Ford Motor Co. is expected to unveil an all-electric version of its bestselling F-150 pickup truck on Wednesday night, the latest in the push to electrify the auto industry’s global lineups.
The auto maker said it would reveal the F-150 Lightning at its headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The vehicle’s production is expected to start next spring at the company’s River Rouge assembly plant near Detroit, Ford said.
“F-150 Lightning can power your home during an outage,” Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said. He added that the vehicle would be enhanced “through over-the-air updates.”
Silicon Valley-inspired startups and Ford’s established peers, such as General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG , have spent billions on developing electric-vehicle models. Ford said last year that it was expanding its largest and oldest factory to make the electric pickup trucks.
The pickup-truck category is likely to be an important battleground as auto makers race to develop electric vehicles, prodded by tightening environmental regulations and Tesla Inc.’s rapid rise.
