Ford Performance's electric F-150 Lightning SuperTruck set the fastest time on the 102nd version of the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, beating 61 competitors in the
Behind the wheel of the SuperTruck Romain Dumas set a time of 8:53.553
Following last year's distinction with the SuperVan 4.2, this is the second consecutive year that Ford Performance has achieved a major success with an all-electric vehicle at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Ford Perfomance's all-electric F-150 Lightning SuperTruck overcame every obstacle to record a major success in the 102nd edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, setting a time of 8:53.553 - the fastest among its 61 competitors.
This result came just days after the F-150 Ligthning SuperTruck set a new record in qualifying for this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the Open class with a time of 3:32.831 - a performance more than seven seconds better than the previous record set in 2023 with a time of 3:39.939 by Ford Performance's electric SuperVan 4.2.
"The evolution of Ford's electric vehicles taking on and completing the toughest challenges is an important testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams," said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports "We learned a lot from the SuperVan 4.2 at last year's Pikes Peak and were able to apply that knowledge to this year's event. Now we are only moving upwards."
Romain Dumas, who drove the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck to the top of this year's American race, overcame a technical problem he encountered during the climb. Because of this, about 26 seconds were lost. However, Dumas' immediate reaction was instrumental in minimising the time loss and quickly resolving the problem, with the French driver getting back into the race and finishing in first place behind the wheel of the 1,600bhp F-150 Lightning SuperTruck.
"It's an honour for me to achieve this victory with Ford Performance at this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb," said Romain Dumas. "Everything in this race is a challenge as it is unlike any other. There is only one attempt. We faced a challenge early on, but it made me even more determined to make up for lost time the rest of the way."
STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development) was instrumental in the development of the Ford Performance F-150 Lightning SuperTruck. The SuperTruck was also equipped with Sparco racing belts, as well as all necessary safety equipment, along with P-Zero tires developed by Pirelli specifically for the Ford Performance electric vehicle.
"To achieve this amazing feat, the effort we put in was no small feat," said Sriram Pakkam, Formula 1 & High-Performance EV manager, Ford Performance Motorsports. "This was truly a team effort at all levels - from our talented aerodynamicists to our powertrain experts. We also had to work as a team to improve some parameters, such as keeping weight down and maximizing vertical force. And I think our team did a fantastic job."
