Roush Enters EV Fray with Big, Badass Ford F-650 Truck

Company is expanding its clean power portfolio with electric F-650.

When you think of Roush Performance, you undoubtedly think of high horsepower rides. Whether it’s a Mustang or F-150, Roush offers some of the very best performance parts (and turnkey vehicles) on the market today. But there’s also another side to the legendary tuning company — Roush CleanTech. The engineering arm already offers both propane autogas and compressed natural gas trucks. And now they’re adding to that portfolio of clean power with this all-electric Ford F-650.

Starting with the Ford F-650 chassis, Roush adds a lithium ion battery system capable of 225 kilowatt hours and 700 volts. Average range for these big old heavy trucks can reach 120 miles, depending on weight. And they’ll top out at 75 mph. The AC permanent magnet motor is rated at 150 continuous kilowatts (200 hp), with peak output reaching 250 kilos (335 hp).

‘An electric battery option for medium-duty trucks is a great fit as there is increasing demand in this gross vehicle weight range with very few OEM solutions.’

According to Roush, the decision to offer a large commercial EV Ford F-650 was pretty easy. “An electric battery option for medium-duty trucks and buses is a great fit as there is increasing demand in this gross vehicle weight range with very few OEM solutions,” said Todd Mouw, president of Roush CleanTech.

That demand has been driven, in large part, by the rising cost of diesel fuel. In the last year alone, prices have risen by 54 cents per gallon, reaching $3.06 on average. Meanwhile, the cost of batteries is rapidly falling. Just a few years ago, batteries cost manufacturers around $1,000 per kilowatt. Today, they’ve fallen all the way down to $200 per kilo.

Roush estimates it will take 18 to 26 months to get their electrified Ford F-650 through regulatory testing and certification. And those trucks are just the beginning. Roush also plans to develop similar battery electric systems for other medium-duty chassis in the future. In the meantime, it looks like the future truly is now!

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.