It's a time of change for Ford, particularly in the US. Last year they confirmed a big sweeping cull of their range, killing off all their cars barring the Ford Mustang.
Now another part of the brand's pivot in position is the addition of more electric and hybrid models in what's left of their American line-up. And the latest confirmed vehicle in those plans is a fully electric version of the F-150 pick-up truck.
Ford president of global markets, Jim Farley, was a speaker at this week's Deutsche Bank Global Automotive Conference — stating “we’re going to be electrifying the F-Series — battery electric and hybrid,” according to the Detroit Free Press.
“Ninety-percent of our capital now is allocated toward trucks and utilities. We have the F-Series, the world and America’s best-selling truck. More than a million units were sold last year," he added.
"F-Series core strength at the end of the day is; there’s a truck for every customer and we know those customers really, really well. From the F-150 all the way to the F-750. They all matter to us.”
Read more: Why are Ford America killing off all their sedans and hatchbacks?
Farley's claims have since been repeated and confirmed by the likes of Ford North America's Mike Levine.
This is a big deal. While us Kiwis buy Ford Rangers hand-over-fist, it's nothing compared to the amount of Ford F-150s that get shifted in the US. In 2018 alone, the blue oval sold more than 900,000 of the things to Americans all over the country. To add an electric (and hybrid) option into that mix is big for those pushing for an increased electric car uptake.
When will it arrive in the US? Don't know. There's a new F-150 due in 2020, so potentially an electric one could be part of that launch line-up. Naturally specs like range, charge times, and so-on are unknown as you'd expect.
Perhaps the biggest question now is whether the F-150's rivals — such as the Chevrolet Silverado and RAM 1500 — will feel compelled to follow suit.