If we want to spur a transition to electric vehicles en masse, then the rabid pickup truck lovers of the world will need to be convinced about the power of EVs. Ford is on a mission to do just that.
In an impressive demonstration of torque, Ford recently had an electric F-150 prototype tow 10 double-decker rail cars stuffed with 42 current-model F-150s, weighing over a million pounds (500 tons) in total. That shows promise that it could beat Ford’s current towing champ, the 2019 F-150 with a 3.5L twin-turbocharged V6, that’s rated to tow 13,200 pounds (6.6 tons).
It’s just a technology demo and of course, there’s a big difference between rated and maximum towing capacity. It does show, though, how electric motors can develop more torque than ICE engines, even at zero RPMs. There’s a reason, after all, that most train locomotives are diesel-electric, with the diesel engine acting as a generator and the electric motor actually driving the train.
Ford has yet to reveal the battery capacity of the electric F-150, nor when it will hit the market. But when it does arrive, it will have to contend with Tesla, which is set to launch its own “cyberpunk” EV pickup pretty soon.
