Electric motors are coming to the Ford F-150. The 2021 F-150’s PowerBoost gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain comes first, which combines a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission with an integrated 35-kW electric motor. The hybrid merely marks the beginning of the F-150’s electric embrace. Come model-year 2022, the F-150 will add a true battery-electric drivetrain to its options menu. The model may don the name Everglades (likely cheekily badged EVerglades), or it may just be called the F-150 Electric.
Regardless of what it’s christened, the battery-electric F-150 will surely be able to continue the truck‘s tradition of hauling and towing serious loads, as evidenced by Ford’s decision to preview the powertrain by showing it pulling a train’s worth of F-150s in a video released last year. The production F-150 EV’s tow rating certainly won’t come close to the 1.25 million pounds that train weighed, but we do expect the EV half-ton pickup to at least match the PowerBoost model’s stated 12,000-pound-plus tow rating.
We also anticipate the truck to sport motors at each axle and manage to top 200 miles on a full charge of its surely large battery pack. And that’s sure to account for the effects of a reasonable load in the Ford pickup’s bed. Hypermile and ditch any extraneous weight, and you’ll likely manage an even better figure. Remember, Ford’s invested in Rivian, an electric automaker that claims its R1T pickup will travel more than 400 miles on a full charge of its available 180-kWh battery pack.
In order to eke the most range out of the model, Ford will surely restyle the F-150’s front end for even further aerodynamic efficiency. Look for a mostly closed-off grille, a reworked lower fascia that cuts even further into the truck’s approach angle, lower side skirts, and model-specific wheels.
Although Ford may eventually offer the F-150 Electric in various trims and with a number of cabs and bed lengths, the company will likely initially offer the model in one or two trims, cabs, and bed lengths to keep profit margins high. We’d wager a pricey, four-door, short-bed Limited-trim-like model will serve as the poster child for the F-150 Electric, with a more bare-bones and cheaper XL-spec option to take on the task of attracting fleet buyers and more cash-strapped EV truck consumers. Even so, the cheapest F-150 Electric is sure to cost a good deal more than its gas-powered equivalent. Nevertheless, we’ll know more about the 2022 Ford F-150 Electric, its capabilities, and its pricing closer to the model’s reveal.
