Ford's Electric F-150 Prototype "Tows" 1 Million Pounds

[Gorehamj]

 

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
7-24-2019

Ford has been working hard behind the scenes to develop the world's first mass-produced, mainstream electric pickup truck. That development is now to the point where Ford is ready to start showing off a bit. This week, Ford's chief engineer for the F-150, Linda Zhang, hooked up the test mule to ten double-decker rail cars. She then tugged that train 1,000 feet. To add a bit of drama, she then loaded up 42 F-150s into those rail cars and did it again. Clearly, electric trucks will be tow monsters. 

Ford is one of the best-positioned automakers to advance its fleet with electric drive. Ford is now a partner with not only Rivian, who is developing a luxury EV pickup, but also with VW. No other automaker has as much to lose by falling behind in the EV transition, and no other automaker seems better positioned to profit from EVs when they are finally ready for the masses. 

 

Related Story: Is GM Working On EV Pickups?

[EpicLT]

One of my favorite comments for this on Facebook was “there is next to no resistance on those rails. I bet a focus could tow that once it got started.” Also lots of people wondering where they got a strap that small rated for 1.25 million pounds. On a personal note, I am excited to see what they can do with an electric truck. If people actually use their trucks to haul stuff, how long will the battery last? 

[Jglew82]

11 hours ago, EpicLT said:

 On a personal note, I am excited to see what they can do with an electric truck. If people actually use their trucks to haul stuff, how long will the battery last? 

This is what I'm super interested in too. If they can get battery development to the point of seeing 400-500 miles range, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Loaded down and pulling a trailer all the time may be better suited for ICE applications, though. Charging station infrastructure just isn't quite there yet. That said, hot-shotters and such that haul long distance will likely go for the HD/Diesel options anyway, but the occasional short load haul for an electric truck could be practical. Pulling a camper/boat across the state, however...

 

It'll be interesting to see!

Edited July 25, 2019 by Jglew82

[diyer2]

Battery power is for screw guns, flashlights, etc. and vibrators.

 

[Jglew82]

55 minutes ago, diyer2 said:

Battery power is for screw guns, flashlights, etc. and vibrators.

 

I don't know, man, I know plenty of gas-powered vibrators out there... They just happen to be late model GM products with the "Chevy Shake" or running on a dead cylinder or 3 

[L86 All Terrain]

Hmmm reminds me of this old Chevy ad pulling 187 tons of logs. Looks like the old 170hp pickups were tow monsters too. 

 

[mikedeezxxx]

I just don’t see hardcore Ford F 150 guys buying into an electric truck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[j-ten-ner]

On 7/25/2019 at 8:35 AM, mikedeezxxx said:

I just don’t see hardcore Ford F 150 guys buying into an electric truck.

We all will. Eventually.

 

so long

j-ten-ner

[Silverado4x4]

1 million lbs? The damn thing is on wheels, take the wheels off and pull it then now your pulling 1 million lbs. What BS but people will believe it. I would like to see them put a inline weight scale on the tow strap and that would tell you the real pulling weight.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Silverado4x4

[greatmizzou]

9 hours ago, Silverado4x4 said:

1 million lbs? The damn thing is on wheels, take the wheels off and pull it then now your pulling 1 million lbs. What BS but people will believe it. I would like to see them put a inline weight scale on the tow strap and that would tell you the real pulling weight.

Arent all tow specs based on heavy things on wheels tho?  

[Thomcat]

19 hours ago, Silverado4x4 said:

1 million lbs? The damn thing is on wheels, take the wheels off and pull it then now your pulling 1 million lbs. What BS but people will believe it. I would like to see them put a inline weight scale on the tow strap and that would tell you the real pulling weight.

Agree

 

Horsepower is horsepower, as I remember it GM pulled this same stunt in the 60s using an Olds Vistacruiser with rocket V8 and nothing unique to an electric motor,  just simple physics.

 

Gimmick is to use an automatic with a HD torque converter and a good tranny cooler, attempt this stunt with a manual tranny and you'd fry the clutch long before anything begins to move. Ditto using an electric motor as the engine with a standard tranny. All you have to do is apply a constant very, very gradually increasing amount of power without overheating the torque convertor. Then after coupler slack is taken up, the conscript with a max. weight equivalent to the summation of the individual weight of each unit of rolling stock times the coefficient of the rolling friction for the trucks on the unit and eventually the conscript will begin to move. Max speed is limited to keeping the tranny fluid temps below the point where the torque convertor will blow or the tranny pump can no longer apply enough pressure to hold the bands against the gear sets, and the coefficient of friction of the truck tires against the surface.

 

 Might even be practical to substitute an electric truck in place of a 10,000 hp diesel electric locomotive, though might take the goods a long time to get to market when limited to a max. speed of 5 mph or with a rate of acceleration of 0-5 mph in 4 hours to never......and if absent  an air brake hookup, good luck trying to stop it without the truck being pushed into the next State.

[Racindave]

I have to agree. That is one heck of a strap. 

[1997SierraSLT]

Hey.....GM designed a technological marvel of a multi-position tailgate.  

[MaverickZ71]

On 7/24/2019 at 10:12 AM, Gorehamj said:

 

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
7-24-2019

Ford has been working hard behind the scenes to develop the world's first mass-produced, mainstream electric pickup truck. That development is now to the point where Ford is ready to start showing off a bit. This week, Ford's chief engineer for the F-150, Linda Zhang, hooked up the test mule to ten double-decker rail cars. She then tugged that train 1,000 feet. To add a bit of drama, she then loaded up 42 F-150s into those rail cars and did it again. Clearly, electric trucks will be tow monsters. 

Ford is one of the best-positioned automakers to advance its fleet with electric drive. Ford is now a partner with not only Rivian, who is developing a luxury EV pickup, but also with VW. No other automaker has as much to lose by falling behind in the EV transition, and no other automaker seems better positioned to profit from EVs when they are finally ready for the masses. 

 

Related Story: Is GM Working On EV Pickups?

Were those the same Ford-modified train cars that later derailed, spilling Silverados, Sierras, and Gladiators all over the desert?  

Edited July 30, 2019 by MaverickZ71

[flyingfool]

the future is electric motors 100% , but it's not gonna be powered by batteries! 

Try wireless power transmitted thru the air, much like radio signals. US NAVY have a test rig set up in Texas as we speak and they are using it to power cars and aircraft within a few mile radius..