Ford developed the electric F-150 Lightning to do everything the gas F-150 does. I’ve driven the EV before, and I can confirm that, in almost every way, the Blue Oval succeeded. The F-150 Lightning is a cushy daily driver, especially the higher trims, and it’s a mighty workhorse (if only in small doses). Where it can’t keep up with some ICE F-150 variants is off-road, lacking a true counterpart to the hardcore Tremor. It seems like that’ll be rectified soon, though, as these spy shots show a dedicated four-wheelin’ model in testing.
The photos show a high-riding F-150 Lightning with various Tremor bits. First off, I spy 275/65 Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT tires mounted on 18-inch wheels. Then, there are the off-road running boards like you’ll find on the Tremor as well as the Raptor. It’s hard to tell what else is going on underneath the truck, but to my eyes, that independent rear suspension components look quite a bit beefier than on the standard model. I could be wrong, but I don’t think I am.
Design-wise, the cab appears to be largely the same. Camouflage disguises the bed, but not the tailgate; still, I don’t see anything special going on with that. What I do notice is a unique grille design that, sure, features a lot of black plastic but also a vibrant blue streak that spans from one headlight to the other. It’s possible that this could be a visually distinguishing element, similar to the orange details on gas Tremor models. And lastly, I see a set of tow hooks sticking out of the front.
It’s not surprising that Ford would create an off-road-focused F-150 Lightning model. Chevrolet already sells a Silverado EV Trail Boss, and other models like the Rivian R1T are obviously adventure-focused. Ford CEO Jim Farley hinted to The Drive in a 2021 interview that such a truck was on the way. When our Editor-in-Chief, Kyle Cheromcha, asked if an F-150 Lightning Tremor or Raptor might ever happen, Farley responded:
“That is the right question, because that is our strategy. We have Tremors, and Raptors, and Broncos, and F-150s, and there’ll be new icons we believe like Maverick… that is our strategy, and we are gonna double down on those. Just because we’re going digital—I don’t even want to say electric—going digital, that doesn’t change anything. We’re going to continue to bet on those.”
By the looks of it, we don’t have much longer to wait for that rig.
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