Benchmarking is a common practice in the automotive world as manufacturers aim to gain a competitive advantage by scoping out rival vehicles, and Toyota and Ford certainly have a history in that regard. Recently, Ford Authority spotted Toyota benchmarking a Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, as well as The Blue Oval benchmarking a 2022 Toyota Tundra. Now, Ford Authority has also spotted Toyota benchmarking the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, too.
As the third all-electric pickup to market behind only the GMC Hummer EV and Rivian R1T, it’s understandable why rival automakers would want to take a much closer look at the Lightning, and we’ve already seen that happen with both Stellantis and General Motors, both of whom have also benchmarked that particular model. Additionally, a recently-revealed Toyota pickup EV concept shares quite a bit in common with the Lightning, too.
Rather than test just one version of the Ford F-150 Lightning, however, Toyota apparently has two pickups in its stable, as we can see in these photos. One – a Lariat trimmed pickup finished in black – was spotted wearing Texas plates similar in design to some previously-spotted test vehicles from that automaker, while the silver example was fitted with Michigan manufacturer plates. Both trucks were spotted entering Toyota’s Michigan Technical Center, however.
With Toyota placing a renewed focus on electrification, it stands to reason that the Japanese automaker intends to make at least one EV pickup, and perhaps more than one. The previously-revealed Toyota EV pickup concept looked essentially like an all-electric version of the mid-size Tacoma, while an EV variant of the full-size Tundra is also a possibility. In either case, it’s clear that Toyota is taking a close look at the F-150 Lightning for inspiration, however – and perhaps some ideas on how to create a new rival for it, too.
We’ll have more on everything Ford’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, F-150 Lightning news, and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
No Comments yet