Late last month, Ford Performance said it planned to conquer "America's Mountain" and, in doing so, advance electric powertrain R&D.
Skeptics and critics questioned the company's attempt to run the 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado's Rocky Mountains with its new F-150 Lightning electric SuperTruck.The team prepares all year to get only one run, one shot, one chance at the unpredictable race. Not only did the demonstrator complete the harrowing 12.5-mile uphill trek, but it won the whole thing—and it sounded incredible.
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The electric vehicle demonstrator ran among a field of 61 competitors, and with a time of 8:53.553, it vanquished all foes despite some hiccups along the way.
For example, driver Romain Dumas ran into a technical issue during the climb that caused the SuperTruck to come to a complete stop on the course, adding about 26 seconds compared to his initial qualifying time. To continue his ascent, the driver had to completely reset the 1,600-horsepower F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.
The feat posed a challenge for Ford's aerodynamicists, powertrain specialists and engineers, who had to focus on keeping the vehicle's weight down while maximizing downforce. The SuperTruck is a testament to collaborative design. For example, auto racing team STARD played a crucial role in the creation of the 1,600-horsepower truck. SuperTruck also had top-of-the-line Sparco racing harnesses and safety equipment and bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tires.
Before the event, the SuperTruck set a new qualifying record for the open class with a time of 3:32.831, besting the previous record by more than seven seconds. The record was set last year by none other than Ford Performance and the team's SuperVan 4.2.
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