Ford F-150 Lightning Switchgear Ditches Pavement as RTR-Tuned Off-Road Electric Pickup Truck
The RTR Team proves Ford's F-150 Lightning is more than just a pavement pounder with a new Switchgear demonstrator vehicle.
Electric trucks have, thus far, been limited to mostly street-level performance, with notable effort from Rivian and GMC to build upon the off-road nature of these vehicles (and the Tesla Cybertruck notably suffering). RTR Vehicles would like to really start challenging that pavement-pounder notion and broaden the capability of the Ford F-150 Lightning to create an all-electric Raptor-level vehicle, the Switchgear, for off-roading. The Switchgear is the latest evolution of Fun-Haver trucks built by Ultra4 Championship winning driver Vaughn Gittin Jr., and his RTR Vehicles team.
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The new Switchgear's battery pack and motors are unchanged, and the stock truck chassis is the same. There is customized carbon fiber bodywork to create wider bedsides, front fenders, and the rear bumper cover. A pair of steel rock rails and a front skid plate connected to the custom steel front bumper for further protection of cooling parts and other under body areas around the front suspension. It also features a set of off-road lights mounted inside the wings of this prerunner-style front bumper. The rear motor also features a skid plate to protect it from any wayward rocks and other off-road hazards you may come across while racing across the desert or backwoods trail.
The suspension is also unique to this ultimate Ford F-150 Lighting off-roader and a major reason the bodywork needed to change. Rather than rely on the stock arms, a set of longer control arms were created to not only get a much wider stance, but also allow for more travel and make sure the 37x13.50R18 Nitto Ridge Grappler tires on 18x9 RTR Tech 6 forged beadlock wheels stay on the ground for as long as possible. In the back remains an independent rear suspension design, while a Wilwood brake package brings the Switchgear to a halt along with the regenerative system found on the Lightning. The front is capable of 11 inches of full travel while the rear gains an extra two inches.
Keeping the suspension in control are a quartet of Fox Racing Shocks Factory Performance Series coliovers using three-inch diameter bodies with an internal bypass system and reservoirs. Which, thanks to not having an engine up front the front damper reservoirs are mounted inside the frunk. A new set of stabilizer bars were also required due to the new width and travel of this custom suspension. Up in the bed, a custom chase rack is fitted and able to carry a pair of full-size spare tires held down by tire straps. Just above it is a custom body-mounted wing that really reminds us of the number plates you'll see race truck run for number plates in many off-road races like the Baja 1000 or Mint 400.
The interior remains mostly the same as you'll find in the higher trim Lightnings, but you are going to find some unique touches made for Gittin Jr. The most obvious is the ASD Motorsports hydraulic handbrake with a Wilwood master cylinder that allows the driver to lock up the rear tires and assist in turning the truck in a corner by sliding the rear out. (Or just set up to blast out some donuts.)
A set of Recaro Sportster ORV seats keep all five occupants secure with RTR six-point harnesses made by Schroth. There's also a triangulated harness bar located behind the front seats that help keep the shoulder harnesses at the proper angle and, sure, the three rear passengers could use it as a grab bar.
Now, you might think that the name "Switchgear" is a play on its electric power, but that's apparently not the exact case. The truck can transform from this off-road terror we see now to a street one. From its raised ride height, the truck will drop down to 5.0 inches in the rear and 7.0 inches in the front and the off-road bumper is replaced with a more aerodynamic carbon fiber one.
A set of 20x9 RTR Tech 6 flow-formed aluminum wheels are installed with a set of Nitto NT420V tires in 305/55R20 to improve road handling and efficiency. The custom chase rack is removed to fit the Ford Performance tonneau cover installed in its place. Even the rock rails are replaced by a set of carbon skirts, all to make this EV off-roader into a sleek all-electric street truck. These changes also change the weight distribution, going from a 49 percent front, 51 percent rear to a balanced 50/50.
For now, these modifications remain just one-off parts from the RTR and Ford Performance teams. Hopefully, we'll see these parts make it to production from RTR or we get to see Ford make an all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning Raptor based off this demonstrator. It does make us excited to see just how far owners will begin to push into the off-road world with their own electric trucks after seeing the Switchgear in real-life at the 2024 King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, California between January 29th to February 3rd.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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