Ford has long offered beefy off-road variants of the F-Series pickup, but the electric F-150 Lightning’s introduction raised questions about how robust a non-internal-combustion truck could be in the dirt. Ford Performance and RTR recently teamed up to find answers to those questions, and the result is the F-150 Lightning Switchgear, a high-performance concept truck with Raptor-like looks.
Ford said the truck features carbon bodywork and sports a widened track for better off-road performance. It also has a lift and upgraded suspension with Fox three-inch internal bypass shocks. The cropped bumpers give it better approach and departure angles, along with rock rails and skid plates for underbody protection. Nitto Ridge Grappler 37-inch tires wrap black 18-inch wheels.
This truck may or may not indicate Ford’s intention to build an off-road electric pickup. It joins other electric concepts the automaker has rolled out in recent years, including the Mustang Mach-E 1400, Mustang CobraJet 1400, the SuperVan 4.0, and the also-Lightning-powered F-100 Eluminator. Ford said it’s using the truck as a testing unit for electric truck technologies, so even if we don’t see this exact model on sale, there’s more than a good chance we’ll get some of its off-road goodies in a future Lightning model.
[Image: Ford]
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