Ford’s Electric Pickup Will Be Called F-150 Lightning, and You’ll See It on May 19

The Lightning name is officially being revived, but with a huge twist.

byPeter Holderith|
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Ford entered the EV scene with a strong push thanks to the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, and now its plans to fully electrify America's best-selling vehicle (and best-selling pickup truck, too, of course), the Ford F-150. Today, the Dearborn automaker announced that its first-ever electric truck will bear the name "Lightning," a moniker once worn by its former sport truck.

As well as announcing the model's name, the Blue Oval also told the public when they could expect to see it revealed: May 19.

Ford

Ford's press release was light on specifications for the new vehicle, but Ford President and CEO Jim Farley claims the new truck's performance will exceed that of the "original Lightning performance truck." That doesn't really mean much if he's referencing the 240-horsepower first-gen Lightning, of course, so perhaps he's talking about the 380-horsepower SVT-built model produced until 2004. Either way, that was the only performance metric offered. 

Farley went on to confirm a few key other details, though. He claimed it will be able to charge your home during power outages and receive over-the-air updates, like other current Ford products. He also noted where and when it will be produced: Lightnings will start rolling off the line at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan during the spring of 2022.

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Thankfully, we'll have the chance to learn more about it before then. The reveal date, as mentioned above, is May 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET. No details surrounding reservations or pre-orders were provided as of yet.

The reveal will be live-streamed on Ford's Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts, but if you want to go see it in person, it will also be displayed live outdoors at various venues like Times Square in New York City and on Las Vegas Boulevard. Ford says those are just two of the "18 impactful out-of-home locations" where you can watch it happen in real time.

It seems that Ford, like many Americans who've been stuck at home for a year, is finally ready to venture outdoors.

Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here: peter@thedrive.com

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