Ford Teases A Beastly F-150 Lightning EV Demonstrator To Conquer Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is extremely rigorous on gasoline-powered cars as the air needed for combustion is much thinner at higher elevations. As such, the annual International Hill Climb represents one of the ultimate tests for any performance vehicle worth its salt for the past century. Electric vehicles, however, don't have to worry about air and have been stout competitors in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Last year, Ford ran its SuperVan EV up the mountain.
Ford is sprinting up the hill again for the 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado in another seemingly utilitarian vehicle, the F-150 Lightning. Ford hasn't given a lot more detail other than it will be based on a Lightning, but if the SuperVan and other hill climb cars are any indication, the car will be anything other than stock and there will likely be huge aerodynamic additions such as canards and a huge wing to give the car as much downforce as possible.
Charging the hill
Ford Performance is leading the charge up the hill for the Big 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. Ford still needs to qualify the vehicle for the event during preliminary runs on June 18th through the 20th. The big day itself is on June 23rd.
Does this mean Ford fans will see a Pikes Peak Edition F-150 Lightning with a huge aerodynamics package? Probably not, but it would be a huge morale boost to Ford and its team of engineers, knowing that it's capable of making a serious EV for serious motorsport undertakings. The Volkswagen I.D. R, which ascended the mountain in 2018, and the aforementioned Ford SuperVan proved that EVs are for more than just getting groceries in an environmentally conscious way. The F-150 Lightning's Pikes Peak climb drives that point home even further.