Ford Motor Co. filed an application for a trademark on the name, “F-150 FLASH” covering usage for “Motor vehicles, namely, automobiles, pick-up trucks, electric vehicles in the nature of automobiles, pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles, and their structural parts.”
The application is still pending, which is normal in these situations. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has not yet ruled if Ford can have a trademark on the term, but it is likely to be approved.
More interesting is the question of what Ford plans to do with the trademarked name. Various outlets have reported spy photos and public glimpses of a new F-150 Lightning “demonstrator” truck, seen being trailered in Michigan wrapped in black plastic. Ford CEO Jim Farley had tweeted a teaser image of a high-performance EV truck back in February, but Ford has said nothing officially.
Ford proves high-performance EV van at Pikes Peak
Ford has been pushing the envelope of EV performance a lot lately, most recently on June 29 with a run at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the “Supervan 4.2,” driven by Romain Dumas. Dumas holds the all-time record of 7:57.148 at PPIHC, set in a 2018 VW Golf R. This year in the Supervan 4.2, he set a new record for the “Open” class of 8:47.682, besting the previous record set in 2019.
Based on the original Supervan 4 from Ford Performance, the SuperVan 4.2 received a new aero package designed to “cut through the high-altitude air of the Pikes Peak atmosphere while increasing downforce — over 4,400 pounds at 150 miles per hour.” The chassis of SuperVan 4.2 also underwent a weight reduction to improve overall balance and provide agility through the treacherous climb up the mountain.
The van has also been a test bed for EV motors. By reducing the number of STARD UHP 6-phase motors from four to three and utilizing STARD’s Ultra High Performance Li-Polymer NMC pouch battery cells, Ford Performance claims the van achieves an optimal power-to-weight ratio while retaining its all-wheel-drive system.
In the new configurations, one motor powers the front wheels and two motors power the rear wheels. With over 1,400 horsepower, the SuperVan 4.2 also carries a new 600 kW regeneration system, the same rating as an FIA Formula E World Championship racing car.
So, when it comes to putting a high-output driveline into an electric truck, the sky above Pike’s Peak is the limit. If the 1,400 horsepower EV driveline from the Supervan is used, that would be double the horsepower of the current halo truck, the F-150 Raptor R.
Eluminate the negative
Ford has also been playing with the “build your own” concept, bringing out the F-100 “Eluminator” at the 2021 SEMA show. This vintage 1978 F-100 pickup was retrofitted with two Mustang Mach-E GT electric motors for a combined 480 hp and 634 lb-ft of torque. Ford Performance sells the Eluminator motors at retail to anyone who wants to build an EV.
Ford has also shown off the 1,400-hp Mustang Mach-E 1400 and the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400, an electric-powered exhibition dragster during the past two years, so something highly focused is going on in Dearborn.
“The fact is, electric performance is fun, and as the industry moves toward electric vehicles, motorsports and the performance aftermarket will too,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance. “Just as Ford is committed to leading the electric revolution on the product side, Ford Performance is equally committed to winning on the performance and motorsports front.”