High-Performance Ford F-150 Lightning EV: Ford’s Newest Performance Demonstrator

Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, sent automotive fans into a frenzy this month when he tweeted a teaser unveiling Ford’s upcoming electric vehicle performance demonstrator is none other than its uber-popular EV pick-up truck, the F-150 Lightning. The viral tweet also contained a picture of Farley exposing a portion of the truck’s bumper to Formula One driver, Daniel Riccardo.

This picture showcases quite a few new projects for Ford, mainly it’s return to a previous division of production. Ford’s new partnership with Red Bull welcomes an official return to Formula One racing after twenty years off the track. Reports detail they will begin supplying engines for Red Bull in 2026. However, development is set to start happening sometime in 2023.

This partnership is based on sustainable and eco-friendly automotive technology. These engines will include a 350 kW electric motor and a traditional combustion engine that is capable of using sustainable fuels to power it. They will also offer a consultancy with Red Bull. Ultimately, Ford will provide their expertise in a range of areas, including battery cell technology, analytics and electric motor technology.

Segway into motorsports

But this announcement doesn’t just show Ford’s movement into Formula One; it signifies their move into all motorsport as a whole. They are participating in a wide range of motorsports, including the WEC and IMSA competitions, Le Mans 24 hours, WRC, the Baja 1000, NASCAR and NHRA, to name a few.

It was during the announcement of their newest partnership that they declared a new EV performance demonstrator was in the pipeline. For anyone that isn’t familiar with Ford’s electric vehicle performance demonstrators, they are one-off concept vehicles that showcase Ford’s tremendous performance power. This will be the newest EV performance demonstrator Ford has produced so far. They also released the F-100 Eluminator, the Mustang Mach-e 1400 and the Electric Supervan.

The F-100 Eluminator is the electric version of Ford’s iconic truck. The Mustang Mach-e 1400 performance demonstrator had seven electric motors that produced a mind-blowing 1,400 horsepower. The Electric Supervan surpassed even the Mach-e 1400 with 2,000 horsepower and can go from 0-60mph in less than two seconds.

While there are no other details on what features this new EV performance demonstrator will be, it is clearly the F-150 Lightning as it is the only EV pick-up Ford manufactures at the moment.

A look at the Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford has had the best-selling pick-up truck in America for over forty years, and that hasn’t stopped with the Ford F-150 Lightning. It sold over 600,000 units last year, making it the best-selling electric truck in 2022 on the market. Ford’s magic touch with pick-up trucks hasn’t run out just yet.

That said, from the sneak peek within Farley’s tweet, it’s obvious there are already a few tweaks to the Lightning model. For example, it sits lower to the ground and sports a set of street tires. This reveal is set to be an exciting one. Also, from the photo, there is something sticking up behind the cab, but due to the cover of the vehicle, it is hard to comprehend what that might be. Fans will just have to wait on tenterhooks to finally see the full reveal.

This new EV performance demonstrator will have to pack a lot of power in to surpass the already impressive F-150 Lightning, which houses 580 horsepower, 775 pound-feet of torque and can go from 0-60mph in less than four seconds. It is obvious why the Ford F-150 Lightning is one of the best-selling electric vehicles of the moment.

Final thoughts

While there is no more information available about the new high-performance version of the incredibly popular Ford F-150 Lightning pick-up truck, it is rumoured that it will contain over 1000 horsepower as most of Ford’s performance demonstrators have surpassed the four-digit horsepower range; just look at the Mach-E 1400, the Supervan 4 and the Mustang Cobra.

But the Ford F-100 Eliminator, which is also a part of Ford’s performance demonstrators, only contained 480 horsepower. This is a massive difference from its high-powered counterparts. But since the Ford F-150 Lightning is already so powerful, Ford’s performance team will enjoy shocking people with a 1000+ horsepower electric pick-up.

If any of the previous EV performance demonstrators are to go by, the Ford F-150 Lightning will be extremely impressive. Ford is already starting to release small snippets and teases of the truck; fans will not have long to wait to see this new and exciting version of everyone’s favourite electric pick-up.