Ford's Electric F-150 Receives 5G Support Courtesy of AT&T

Ford is angling for a significant advantage in what should turn out to be a crowded electric pickup market.

When last we spoke about Ford’s electrified ambitions, we mentioned their plans to revitalize the “Lightning” name for their electric F-150. 1993’s F-150 Lightning was ahead of its time, combining form and function in a way its contemporaries couldn’t touch, so it seems appropriate to revive the moniker for the pending electric frontier.

In addition, Ford just announced 5G connectivity for their Lightning and production line, courtesy of AT&T.

According to an official blog post on AT&T’s site, “Ford’s private 5G network based on AT&T 5G with AT&T’s Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) technology will support production of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, the first all-electric version of America’s best-selling F-Series truck.”

This 5G connectivity will enhance the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center on Ford’s historic Dearborn Rouge site, where the electric F-150 Lightning is being built for a 2022 launch.

And the quintessential American automaker is hoping this will give them the edge they need in the electric pickup sector, which includes a forthcoming entrant from Tesla.

With 563 horsepower, dual in-board motors, and standard four-wheel drive with 775 lb.-ft. of torque, the electric F-150 might hold the edge over Tesla in raw muscle, but the “Cybertruck” will probably win out in longevity – Elon Musk is shooting for an electric range of 400-500 miles with Tesla’s model, while Ford’s Lightning will have an estimated 230 mile range.

On the pricing front, Ford could hold the advantage, with the Lightning starting at just under 40K, and Tesla’s Cybertruck purportedly aiming for “less than $50,000,” but then again, Tesla’s target audience has never been bargain-hunters.

The electric F-150 Lightning should deploy in the spring of 2022.