LIVE: Ford Reveals 2024 F-150 on Eve of Detroit Auto Show

We got a spot a couple miles out of town, when that moon comes up, you know it's going down. And we got no floating chairs, leave it way back, no other plans other than to relax. We ain't worried about tomorrow from where we at, why's that y'all? We just trying to catch a good shine, even if it takes all night. Cause they're all around the campfire, shippin' out the hot moonshine. Yeah, we clickin' on them guitars, everybody singin' Dixieland delight. I can pause along the way tonight, we just trying to catch a good time. Got that Detroit drive, take our time when we talkin', hey y'all. Yeah, don't take much first, have it all. That's right. Somethin' about a night this clear, ain't your problems disappear. We just gonna stay right here and let the world go by. See you, world. We just trying to catch a good shine, even if it takes all night. Cause they're all around the campfire, shippin' out the hot moonshine. Yeah, we clickin' on them guitars, everybody singin' Dixieland delight. I can pause along the way tonight, we just trying to catch a good time. Night this clear, ain't your problems disappear. We just gonna stay right here and let the world go by. Now y'all, I love optimism, I love positivity. I'm a big believer in the power of it, y'all. That's why I love listening to music that makes me feel that way. You know, music like Kenny Chesney. Music like Jimmy Buffet. Music like Bob Marley. What if we put a Marley twist on good time, what would that sound like? We just trying to catch a good time, even if it takes all night. Cause they're all around the campfire, shippin' out the hot moonshine. Yeah, we clickin' on them guitars, everybody singin' Dixieland delight. I can pause along the way tonight, we just trying to catch a good time. Yeah, we tryin' to catch a good time, good time. Yeah, we tryin' to catch a good time. One more again, y'all. Good time. Love y'all so much, everybody. Thank you. Have a great rest of the night, y'all. Love each other, love each other. See you at the Fillmore, everybody. Thank you all so much for being here to help celebrate America's Truck. We have got a lot more in store for you tonight. Music, food, horsepower and torque, towing and tech, power and fun. Any F-150 drivers out there? Just a few, just a few. Absolutely amazing. Love to see it and love to hear it, and this is why we are all here. To see and hear about the F-150 and how it keeps getting on even better and better. I'm here right now with Andrew Frick, Vice President of Sales and Trucks. Andrew, thanks so much for joining us tonight. Thanks, Christy. It's great to be here with you and everyone else. It was a beautiful night tonight. Good to see everyone. You know, it's nights like tonight that get all of us at Ford extremely excited, and it's also a great reminder of what Ford trucks really mean to every community across the country. F-Series is America's best-selling truck for 46 years. That's right. And for 41 years, it's been America's best-selling vehicle. So let me put that into perspective for a minute. Last year, we sold an F-Series truck every 48 seconds. So if you lined up F-Series trucks bumper to bumper, those trucks would stretch from here to Los Angeles. Wow, okay. What does that mean for the entire country? That's quite the stretch. It is the stretch, but F-Series is really an economic engine for the U.S. in so many ways. F-Series generated $41 billion last year. In fact, if F-Series was a Fortune 500 company, it alone would be larger than Visa, Starbucks, or Netflix. Over 75 years of F-Series, we've sold over 41 million trucks. It's one of America's most popular consumer products, second only to the Apple iPhone. And we are proud that F-150 and all F-Series are 100% assembled in America. From Dearborn Truck Plant to Kansas City Assembly, Kentucky Truck Plant to Ohio Assembly, we employ more hourly workers in America than any other automaker. Because we know what the American autoworker can accomplish. F-150 is truly America's truck. It brings volunteers to the firehouse. It brings the muscle to the work site. It brings in the harvest. It brings home the bacon. And with Pro Power on board, it even powers the grill that can grill that bacon. And tonight, we're here to show how America's best-selling truck and Ford is raising the bar yet again. Let's take the very first look at the new F-150. It's one thing to know it all. It's another to do it all. Introducing the new 2024 Ford F-150. Tough this smart can only be called F-150. Here I am with America's truck and Milton Wong, Chief Engineer for the F-150. Hey, Milton. It's so great to have you here tonight. Hi, Christy. Hi, everyone. All right. What do you think of this truck? All right. Today, we get to share what we've been working on to develop this new F-150. For us, it's about understanding our customers to better equip them. We went out and we talked to them. We lived with them. And most importantly, we listened to them. That is our commitment to delivering the innovations that our customers use. And this new F-150 has built Ford Tough capability to handle any pursuit. All right. First, let's talk about the 3.5 liter PowerBoost full hybrid engine. It combines the best parts of EcoBoost and electric power. The powerful hybrid engine helps our customers get anywhere and it lets them do just about anything. Every PowerBoost comes standard with a 2.4-kilowatt ProPower OnBoard generator or an optional 7.2-kilowatt system. That is ProPower OnBoard. And right now, we're using it to power some of this festival. I mean, F-150 is literally bringing the party tonight. Absolutely. B-Y-O-P. Bring your own power. And ProPower OnBoard is quieter than even the quietest traditional portable generators. But okay, there's a lot more to tell you about today. In this new F-150, we are also bringing great new features that you'll find across the entire lineup from XL to Platinum. Okay. Today, technology and connectivity are more important than ever. So, the 12-inch touchscreen, the 12-inch digital cluster, and the built-in 5G modem are now going in across the board. Standard in our lineup. We've also added an available heads-up display, which helps the drivers keep their eyes on the road. It's inspired by fighter jets. We display the most important information to the driver to help them while they are towing and hauling, going off-road, or going hands-free on the highway with Blue Cruise. But the biggest improvement might just be in the back. Today, we want to talk to you about the ProAccess tailgate. Ooh, is Ford getting into the tailgate wars here? Getting in? No. Ford is ending the tailgate wars. Oh! All right. So, 75% of our customers tow in some capacity. But not all tailgates work when towing. This one does. The ProAccess tailgate is not only power up and down, but now it also has an integrated swing door that opens to 100 degrees. It has three opening angles and built-in stops. The first one is fundamental. It prevents the door from hitting the trailer jack and provides a large enough opening to pull out large things like a cooler or to hop in and out of the truck bed. We also widened the bumper step, made the bumper step deeper so that you can confidently hop in and out. We added an optional retractable step for those who need it to make entry and exit easier. And we also put an integrated handhold to give yourself some stability as you climb in and out. I kind of feel like you guys thought of everything pertaining to tailgates. Well, our customers really led the way. We think a lot about all of this. But this isn't just about the tailgate anymore. It's about changing the whole experience, changing the whole back end of the truck. So we work with our customers to find everyday problems that they experience when using their pickup beds. And we found ways to solve them. And these are our new capabilities. So if you think about it, all of our customers use trucks very differently. Sometimes we're using them to do very heavy-duty work like carrying mulch. But sometimes our customers are just trying to handle everyday tasks like bringing groceries home. And that can be a real pain with a truck, right? So we saw that customers either crammed their groceries into the second row right in front of their kids' feet or they put them in the back of the pickup bed. But when they get home, they find that it's a long reach over the tailgate to get their groceries out. Well, with ProAccess Tailgate, you are now at the very edge of the bed. You have very easy reach to everything. And now combined with our tunnel cover and our bed divider, the ProAccess Tailgate transforms the back third of the bed into a trunk. But we all use our trucks differently. So with the new tailgate, DYI features, and our full arsenal of accessories, our customers can form fit solutions for their individual lifestyles and life stages. So Milton, you didn't just improve functionality. You also gave them some new looks as well. That's right. Look at this truck, right? So for our premium trucks, we created a sophisticated, a tough, and athletic appearance with new lamps, new grills, and the next evolution of our signature C-clamp. We also gave XL, STX, XLT, and Tremor a sporty new personality with a one-piece coast-to-coast grill. With our standard LED lamps, the workhorse of our lineup is now bolder, tougher, and more modern. These are our brand new trucks, and they are unmistakably F-150. Thank you so much, Milton. We appreciate it. That's some great new examples of pure American ingenuity at work. Now let's talk about the purposeful tech you'll find in the driver's seat. Joining me now is Jennifer Shaw from Ford's Driver Assistance Software and Feature Team. Jennifer, it's so great to have you here. How is Ford using technology to take F-150 to the next level? Hi, Christy. We use tech to improve the driver's experience, safety, and productivity, and we're increasing the availability of driver assist technologies across the F-150 lineup. Safety is always our top priority, and that's why we've had automatic emergency braking standard on every F-150 since 2021. All F-150s include the latest versions of pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping system, and blind spot information with cross-traffic alert. We added features like exit warning, which alerts a driver about to open their door if a vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist is approaching from behind. Our available hands-free driving technology, Ford Blue Cruise, can help make driving less stressful and more enjoyable. And the new F-150 has Blue Cruise 1.2, which brings new features like lane change assist, allowing you to safely switch lanes with just the tap of the turn signal, and in-lane repositioning, which helps you to shift the vehicle away from other vehicles on the road. And it gets better over time with over-the-air software updates. All right, we're talking trucks here, so we've got to talk about towing technology. Absolutely. F-150 owners tow a lot. And for the past few years, we've been finding ways to make their lives easier and their towing experiences more enjoyable and less stressful. First, we added Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which makes backing up a trailer as easy as turning a knob. Then we gave our customers the option of adding onboard scales with Smart Hitch. And Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is an industry-first technology that uses computer vision and machine learning to automatically back up the truck and align the hitch ball with the trailer coupler, all with just the push of a button. You only need the driver to do this. No more arguing, getting frustrated with a friend or a loved one, like, left, no, no, no, no, right. Wait, wait, wait, am I right or you're right? No, stop, go forward, no, no, no, back it up. Too far. We've all been there before, right? I can see how this could be a huge relationship saver. Exactly. Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is just the next step on a ladder of features that Ford has been adding to F-150 to make towing and trailering easy and safe. All right, we've got all these new technologies, but like a cell phone, they'll be obsolete in basically a heartbeat, right? Not at all. They are future-proof through over-the-air software updates. And F-150 owners can also find peace of mind with a new feature, Stolen Vehicle Services, available to customers in North America for the very first time. This feature alerts the owner if someone attempts to access, tamper with, or tow the truck. Owners can opt in to share location data directly from the vehicle with the 24-7 Ford support team who will work with local authorities to locate and recover the vehicle. And because this vehicle is so connected, businesses can manage their fleet through Ford Pro Telematics to deal with maintenance and maximize uptime. Everything is designed to make our customers more productive, more safe, and more powerful on the road. Thank you, Jennifer. We really appreciate your time and all the information. Now, let's take a closer look at something we talked about a little earlier. Powerful tech first introduced in 2021 that's giving F-150 the power to plug in and come through. Segment-exclusive Pro Power on board. Ragnar Kammar and Etravel Chandrasekhar got married. They held a nighttime reception in Farmington Hills. Then about 10.30, the skies opened up and the lights went out. So the power is out, and here comes the F-150. There's the power! Ford saves the day! More than 200,000 utility customers are in the dark right now across the region. With my Ford F-150 7.2 kilowatt Pro Power on board generator, the show will always go on. Are you charging people's cars again? Looks pretty good. My name is Jose Ortega with Team Rubicon. Currently, we are in East Florida, Cape Coral, bucking out of home after Hurricane Ian. And this unique truck will allow us to supply our volunteers with power to recharge their tools, create lighting or cooling. Essentially, you can think of these as pickup trucks that are also mobile generators. Winds, rain and even a reported tornado leaving behind major storm damage and massive power outages. The power is out in Minglewood. The F-150, the show must go on. So we're running about 3,000 watts, and it's working perfectly. So thank you, Ford. Joining me now is John Emmert, Ford's General Manager for North America Trucks. John, it's so great to have you here. Thanks for joining us. What can you tell us about Pro Power on board? Well, hi, Christy. Pro Power on board is standard on the F-150 Power Boost Hybrid. It turns F-150 into a mobile power plant. It lets you plug in many kinds of electric appliances and tools. It's also safe for the family. You might use it on a campsite. We had a customer from Montpelier, Indiana. He told us that he uses it to run a welder on his farm, to run electronics in his camper and even to run an ice cream trailer at local events in his hometown. You know, you can even help a stranded Tesla driver power up their car on the side of the road. How much power exactly does it generate? So it comes standard with 2.4 kilowatt hours of power on the hybrid, and about three quarters of our customers actually upgrade to the 7.2 kilowatt hour version. With that kind of power, just to put it in context, a contractor can keep their entire crew working to frame a house with every tool plugged in all at once, like a miter saw or a circular saw or a chop saw, a hammer drill, a welder. You get my point, but all at the same time. So the Tate family, they recently wrote us while they were on a road trip to let us know that they're using Pro Power on board to power up a 25-foot Airstream camper. And they're doing that on their trip from Idaho all the way to New Hampshire. And I love this story. In Maine, there's a non-profit that is now using Pro Power on board to power a mobile dental clinic, bringing oral care to remote, underserved communities in Maine. Now the competition... So our competition can talk about going off the grid, but we can take the grid with us. I mean, I feel like that can just make such a huge difference. That capability can really impact something in a huge crisis. Yeah, absolutely, and it's making a difference right now. In the wake of Hurricane Adelia, Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization, is using Pro Power on board to light up their forward operating base in Perry, Florida. Now they call the F-150 Power Boost a game changer. It's illuminating their camp, and it's assisting them with all the hard work that they have to do to help that community recover. So from Florida to the Carolinas, we're seeing F-150 owners use Pro Power on board to keep their lights, their refrigerators, baby monitors, and all their medical equipment powered up while the power lines are down. So this map shows Pro Power on board and how it was used following the recent tornadoes we had right here in Michigan. Behind each of these dots is someone, a person, a family, who now has quiet and reliable energy when they need it the most. We saw this same thing after Hurricane Adelia, after Hurricane Ian, and after the Texas ice storms. Our trucks aren't just efficient. They are mighty, and they are tough. They are tough. They are definitely efficient. I feel like they might be popular as well. They certainly are, Christy. In the last three months, F-150 hybrid sales are up 33% versus the same period a year ago. And we see our hybrids, our internal combustion engines, and our EVs each playing an important role in our strategy to keep blazing that trail and leading the way for the future. So just like with the F-150 Lightning, we're aiming high with our hybrid trucks. Today, for example, Ford has 75% market share of the hybrid pickup subsegment. And 10% of all the F-150s we sell today are hybrids. But we are just getting started. In fact, next year, we plan to double the mix of hybrid trucks that we manufacture in 2024. F-150 is aiming to be among the top three best-selling hybrids in this country by the end of next year. Wow. Okay, so these trucks can perform off the grid, but how about off the road? Of course. If it's off-road agility and powerful work capability you're looking for, check out the new F-150 Tremor. That Tremor sure knows how to make an entrance. Look at that. Yeah, I know. It knows how to make an exit, too. Right off the road, onto the trail, and over the horizon. The Tremor is factory-built for off-road with shocks, wheels, and pure power to handle the rough terrain without compromising towing or payload. It looks fantastic, but I'm sure we're all wondering, what's exactly new on the Tremor? Well, one thing to point out is this new front bumper. It's a modular front bumper, and this design makes it easier to install some of the awesome accessories we offer, like brush bars, a Ford Performance winch kit, and even a light bar that can help you light up the trail at night ahead of you. I mean, lighting up the trails in a Tremor, that just sounds like the perfect off-roading experience to me, but I have to know, can it handle the elements? Oh, absolutely. From the blazing desert heat in Southern California to the brutal cold weather testing that we put it through right here in Northern Michigan, we have put Tremor through its paces, both off-road and on. I don't think anybody wants to hear about the brutal cold weather in Michigan just yet, okay? Simmer down on that. But the F-150 team has proven that the next evolution of F-150 delivers the power to get things done and the capability to bring a smile to any face. But that smile that you've got right there, I feel like there's something more up your sleeve, like there's another surprise. Oh, yes. There is one more beast backstage. It is the fiercest truck anywhere. Do you all want to see it? All right. Here is the next version of the original high-performance off-road truck, the new F-150 Raptor. This truck is insane. I love it. Welcome back, Andrew Frick, guys. Tell us, we've got to know about this Raptor. Yes, I cannot wait to tell you. Well, first of all, Ford invented the high-performance off-road pickup truck with the first-generation Raptor in 2009. Since then, and now through three generations, Raptor is the ultimate expression of extreme capability and performance in F-150. All right. Raptor already kind of had a pretty aggressive roar, but how do you make a monster like this Raptor even tougher? Well, we know our customers take Raptor to the max. That's why when we made the suspension even better with available Fox dual-valve shocks that dynamically adjust to ensure comfort, control, and confidence, we added a new modular bumper for better off-road clearance and the option to add a light bar to the front. And when you are in Baja mode, the off-road information is right in front of your eyes. We want you to take that ridge and take on that terrain, and I'm telling you, this is one tough truck. All right. So it's not just a Raptor, it's a Raptor-R. We want to hear about the Raptor-R. Well, Raptor-R. I mean, Raptor-R takes it to the pinnacle. 5.2-liter supercharged V8, 37-inch all-terrain tire standard, best-in-class ground clearance, over 700 horsepower. The new F-150 Raptor-R is not only our most powerful and off-road capable Raptor ever, it's targeted to be the most powerful full-size off-road truck ever. So when you see that Raptor with that orange R coming your way down the road, you know you are looking at the ultimate extreme off-road beast mode truck. Yeah, you see that R, you better watch out, okay? What a way to cap off this F-150 lineup with this truck. Yeah, it is. And everyone at Ford has such immense pride. I know everyone here does as well in F-150. I want to say thank you to the team members here with us tonight from Dearborn Truck Plant. Who's here? All right. Thank you for being here. Let's also give a shout-out to our Kansas City Assembly Plant team and everyone else who puts their heart and soul into the new F-150 before it rolls off the line. We also want to thank our designers, engineers, suppliers, and our dealers, and every member of the F-150 family. The trucks you see on the stage are your monuments. We mean that. When we say that F-150 is America's truck, we truly mean that. So just take a look at this map. Utah loves that power boost. Nevada loves Raptor. Idaho makes the ground shake with Tremor. Alaska goes for the max trailer tow package. Florida buys the most 4x2s, while Vermont likes their 4x4s. Whatever your needs, there's an F-150 for you. And it just got even better in 2024. No matter what style and options you pick, there's one thing you can be sure of. Your F-150, like all of our F-Series trucks, were assembled right here in the USA. And our competitors cannot say that. F-Series creates over 500,000 jobs across America. F-Series is an American icon, powered by American ingenuity, stamped with American pride, built Ford, tough, and all in on America. There are people who say things aren't made here anymore. Those people should come to Michigan. Or Kentucky. Or Missouri. Where you'll find Ford workers not just assembling vehicles, but building the future of automotive manufacturing. It's why Ford employs the most hourly autoworkers in this country. Can't speak for the other guys. But we're all in on America. All right, guys. That's all for all of you at home. Tuning in on the live stream, we'll get to see. But we've got a lot more fun coming your way for those of you here. We hope you had as much fun seeing these F-150s as we did talking about them tonight. But enough about truck wheels. Anyone want to roll on to some wagon wheel? Well, don't go anywhere. Because just for you here in the live audience, in just a little while, we're going to hear from the amazing Darius Rucker. Y'all gonna see me coming down through there.