This Ford F-150 Lightning AR app is a much-needed EV Pickup 101

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There was no Ford F-150 lightning parked on my entrance, but I could pretend there. I even one of the 160,000+ people who have now put a reservation for the All-Electric Ford pickup, I still have to be patient: shipping is not expected to start until the spring of 2022. Until then, we have suspicious appetite-workkarounds, such as augmented applications Ford’s new reality.

In real life, drive I play host for one week from gold leaves. The fall of Michigan is in his swing, like – 140 miles or eastern than me – works to increase the new Rouge electric vehicle center, where lightning will be produced.

Preproduction vehicle construction began there in September but even with clear high joy, Ford did not seem to leave anything for the occasion while. Today’s release “F-150 Lightning: Anywhere strike” is a good example of it, an interactive AR experience developed with Google that puts virtual pickups on your entrance, work sites, or almost elsewhere.

As we have seen from other AR experiences, it is quite easy to use. Point your iPhone camera or your Android phone in an empty space, move a little, and then suddenly a truck appears. You can trublize to adjust the size, and rotate two fingers to play it in place. Or, you are enough to walk around the virtual pickup, lean to check the details like a charger port in the front fender.

With so many initial interests – exceeding Ford predictions for F-150 lightning and, indeed, initial production goals – you will be forgiven for wondering why the AR application is needed. Apparently, Ford said, the demand for EV trucks might be strong, but there was a large variance between reservation holders. A survey during the summer found that more than half will be new to Ford’s ownership, for example.

More impressive, 79 percent of the F-150 express reservation holders said the truck would be the first battery electric vehicle in their home.

Ford has gone through the same hand detention process before, of course. Back in 2015, at the launch of the thirteenth generation F-150, the car maker surpassed the material because it made a controversial switch then into aluminum for almost every body panel. It was to be a high betting decision: steel pieces used meaning to approach 750 pounds of heavy cuts from previous generation pickups, but also set up the new F-150 contradicts the Precontreption of “toughness” among potential trucks buyers. The risk was repaid, with the approval approaching Universal for trucks and attackers saw rivals who were initially skeptical finally followed.

Fast or more fast forward, and Ford’s new challenge proves that electrification and trucks run together too. That is, for example, showing F-150 uptick lightning in practicality like from a fairly large front rod; new vehicle features that are connected via infotainment touch screen synchronization; And the ability to change EV into wheel-on-wheels, replace the workplace generator or even turn on the house in a blackout case.

The truck audience is hardly homogeneous because some people might consider it, but it is also fair to admit that this is a new talent between the crowd of pickup (and, in this case, only the short list of EVs – is available or entered – all lightning technology available). Similarly, concerns about the total range, charging, and practicality are everywhere in the EV room. Ford animations and videos from the ability of F-150 Lightning may not answer all questions out there, but they can trigger a little more awareness among the audience that is still often left confused with an electric drive to start.