The current F-150 is offered with gas and diesel engines. (Ford)
Electric pickup startups beware, a "juggernaut" is coming to down.
Ford confirmed on Wednesday that it will build a fully-electric F-Series pickup, marking the first time the automaker has officially revealed such a vehicle is in the works.
The Detroit Free Press reported that Ford Executive Vice President Jim Farley told attendees of the Deutsche Bank Global Automotive Conference in Detroit that “we’re going to be electrifying the F-Series – battery electric and hybrid.”
Ford spokesman Mike Levine confirmed with Fox News Autos that Farley was referring to “an all-electric F-150” that Ford is working on “as a new way to better serve our truck customers.”
Farley said at the event that the move is meant to “futureproof” the best-selling F-Series, which he described as a “global juggernaut.”
THE FUTURE OF FORD IS PERFORMANCE:
Ford is now the first of the big three truck sellers to reveal plans for an electric pickup, despite moves by all of them toward electrifying their lineups.
A likely humorous teaser rendering of a Tesla pickup based on its new Semi-tractor. (Tesla)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been teasing the industry with a pending unveiling of pickup he says looks like it’s from “Blade Runner,” while American startups Bollinger Motors and Rivian have each taken the wraps off of electric models that they say will be on sale by 2020 and have attracted tens of millions of dollars from investors.
Farley did not offer a timeframe for the release of a battery-powered F-150, but a hybrid version without a plug will be in showrooms next year alongside a “Mustang-inspired” high-performance electric SUV.