Ford is hard at work getting its all-electric F-150 ready for prime time. As we see in this latest round of spy photos, Ford has grafted the updated 2021 F-150 body onto its new electric prototype and is now putting it through its paces.
From a distance, an F-150 is an F-150 is an F-150, but this one stands out right away not for what has been added, but rather for what’s missing: a tailpipe. Looking closer, we can see a few other telltale elements. For starters, there’s that beefy electric drive unit tucked up in front of the under-bed spare. It’s much wider than the differential you’d see in a conventional pickup; Ford probably left the spare wheel in place on purpose to help obscure it from view.
These shots were taken from a distance, so there’s not much more to be gleaned from the angles of the undercarriage. The drive unit takes up a pretty large chunk of real estate back there, plus the quality makes it difficult to discern much else. We can see what appear to be conventional leaf shackles on either side. We’re not surprised that Ford is likely sticking with a conventional leaf-spring setup back here, as it is likely far too crowded for coils.
Our spy also snagged some photos of the prototype’s flanks. There are some angles that could show hints of the truck’s battery pack peeking out from under its left side. They’re not definitive, but that’s where the ICE F-150’s fuel tank resides, so it’s a logical location. We suspect the pack will be larger than the fuel tank, which means it would probably bleed over to the passenger side as well (where the exhaust is normally routed).
Based on what Ford has told us, we expect the all-electric F-150 to break cover before the end of the year, with a formal launch some time before the end of 2022.