Ford Performance F-150 Lightning Switchgear Revealed As Electric Raptor

Ford Performance F-150 Lightning Switchgear Revealed As Electric Raptor

Off-road thrills and environmental responsibility need not be mutually exclusive.

Ford Performance has collaborated with RTR vehicles and Vaughn Gittin Jr. to create the ultimate F-150 Lightning, the widebody Switchgear. Or, as the rest of us see it, an F-150 Lightning Raptor concept.

The Switchgear is a hardcore electric off-roader designed to explore the limits of tomorrow’s EVs. It’s the latest in a long line of Ford Performance Demonstrator vehicles, which includes some crazy concepts like the Mustang Mach-E 1400, the SuperVan 4.0 and 4.2, and the Eluminator F-100 restomod.

Equipped with all sorts of modifications, Switchgear has a significantly increased track width, which promotes superior off-road stability, greater ground clearance, and more suspension travel – important when traversing rugged terrain at high speeds. Fox three-inch internal bypass shock absorbers are part of the package, while Ford Performance has redesigned the bumpers for greater approach and departure angles.

Ride height varies depending on the setup. Front and rear ride heights are pegged at seven and five inches for the street configuration, respectively, while the off-road configuration offers 13.5 and 11 inches of ride height at the front and rear, respectively.

The front suspension comprises a custom independent double wishbone setup with a stabilizer bar and droop limit straps. At the rear, you’ll find the same setup, albeit with independent semi-trailing arms. Power-wise, the Switchgear produces a healthy 580 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque, which is identical to top Lightning trims.

Depending on the configuration (street or off-road), Switchgear has different wheel and tire combinations. On the blacktop, the electric truck is shod with 20-inch RTR Tech 6 flow-formed wheels wrapped in 305/55 Nitto NT420Vs. When traversing off-road trails, it wears 18-inch RTR Tech 6 forged wheels with beadlock rings and Nitto Ridge Grappler rubber. A chase rack holds two spare tires (for the off-roading version) should you get too carried away.

According to Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports, the F-150 Lightning Switchgear has been designed as a “testbed for pushing the boundaries of what’s expected from electric trucks.”

Visually, the Switchgear wears a vibrant Ford Performance livery, while the name is displayed on the top part of the windscreen. The stock front fenders, bumper cover, and bedsides have also been replaced with lightweight carbon composite panels. Rock rails and a front skid plate protect the undercarriage from obstacles and add an air of menace to the Switchgear.

The appearance changes based on the configuration, with the street-biased model wearing a Ford Performance tonneau cover and carbon composite rocker skirts, among other things. The off-road version receives a steel-fabricated front bumper and droop-limiting straps at the front and rear.

Ford Performance hasn’t stopped there, though. Step inside the Switchgear, and you’ll find several performance-oriented additions. The fascia remains unchanged besides a vinyl accent based on the external livery, but a tall handbrake lever (like you’d find in a drift or rally car) protrudes from the center console. Presumably, this is connected to Ford’s patented electric drift brake.

Leather-wrapped Recaro bucket seats replace the stock pews, featuring race-style safety harnesses and generous side bolsters. Thanks to the F-150 Lightning’s generously sized interior, Ford Performance could fit three bucket seats in the second row, which means the Switchgear can thrill up to four occupants. Naturally, these have been kitted out with harnesses, too. A harness bar provides extra rigidity, which should bode well for a car of this ilk.

Ford Performance’s F-150 Lightning Switchgear will make its first public appearance at the King of the Hammers off-road race on January 25, where we expect to see it perform some wild jumps and stunts to prove it can hang with the supercharged Raptor pickup you and I can buy.

Expect a production-ready F-150 Lightning Raptor to follow sometime in the not-too-distant future.