F-150

Make
Ford
Segment
Sports Car

Ford has made no secret of its plans to launch an all-electric version of its next-generation F-150 full-size pickup truck. Although a hybrid variant is still planned, it's the purely battery-powered truck that will likely receive the most amount of interest. Last summer, Ford did a demonstration showing off its new electric truck's towing capabilities by way of a prototype wearing the current-gen truck's body. The first thing the new truck must do is win over F-150 die-hards. But there was something else few were paying attention to at the time: what will happen to the empty space under the hood? The absence of any internal combustion engine creates the perfect opportunity for a front trunk, aka a frunk.

And as it turns out, Ford is planning exactly that. What you're looking at in the diagrams below are the patent application images Ford filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office just over a year ago, but was only just published.

A frunk has become almost standard in most new EVs so there's no reason why the F-150 EV shouldn't have one too. Owners appreciate the frunk because, quite obviously, it provides additional cargo space. But Ford's frunk design is a bit different. As the patent images show, owners won't have to lift the frunk up to gain access but can reach it by opening the front grille. Inside, there are two bins along with plenty of lights to make it easy to locate stuff.

Equally cool are the two bins that slide out from the grille. The front bin can flip to the right, thus allowing access to the rear bin. Meanwhile, the lights running along the side will keep things properly illuminated. Wonder if Elon Musk even thought of this nifty design trick.

In any case, the all-electric F-150's design is expected to be far more conventional than the Tesla Cybertruck and its sci-fi-inspired look. Although Ford has yet to divulge any specs, it's clear by last summer's stunt where the prototype towed a one million-pound train stacked with 42 F-150s that the Blue Oval's beloved American icon is about to enter a whole new era.