Ford Pushes the Boundaries of the F-150 Lightning

Photo Source: Ford

Cloaked in secrecy, Ford returns to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in June 2024, to run a specialized version of its F-150 Lightning electric vehicle in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It ran the “Race to the Clouds” last year (2023) in its SuperVan. Despite being just 12.5 miles, it is a tremendously perilous proposition, as getting to the top of Pikes Peak requires the driver to negotiate 156 turns with names such as Devil’s Playground and Bottomless Pit while climbing from 9,000 feet above sea level to 14,000 feet in elevation. Not only must drivers traverse an endless number of switchbacks, several with no railing to keep them from sliding off the edge, the conditions at the bottom of the mountain where the race begins are often dramatically different than those at the top. Rain, fog, ice, and snow can all make the drive treacherous.

The Mysterious Vehicle

Ford shared a single teaser image on social media on March 1, 2024, depicting the front of a vehicle hiding under covers. It is wide, low, and there is a massive wing at the rear like the one on the intense electric SuperVan. The wing is designed to help with the aerodynamics and downforce, where the elevation and low air density have an effect on aerodynamics. Indeed, if the brand did not specifically state this was an F-150 Lightning, it would not be unreasonable to think of some SuperVan variant beyond the current 4.2 model. However, this is a pickup truck, and evidently, Ford is applying some of the lessons learned from its extremely quick van.

The heavily modified pickup will have an ace up its sleeve. Toward the top of the mountain, where internal combustion engines struggle for air, electric vehicles do not need to go the extra mile for it. To that end, this hillclimb racer could be a version of the F-150 Lightning Switchgear, a prototype designed to explore performance envelopes on- and off-road for the electric truck. To clarify, it is dubbed Switchgear because the same truck–with minor alterations to the tires and suspension–is designed to conquer paved corners the same way it conquers dirt jumps.

Going Up that Hill

Ford Performance is leading the charge up the hill for the Blue Oval, entering the super F-150 Lightning as competitor No. 150, according to a press release. This will also mark one of the first serious motorsport efforts for the F-150 Lightning. Still, Ford needs to qualify the vehicle for the event during preliminary runs on June 18 through the 20, 2024. The big day itself is on June 23, 2024. 

The limited visual design cues surrounding the relatively cryptic F-150 Lightning raise the following question: Does this mean Ford enthusiasts will see a Pikes Peak edition F-150 Lightning with a colossal aerodynamics package? Probably not, but it would be an immense morale boost to Ford and its team of engineers, knowing that it is capable of making a commanding electric vehicle for serious motorsport undertakings. The Volkswagen I.D. R, having ascended the mountain in 2018, and the Ford SuperVan proved that electric vehicles are for more than merely getting groceries in an environmentally conscious way. The F-150 Lightning truck’s Pikes Peak climb drives that point home even further.

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