U.S.– Ford Performance is entering the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a new weapon — the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.

The  F-150 Lightning SuperTruck demonstrator marks the second consecutive year Ford has entered an electric vehicle in the dangerous uphill race. 

Last year, Ford deployed its all-electric SuperVan 4.2 for the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The vehicle set a record when it completed the treacherous hill climb in 8 minutes 47.682 seconds.

As noted by Ford in a press release, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck is designed to beat the record set by the SuperVan 4.2.

The F-150 Lightning SuperTruck was developed in collaboration with Ford Design and STARD Advanced Research and Development. It’s a powerhouse of a vehicle, boasting over 1,400 horsepower from its three STARD UHP 6-Phase Motors and Ultra-High Performance Li-Polymer NMC cells. A look at the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck also shows that the veteran automaker did not scrimp on the vehicle’s aerodynamics. 

The F-150 Lightning SuperTruck features a triple-element front wing, headlight ducts, hood ducts and louvers, front dive-planes, side diffusers, rear diffuser, and multi-element rear wing, which help the vehicle generate 6,000 pounds of downforce at 150 mph.

Coupled with carbon ceramic brakes, Pirelli P-Zero tyres on magnesium forged wheels, and a fully custom in-board suspension system, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck does seem like it has what it takes to beat its predecessor’s record. 

Pikes Peak veteran Romain Dumas will be driving the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck at the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

“After a successful 2023 climb, I’m thrilled to be behind the wheel again with this team and to help push the limits of what an electric vehicle can achieve on the turns of this legendary course. In testing, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has surpassed my expectations, so we are hoping for some good weather to try and do something very special,” Dumas noted. 

Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance, shared his excitement about the project. “To make the best vehicles for our customers, our research takes us racing in the harshest and most challenging conditions – the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck is the latest example of that. Our pursuit to the top of the mountain is charged by the commitment to make all our electric vehicles more capable, more advanced, and more exciting,” he said.