LIVE: Ford Unveils NEW F-150 Lightning

Ever since the SVT Lightning made its final push for the 2004 model year, fans of the performance truck have been looking for the next generation to come to life. With 17 more model years now in the books, it seems as if it’s time for the nameplate to make its way back to life.

With the initial teaser earlier this month, Ford told us that they were going to revive the Lightning name and that the truck was going to be electric. Beyond that, we would also learn that this new generation of trucks would exceed the performance of the original Lightning. We would certainly hope so as just a standard 3.5L EcoBoost powered truck is making comparable horsepower and torque numbers to the highly regarded second-generation Lightning.

Since the news has broken, we think that it’s safe to say that the opinions about what this truck will bring have been split. Some folks are incredibly excited to see what Ford is going to do as they take a step into the future. Others seem to be a little bit more reserved, insisting that the Lightning name should only exist with a combustion engine. In any case, it seems like most automakers have their minds set on the idea that electricity is the future and that’s what they’re proceeding with.

Tonight, at 9:30 PM EST, we’re finally going to be able to lay our eyes on what is going to come with the upcoming Lightning. At this point, we still don’t even know if it’s going to take aim at the performance segment or if the truck will just be an economic electric vehicle. Like the idea or not, we have to admit that the naming is kind of convenient as the model goes electric.

Ford has recently seen great praise from the revival of the Bronco but has also found a polarized audience with the likes of the Mustang Mach-E. Where will the Lightning fall in the court of public opinion? We find out tonight!

ILLUSTRATION BY CAR AND DRIVER/FORD CAR AND DRIVER