--- title: "Watch an Electric Ford F-150 Pickup Truck Tow 1 Million Pounds" description: "In an impressive feat of strength, an all-electric Ford F-150 pickup truck just pulled 1 million pounds of massive rail cars behind it for 1,000 feet." date: "2019-07-23" modified: "2019-07-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/electric-ford-f150-pickup-tows-rail-cars" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "electric pickup" - "ford" - "pickup" - "the digest" --- # Watch an Electric Ford F-150 Pickup Truck Tow 1 Million Pounds ![In an impressive feat of strength, an all-electric Ford F-150 pickup truck just pulled 1 million pounds of massive rail cars behind it for 1,000 feet.]() *\Image: Ford\* ## Absolute Unit In a publicity stunt and impressive feat of strength, an all-electric Ford F-150 pickup truck just [pulled a million pounds]() of enormous double-decker rail cars behind it for 1,000 feet — the length of 42 fossil-fuel-chugging F-150s. To hammer the point home, Ford then parked the 42 F-150s on the rail cars and towed the whole setup for another 1,000 feet — a total of 1.25 million pounds. The amazing show comes thanks to the instant torque that's available to electric motors. Internal combustion engines have to get going and rev up before unleashing their maximum potential torque. But the grueling tow is "far beyond any production truck’s published capacity" and shouldn't be tried at home, according to a [Ford statement](). https://youtu.be/bXFHgoon7lg ## Instant Torque Ford veteran of 23 years and chief engineer Linda Zhang piloted the electric pickup. "Instant torque combined with a lightweight vehicle helps us deliver a new level of power, performance, and efficiency," Zhang [told *Business Insider*](). "It's a pretty epic and extreme demonstration." A fossil fuel powered 2019 F-150 is [advertised]() to be able to tow up to 7,700 pounds with a max payload of just shy of 2,000 pounds. But while Ford [unveiled]() the electric successor of its best-selling pickup truck in the U.S. back in January, the car maker is still hesitant about giving out any details or specs. Time will tell how it will match up against Tesla's own upcoming pickup truck — a unit that'll be ["straight out of Blade Runner"]() according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. **READ MORE:** [An all-electric Ford F-150 pickup truck prototype has towed more than a million pounds]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on the pickup:** *[Ford Is Planning an All-Electric F-150 Pickup Truck]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()