm versus the 868 Nmfound in the Raptor. And any seasoned off-roader will tell you that torque always beats the horsepower.

It is the F-150 Lightning Switchgear's suspension and bodywork that got the most attention. The suspension is beefed up with Fox off-road dampers, providing the vehicle with exceptional stability on rugged terrain. Paired with massive 37-inch tires, this truck boasts an impressive ride height - sufficient to conquer challenging landscapes with ease.

www.arenaev.com

Ford showcases F-150 Lightning Switchgear - just don’t call it Raptor electric

Experience the future of adventure with Ford's electrifying F-150 Lightning Switchgear.
www.arenaev.com www.arenaev.com
 
Lower EV demand forces Ford to cut production of electric F-150 in the US

Ford is reducing production of its F-150 Lightning electric pick-up in the US, as it anticipates weaker demand for electric vehicles this year.

The carmaker plans to cut production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center to one shift from April 1, impacting about 1,400 workers, with some to transfer to other roles and others expected to take retirement packages.

"Ford expects continued growth in global EV sales in 2024, though less than anticipated," the company said in a statement.

It is lowering production as it aims "to achieve the optimal balance of production, sales growth and profitability."

Sales of the F-150 Lightning jumped 55 percent in 2023, with further growth forecast this year, according to Ford.

 

Ford Loses $36,000 On Every F-150 Lightning Sold – Fires 70% Of EV Workers, Ramps Up Gas Production - Building Elements​

In a recent video, YouTuber The Electric Viking reports that Ford Motor Company has initiated a significant workforce reduction at its F-150 Lightning electric vehicle (EV) plant, cutting nearly 70% of jobs.

This controversial move comes amid rising concerns about the company’s commitment to its EV endeavors, as it simultaneously expands its internal combustion engine (ICE) production.

Let’s delve into the details and explore the potential implications.
Click to expand...

greenbuildingelements.com

Ford Loses $36,000 On Every F-150 Lightning Sold - Fires 70% Of EV Workers, Ramps Up Gas Production

In a recent video, YouTuber The Electric Viking reports that Ford Motor Company has initiated a significant workforce reduction at its F-150 Lightning electric vehicle (EV) plant, cutting nearly 70% of jobs. This controversial move comes amid rising concerns about the company’s commitment to...
greenbuildingelements.com greenbuildingelements.com
 
Ford is taking a heavily modified version of its F-150 Lightning to Pikes Peak

With last year’s second-placed finish overall for the SuperVan 4.2, could the F-150 have what it takes to go all the way?

Ford’s skunkworks personnel are no strangers to building a vehicle specifically to climb up a really big mountain located close to Colorado Springs. They will continue that tradition this year too, with a hardcore, stripped-down version of Ford’s all-electric F-150 Lightning set for a rendezvous with Pikes Peak.

While the sole image released so far is mostly useless, it does confirm a huge rear wing and a lower, wider body. Ford is dubbing this a ‘demonstrator’ of the electric F-150, so don't expect it to look too much like the standard mass-market version.

Powertrain details are also being kept hush for now, but we’re expecting a more refined version of the tri-motor, all-wheel drive unit used to power last year’s competitor: the Transit-based ‘SuperVan 4.2’. That means around 1,400bhp in competition trim, by the way, and an unrestricted potential of 2,000bhp and 1,328lb ft of torque. Yikes.

The SuperVan 4.2 annihilated the previous in-class record by around 37 seconds at the 2023 event and managed a second-placed finish overall. It missed out on outright victory by just under eight seconds, so Ford will fancy its chances with this year’s smaller (and perhaps lighter) competitor.

 
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