Oh. My. Ford.

Ford cannonballs into the electric vehicle aftermarket

Ford has just unveiled what could be the supercharger it needs in its race to claim the top spot in the US electric vehicle market.

The company isn’t just going after new vehicles, but hopes to win in the aftermarket as well.

For a lot of folks, owning a car isn’t just about the car, but about what you can do with it to make it your own.

That’s the motivation behind Ford’s (beautiful) all-electric F-100 Eluminator concept truck.

It’s a showcase for the company’s electric crate motor offering — a 2021 Mustang Mache-E GT Performance Edition battery — which, when paired with twin front and rear electric traction motors can produce 480 horsepower and 634 lb.-ft. of torque.

“Ford owners have personalized, customized and enhanced their vehicles since the beginning — from changing looks to bringing the power,” said Eric Cin, global director, Vehicle Personalization, Accessories and Licensing. “Our F-100 Eluminator concept is a preview of how we’re supporting customers as they go all-electric and embrace zero-tailpipe emissions performance, even for our heritage vehicles.”

Here’re the specs for this beauty.

The very covetable F-100 concept was built in collaboration with MLe Racecars and sits on a custom chassis by the Roadster Shop. The truck is painted Avalanche Gray with Cerakote Copper accents applied by Brand X Customs.

The interior features a billet aluminum dash by JJR Fabrication, and avocado tanned leather upholstery from MDM Upholstery. It’s fitted with 19X10-inch billeet aluminum three-piece wheels by Forgeline wrapped in Michelin Latitude Sport high performance tires.

Reader, we want it.

And we’re not alone.

The vehicle performance parts and accessories market generates around $50 billion annually — covering hardware for hot-rods to off-road vehicles and vehicle accessories.

These mods aren’t cheap. The e-crate motor Ford is selling retails for $3,900. That gives the buyer a 281 horsepower and 317 lb.-ft. of street-legal torque in 50 states.

The plan from Ford is to add new battery systems, controllers, and traction inverters to create a full turnkey aftermarket electrification offering for folks who want it.

Over time, Ford Performance plans to develop a wider list of components for the Eluminator powertrain with some of the leading performance manufacturers, including battery systems, controllers and traction inverters to close the loop on full turnkey aftermarket electrification solutions.

“The fact is, electric performance is fun, and as the industry moves toward electric vehicles, motorsports and the performance aftermarket will too,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance, in a statement. “Just as Ford is committed to leading the electric revolution on the product side, Ford Performance is equally committed to winning on the performance and motorsports front.”

These strategic moves aren’t just good for Ford’s bottom line. Anything the company can do to make the transition to electric vehicles seem like less of a sacrifice for consumers makes it easier for those consumers to make the switch.

Transportation emissions are the largest contributor to global climate change. Switching to an electric vehicle significantly reduces those emissions.

And while the US has set a target to make half of the US auto fleet electric by 2030, if the country could exceed those targets through increased consumer demand, that’d be all the better.