Ford F-150 Lightning Based SuperTruck Has Pike’s Peak and Records In Its Sights

by Carl Malek | June 18, 2024

Ford hopes to smash more Pike’s Peak records as the company brings SuperTruck EV to the fabled climb event.

Ford is preparing to make a statement at Pikes Peak with the SuperTruck EV.

Ford sent a strong message at Pike’s Peak last year when it not only brought its SuperVan 4.2 EV to the peak but also cut 37 seconds off a previous record set by the original SuperVan. This accomplishment was impressive especially when you consider that Ford did all of this with a large EV van, a vehicle that would typically be the last thing most people would expect to see at a high-speed hill climb event.

This time around, Ford is bringing the F-150 Lightning-based SuperTruck to the event, but the company hopes that the truck will make the same performance statement as its duo of vans did while also snatching more climb records at the same time.

More power is always good

Three electric motors team up to give the SuperTruck 1400 hp.

A key piece of the SuperTruck’s gameplan is power and Ford engineers delivered on that front with the EV getting its mojo from three STRAD UHP 6-phase motors that work together to produce a combined 1,400 hp. That’s more than the SuperVan 4.2 but is shy of matching the original SuperVan’s 1,972 combined hp. The juice for all three of these motors comes from a Li-Polymer NMC battery pack.

All of this power is managed by carbon-ceramic brakes and Ford also added a fully customized suspension to the truck to help it maintain its composure in sharp turns with Pirelli P-Zero tires providing the grip needed to help the EV stay firmly planted onto the road. The SuperTruck takes advantage of advancements that the company has made in EV technology since both SuperVans were made and as a result, it appears that the truck is making up for the slight decrease in power by delivering it more efficiently.

Aerodynamics is the backbone of record slaying plan

The bare-bones interior is all about cutting as much weight as possible to improve performance.

The SuperTruck shares its core DNA with the F-150 Lightning but the rigors of hill climbing forced Ford designers to fully transform the truck into an instrument of aerodynamics. The old camoflauge livery gets replaced with a new red white and blue setup but the truck is still an aerodynamically honed piece of precision. The front fascia gets a massive three-piece front splitter and air ducts that are mounted where the headlights would normally go. The hood also gets air ducts and custom louvers and side skirts compliment the look.

The rear of the truck gets a massive swan-neck rear spoiler with the company saying that all of these pieces allow the truck to generate 6,000 lbs of downforce when the truck reaches 150 mph. The interior of the SuperTruck is as basic as you can get with the bulk of the Lightning’s luxury features being ripped out to save weight. In their place is a bare carbon fiber floor, a racing seat, a small display, and a steering wheel.

Racing driver Romain Dumas will once again be behind the wheel and he was also the driver chosen to pilot the SuperVan 4.2 last year. Dumas managed to make the climb in 8:47.682 seconds in the van and Ford thinks that the SuperTruck’s beefier horsepower and aerodynamic revisions will allow Dumas to set another record on the course when the event kicks off on June 23rd.