With this year’s news of the rebirthed Bronco, it’s clear that Ford is no longer playing games. Even though they’re out of the sedan segment (sans the Mustang, of course), the company is coming in hot with the upgrades. With a Michigan manufacturing plant in progress for the Electric Ford F-150, there’s no doubt to this sentiment.
About the Michigan manufacturing plant
This September, Ford began construction of their Dearborn, Michigan manufacturing plant for the electric Ford F-150. This plant will be dedicated to the new EV model as well as the F-150 Power Boost hybrid. The facility itself is part of a larger Ford manufacturing compound called Rouge Complex.
The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center will cost Ford about $700 million to construct.
When to expect the electric Ford F-150
The electric version of Ford’s famed pickup truck is set to arrive sometime in 2022. Based on the construction progress (so far), the plant should be fully functioning just in time.
Unfortunately for Ford, the electric F-150 comes out after a number of the brand’s rival EV pickup competitors. This includes the Tesla Cybertruck, which began taking pre-orders in November 2019 and is slated for release in late 2021. Another competitor, GM’s Hummer pickup EV, should be released around the same time. By early 2021, drivers can expect the Rivian R1T EV pickup truck on the road.
About the electric Ford F-150
Here's what the electric Ford F-150 looks like pic.twitter.com/rChTVJWf7m
— Vihar Gadhesariya (@gvihark) September 22, 2020
From first prototype glance, the Ford F-150 EV has one thing going for it that others in the segment don’t: it looks like a classic, handsome F-150. This is a big perk for Ford, especially considering the wildly futuristic look of the Cybertruck and the Hummer’s — well — Hummer-ness.
But the benefits of the electric Ford F-150 go beyond the surface. Namely, it can serve as a power source for places like job sites as necessary. Dual electric motors will bring a substantial amount of horsepower and torque, so much so that it will blow any and all existing F-150 variants out of the water. It’s 0–60 acceleration rate will be the highest and there’s no sacrificing tow capacity.
Ford expects total cost of ownership over the electric truck’s lifetime to be at least 40% less than its fuel-powered counterparts. Moreover, the F-150 will carry a frunk (AKA front trunk), which adds extra storage beyond the bed.
The truck’s infotainment and technological components will automatically update over the air as you own it.
EVs are sweeping the nation
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, California Governor Gavin Newson signed an executive order banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. On the same day, SPI Energy launched a new subsidiary company in Silicon Valley called EdisonFuture, which will design and develop electric vehicles and electric charging components.
Meanwhile, GM is set to deliver 20 new electric vehicles by 2023, and Ford itself claims a forthcoming dozen (or more) by 2022. Drivers can expect Ford to release the electric Ford F-150 by the end of that timeframe. In the meantime, we have something beautiful to look forward to.