[Auto/Moto] Ford's Electric Pikes Peak Race Truck Makes Three Whole Tons of Downforce

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Ford is returning to Pikes Peak later next month with a wild electric pickup. The Blue Oval has been teasing the “EV demonstrator” since March, but today, the automaker gives us a complete look at the truck while revealing it can generate 6,000 pounds of downforce at 150 miles per hour. The SuperTruck Demonstrator will achieve that figure with its equally wild aerodynamics. The low-slung pickup features a massive goose-neck wing that hangs off the back, towering above the roof of the cab. It also has a wide front splitter, outlets behind the front wheels, and a massive rear diffuser. Ford developed the truck in partnership with STARD.Ford didn’t provide any further details about its electric SuperTruck beyond how much downforce it’ll make. However, it does have some styling similarities to the SuperVan 4.2 that the automaker campaigned in last year’s hillclimb event.That, too, had a massive wing and an aggressive aero kit that kept it planted through the course’s 156 turns. Its triple-motor setup produced 1,400 horsepower. The new pickup could have a similar setup, but we’ll have to wait for more details. The Ford SuperVan 4.0 had four motors that made 1,972 hp.This is Ford’s second electric demonstrator. It released the F-150 Switchgear, built in collaboration with RTR, earlier this year. The company based it on the production Lightning platform, enhancing its off-road capability with skid plats, composite body panels, and a new suspension. Ford will likely continue teasing the pickup leading up to the event’s 102nd running that begins on June 23. We'll likely learn more details between now and when it runs up the hill. Romain Dumas, the current Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record holder, will pilot the Ford. But the Blue Oval won’t be the only automaker there with an EV. A modified Hyundai Ioniq 5 will also tackle the famous hillclimb course later in June.

https://www.motor1.com/news/721735/ford-lightning-supertruck-pikes-peak-downforce/