Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn has unveiled an off-road demonstrator version of its all-electric F-150 Lightning, dubbed the Switchgear. The vehicle debuted at the recent King of the Hammers off-road racing event in Johnson Valley, Calif.
Designed and built in collaboration with Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR Vehicles and inspired by the F-150 RTR Ultimate Fun-Haver project vehicle from 2016, Ford designed Switchgear’s custom exterior carbon bodywork with a Ford Performance 2024 livery and underpinned it with off-road upgrades to allow the F-150 Lightning to go off road.
“It’s the latest in our Ford Performance Demonstrator program – joining SuperVan 4.0 and 4.2, the Mustang Mach-E 1400, Mustang CobraJet 1400, and the F-100 Eluminator – that showcases the possibilities of what an electric vehicle can be and provides a playground for engineers to advance learnings quickly for future electric vehicles,” explains Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports.
Switchgear provides a testbed for pushing the boundaries of what’s expected from electric trucks, according to Rushbrook.
It has a “significant increase” in track width beyond F-150 Lightning for off-road stability, and improved ground clearance and suspension travel.
To manage rough terrain, the suspension on F-150 Lightning Switchgear named for its ability to go back and forth between pavement and dirt, uses FOX 3-inch diameter internal bypass shock absorbers plus unique front and rear bumpers to improve approach and departure angles.
The truck features custom independent double-wishbone suspension at the front, and multilink independent suspension at the rear with coil-over shocks, stabilizer bar, and custom control arms.
Switchgear also has carbon composite front fenders, bed sides, and rear bumper cover. Steel fabricated rock rails and front skid plate are added to ensure the vehicle is prepared for rough off-road terrain. Limit straps are added to help manage suspension and wheel travel.
In addition, the electric truck wears NITTO Ridge Grappler 37×12.5R18 tires and features a unique chase rack with two spare wheels/tires.
