Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck Is Ready To Light Up Pikes Peak
Ford isn’t content with “just” having an electric pickup truck. Oh no, the “civilian” version of the F-150 Lightning apparently doesn’t cut it, and the company decided there’s no better way to improve its image by sending a heavily reworked version of the electric F-150 up the Pikes Peak. Say hello to the F-150 Lightning Supertruck.
Not A Mountain Goat
One thing is clear — this is an F-150 just by the name; otherwise, it has very little to do with the road-going model. The SuperTruck makes all the other F-150s look like Sunday drives; it even makes the Tesla Cybertruck look like a timid tortoise.
This carbon fiber and engineering wizardry masterpiece has enough wings to make the good old Boeing 747 blush. The rear wing, if it were only a little bit lower, would be big enough to serve as a picnic table for a football team. While the SuperTruck’s aerodynamics look outrageous, they are actually functional. At 150 mph, all those winglets, spoilers, and splitters create an astonishing 6,000 pounds of downforce.
More Than Just A Trophy Hunter
Ford is keeping the specification sheet close to its chest, at least for now. However, the company created the SuperVan 4.2 not long ago, and that beast used 4 electric motors churning out 1,400 horsepower. The SuperVan accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in less than two seconds and topped out at nearly 190 mph. Last year, the electric Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800 packed 1,800 horsepower, so we could see the SuperTruck pushing even higher numbers. All in the name of progress and lower emissions.
Ford claims the SuperTruck isn’t just a one-trick carbon-clad pony. In fact, it is a rolling science laboratory, a testbed for Ford’s electric future. The lessons learned during the International Pikes Peak Hill Climb will trickle down to future electric vehicles, improving battery chemistry, software, and overall performance.
The spirit of competition is well and truly alive within Ford’s ranks. While the SuperTruck might not be street-legal, it is an exciting glimpse of future technology and the potential of electric powertrains. Who knew saving the planet would turn into breaking speed records?