Ford F-150 Lightning Switchgear is wild electric off-roader

This is the new Ford F-150 lightning Switchgear, a radical one-off electric off-roader based on the firm’s best-selling electric pick-up and created to showcase the potential of electric powertrains.

The Switchgear has been designed and built by Ford Performance Motorsport in collaboration with RTR Vehicles, the specialist Ford tuning firm set up by world champion drifter, Vaughn Gittin Jnr.

Ford’s latest creation follows on from the brand’s previous Demonstrator projects, which include the SuperVan 4.0 and the outlandish Mustang Mach E 1400. 

Designed as a “testbed for pushing the boundaries of what’s expected from electric trucks”, the one-off Switchgear has enabled Ford Performance engineers to experiment with electric powertrains to learn more about their potential in future models. 

The Lightning Switchgear is a radical departure from the standard car, with the most significant changes being to the cars track width to allow for better stability off-road, improved ground clearance and greater suspension travel. 

Ford has also equipped the Switchgear with more robust FOX shock absorbers, custom double-wishbone suspension at the front and a multilink set-sep at the back.

Bolstering the Ford's off-road capabilities is a bespoke front and rear bumper for improved approach and departure angles, while a stabiliser bar and custom control arms aid performance over steep and undulating surfaces.

The F-150’s exterior design has also been revised, too, with wider arches accommodating the Switchgear’s huge 37in tyres. Elements such as the front fenders, bed sides and rear bumper are made from carbon composite to keep weight to a minimum. 

It also gets the same Ford Performance livery as the Mustang GT3 racing car. 

Steel rock rails and a front kit plate have been added to protect the car’s underside, while limit straps protect the Switchgear’s suspension should it land heavily after a high-speed jump.

Ford hasn’t shared the one-off off-roader’s technical details, but it's likely that the Switchgear will use the same powertrain as the range-topping Extended Range model, which develops 580bhp and 775 lb ft of torque.

The F-150 Lightning Switchgear is set to make its public debut at the King of the Hammers off-road racing event in California next week (25 January).