With an all-electric Ford F-150 on the way for 2023, the Blue Oval is entering the taunt-and-bait phase of vehicle development. To wit: this shadowy teaser revealed yesterday during an announcement about the company’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, where the first F-150 EV will roll off the line in mid-2022.
The image shows very little, as could be expected of any teaser, but it’s clear the 2023 F-150 EV will share a lot with its more conventional, internal-combustion sibling. The fenders and mirrors look interchangeable with those of the recently revealed 2021 F-150, and the chiseled hood appears to be very similar. Of course, that hood doesn’t open to reveal a power plant, but instead a weatherproof, locking frunk that would be perfect for valuables, power tools, and other items too important to leave in the bed.
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Also plainly obvious on the teaser image is a full-width front light bar, a styling feature plucked either from the 1995 Mercury Sable or the forthcoming Rivian R1T. The electric vehicle’s “grille” texture looks very futuristic, all bevels and edges, and minimalist front headlights give the teaser a very robotic, severe vibe. The F-150 EV looks like it will be bold and brash.
That’s not too surprising. Eco-conscious vehicles often get lumped, often undeservingly, into the “eco-weenie” category, so it makes sense that Ford would want to send a clear (and aggressive) message to truck buyers that the all-electric F-150 means business.
The truck’s performance goes hand-in-hand with that visual statement; although Ford doesn’t have any specifics available, the company did promise that the zero-emissions pickup would also be the F-150 family’s most powerful variant of all time, meaning we can count on more than 450 horsepower (336 kilowatts).
That grunt will come via two electric motors, likely one on each axle. According to Ford patent filings, the motors might draw power from battery packs that could be integrated into the truck frame, improving both weight distribution and chassis strength while potentially improving payload over the 2020 truck’s maximum of 3,250 pounds (2021 numbers are still to be determined). Frankly, we’d also expect Ford to one-up the Tesla Cybertruck’s claimed towing capacity of 14,000 pounds – could the F-150 EV pull 15,000?
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