The Ford F-150 Rattler Will Debut Tomorrow And No One Knows What It Is

Mar. 28, 2022 6:03 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Reveal / 11 Comments

Maybe an off-road F-150 Lightning is in the cards?

Well, this was unexpected. After almost an entire year of dead silence, the name "Rattler" is back in the Ford lexicon. Not only that, but "a rattler you'll be excited to see on the trail" is coming tomorrow, per Ford CEO Jim Farley on Twitter. Something called the Ford F-150 Rattler is going to debut tomorrow.

The thing is, no one really knows what this is. Theories from fans and media outlets alike range from a totally new Ford F-150 based off-roader to a new trim level for "lesser" Ford trucks like the Maverick, to a new trim level for the F-150 Lightning, to something that will totally eclipse the Ford Bronco Raptor and F-150 Raptor. It's anyone's guess at this point.

https://twitter.com/jimfarley98/status/1508519289434877959

2021-2022 Ford F-150 Raptor Front-End View

The patent filing for the Rattler name that we uncovered last year is equally unhelpful. It's unlikely Ford would do anything to disrupt the dominance of the Raptor name, especially when the two sound so close. That eliminates the parallel-Raptor theory, at least in our eyes. Some have speculated that the trim level could be for other trucks in the lineup, but Farley's tweet all but debunks that.

That leaves the Lightning angle. With the hugely popular GMC Hummer EV hitting dealerships, the idea makes sense. Ford wants folks to want the F-150 Lightning, and bringing some of that very successful Raptor formula to the new EV truck certainly sounds logical. We're all for an electric Ford off-road truck, and it has the attention of Ford fans following the announcement from Farley this afternoon.

2021-2022 Ford F-150 Raptor Front Angle View

While no one is sure just what the new vehicle or trim level or, well, whatever this is will hold; Ford is clearly leaning into the off-roading reputation it has built for itself since the introduction of the original Raptor. What form that will take will be known tomorrow.