Key Takeaways
- Ford unveils the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, set to race at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
- Not for production, the SuperTruck will boost Ford’s electric powertrain R&D for future vehicles and race programs.
- The SuperTruck follows the SuperVan 4.2 record, with Romain Dumas at the helm.
Ford has revealed the first images of the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, the company’s newest EV demonstrator that will race at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Additional details about the race car have also been disclosed, along with a short teaser video showcasing the electric truck’s high-speed cornering ability.
The F-150 Lightning SuperTruck is still wearing camouflage in the images, but it’s apparent that it’s ready to unleash hell on “America’s Mountain,” making the earlier introduced F-150 Lightning Switchgear look relatively pedestrian. Despite being hardly recognizable, Ford claims that the EV demonstrator is still based on the production F-150 Lightning but dressed differently for the 12.5-mile mountain pass.
Huge Aero Parts
As expected, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has oversized aerodynamic parts. Developed in partnership with the STARD racing team, it has a massive splitter, dive planes, hood vents, side skirts, side vents, rear diffuser, and, of course, a gargantuan wing. Every essential aero part is present to keep the electric truck on the ground when tackling Pikes Peak’s 156 turns.
According to Ford, all these aerodynamic features amount to 6,000 lbs of downforce (around the same weight as a production F-150 Lightning), achieved at 150 mph. The truck’s bed is also covered with a glass canopy, presumably to help with airflow, while the wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires for maximum traction.
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Huge Shoes To Fill
While an electric race truck sounds insane, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck isn’t headed for production. However, whatever Ford learns from it will advance the company’s electric powertrain R&D for production vehicles, specifically regarding software calibration and battery cell chemistry. It will also be used for future race programs.
The F-150 Lightning SuperTruck will follow in the footsteps of the Electric SuperVan 4.2, which set a new Open Class record at Pikes Peak at 8:47.682 last year. Just like the SuperVan 4.2, the SuperTruck will be piloted by record-holder Romain Dumas. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb’s main event is on June 23, 2024.
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