Ford has spent the last few years promising it will make an all-electric version of its extremely popular pickup truck, the F-150. Now the company is saying it will go on sale by the middle of 2022 — what’s expected to be the biggest year for new vehicle launches in decades, according to a new study from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Ford’s chief operating officer Jim Farley shared the news on Wednesday, but didn’t offer any further specifics about the truck in an interview with CNBC or during an appearance at a Deutsche Bank automotive conference. He did say that the release of the electric version of Ford’s Transit van has been pushed back a year to 2022, though.
That release date means the F-150 EV will likely hit the road after electric pickups from a number of Ford’s rivals. Tesla’s Cybertruck and General Motors’ electric Hummer pickup are slated to be released in late 2021. EV startup Rivian is aiming to ship its first electric pickup trucks in early 2021 (alongside an electric SUV) after production was delayed by COVID-19.
The F-150 EV is just one piece of Ford’s push into electric vehicles, though. Ford is expected to show off a hybrid F-150 later this summer alongside the new version of the standard internal combustion engine version. The Mustang Mach-E electric SUV is being released at the end of this year. Ford has also invested more than $500 million into Rivian and is working with the startup on an electric vehicle for Lincoln. (Another project involving the three brands has already been canceled due to COVID-19.) Ford has entered into a partnership with Volkswagen as well that will see the US automaker use the German giant’s battery tech in an electric car slated for 2023.
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