MotorTrend Names Ford F-150 Lightning 2023 Truck of the Year
MotorTrend has announced that the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning has been named the 2023 MotorTrend Truck of the Year. As the best-riding, best-handling and best-driving F-150 yet, the Lightning is the first EV pickup to appeal directly to the existing truck market. It does so with a trove of new engineering accomplishments wrapped in a practical, recognizable package truck owners have come to trust.
“The F-150 Lightning’s instantaneous torque and standout ride and handling make it without a doubt the best truck Ford has ever made. If that feels like a bold statement, consider that amongst our judges, the Lightning won Truck of the Year by unanimous decision—the first EV truck to convince all judges across the board,” said MotorTrend Group Head of Editorial Ed Loh. “The Ford F-150 Lightning is no less than a milestone achievement in the history of American mobility.”
The Ford F-150 was judged the 2023 Truck of the Year by excelling in each of MotorTrend’s six key criteria: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence and performance of intended function.
Among the highlights are its incredible value among EV trucks, including the fact every Lightning comes with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain. Eight 120-volt outlets are included to power a job site, and the standard four-door Supercrew cab style maximizes space for hauling coworkers, gear or both. Elsewhere inside, the truck features a standard 12-in. infotainment screen with built-in navigation and route-planning software to keep the Lightning charged on longer trips, as well as Ford’s CoPilot 360 2.0 safety features. The truck also has a full center console and front bucket seats on all models, and the huge frunk under the hood provides tons of additional lockable storage. The F-150 Lightning has the ability to power homes for multiple days and multiple power ports for charging devices or running high-draw electrical tools and appliances.
For more in-depth analysis on why MotorTrend named the Ford F-150 Lightning its 2023 Truck of the Year, visit the Truck of the Year award article.
Chris Douglas Named President, CEO of Edelbrock Group
Chris Douglas has been named president and CEO of the Edelbrock Group. Douglas, who was most recently chief commercial officer for the Olive Branch, Mississippi-based company, also has served in various capacities with SEMA, including on its Board of Directors. Prior to Edelbrock, Douglas held a number of executive positions at COMP Performance Group from 2009 to 2020, including vice president of marketing, COO and finally president.
Belmont Abbey College Announces MBA in Motorsports Management
During a press conference at the 2022 PRI Trade Show, Belmont Abbey College—the private Catholic baccalaureate and liberal arts institution in Belmont, North Carolina—announced the addition of a new master’s degree concentration in motorsports management. Under the direction of the business and motorsport management departments, the new degree concentration is designed for completion within 12 months. It will focus on management, finance, marketing, law, analytics and business strategy, with courses including Revenue Generation in Motorsport, Event Management in Motorsport, and Motorsport Marketing and Communications. For more information, visit bac.edu/mba.
Kyle Fickler Joins ProCharger
Lenexa, Kansas-based Accessible Technologies, the parent company of ProCharger and Inovair, has added Kyle Fickler to the ProCharger motorsports and sales team. Fickler previously served as the director of sales and business development at Driven Racing Oil. Prior, he held leadership roles at Aeromotive and Weld Racing. He is also a member of the SEMA Board of Directors and will become chairman of the Board this summer.
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