Yahoo Autos Ford's Pikes Peak SuperTruck Looks Like an Assault on the Air
Following a successful climb in 2023 with the SuperVan 4.2, Ford is heading back to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with yet another EV demonstrator. Known as the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, this all-electric, 1400-hp pickup promises to pummel the air with its absolutely ludicrous aero package. With the race just days away, Ford has finally pulled the camouflage off of the one-off racer in time to let us get a look at it in all of its absurd glory.
The Blue Oval is no stranger to America’s favorite hill climb, having regularly competed since the very first iteration of the event back in 1916 in a Model T. More recently, the automaker has used the 4720-foot climb as a test bed for its electric performance machines. This particular one was developed between Ford and the crew at STARD Advanced Research and Development, who supplied the major powertrain components.
The F-150’s electric motors have been replaced by a trio of STARD UHP 6-Phase Motors, which are now powered by an ultra-high performance battery with lithium nickel manganese cobalt chemistry. Ford says the system is good for more than 1400 hp, which is useful when chasing Pikes Peak glory. That power also won’t drop off as the truck climbs the hill, one of the major benefits of ditching a combustion powertrain for this event. For reference, a production F-150 Lightning comes with 580 hp at most.
Of course, the powertrain is far from the most extreme part of this Pikes Peak racer, which is obvious from a single glance. The truck features a totally bespoke aero package fine-tuned for the race, complete with a massive triple-element front splitter and the largest wing we’ve seen on a truck. The sculpted body sides look like they’d bolt onto a prototype racer, and highlight how cool a single-cab EV would actually be.
Ford says that the body kit works together to provide a massive 6000 lbs of downforce at 150 mph. That sort of stick should help the truck tackle the cliff-faced turns found on the course with some serious confidence. A set of magnesium wheels wrapped in Pirelli slicks will help in that regard as well, while carbon ceramic brakes ensure the SuperTruck stops like a supercar.
Ford has enlisted Romain Dumas to helm the driving effort, who was responsible for the successful 8-minute 47.682-second run in the SuperVan 4.2. Dumas is one of the most respected names at Pikes Peak, with four King of the Mountain crowns under his belt. He is also the current overall record holder, with a fastest run of 7 minutes 57.148-second run in the all-electric VW I.D. R. While it's unlikely that the F-150 has the juice to beat the VW, we can’t wait to see what sort of run it can throw down.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will take place on June 23. You can watch the race day events live for free on YouTube at the link provided here.
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