Check out the Ford F-150 Lightning up close with a 3D, AR experience through Google

Who said you have to wait until 2022 to see a new Ford F-150 Lightning in your driveway? Together with the help of Google, Ford just launched “F-150 Lightning: Strike Anywhere,” a 3D, augmented reality experience available anywhere using your smartphone. (The link is here.) The 3D animations allow you to browse through variations of the upcoming electric pickup, while the AR function lets you place a Lightning truck in front of you to visualize it in real life.

This past May, Ford unveiled the an all-electric version of its long-running, best-selling pickup, the F-150 Lightning.

Since its initial launch, Ford has been taking F-150 Lightning reservations with a $100 refundable deposit, initially revealing that the truck had received 20,000 reservations on the first day. Soon, it eclipsed 44,000 reservations for the F-150 Lightning within 48 hours.

Demand for the F-150 Lightning reservations carried steadily through the summer, and now sits at 160,000. Based on production timelines shared by Ford, that means every F-150 Lightning is currently spoken for through 2023, and possibly longer, depending on how many people follow through on their reservations.

To help build further anticipation and educate consumers about its new electric truck, Ford has launched a 3D F-150 Lightning experience anyone can try out for themselves.

Ford and Google launch 3D F-150 Lightning AR experience

Following a recent press release from Ford Motor Company, the “F-150 Lightning: Strike Anywhere” experience is available to anyone with a smartphone and the QR code above.

Together with Google’s help, Ford hopes this AR experience will help educate consumers to the details of EVs, whether they are a Lightning reservation holder or not.

Ford stated that a recent survey of F-150 Lightning reservation holders showed that nearly 80% have never owned a BEV before, and more than half have never owned a Ford. Suzy Deering, chief marketing officer, Ford Motor Company, spoke to the approach of this experience:

There is a tremendous amount of intrigue about what electric vehicles can do. At Ford, we want to show, not just tell since we believe educating customers on the full potential and capabilities of electric vehicles helps them make the transition from traditionally powered vehicles to all-electric ones. Nearly 80% of our F-150 Lightning reservation holders have never owned an all-electric vehicle before, so we created this campaign for them to understand and feel confident in their vehicle while also be excited to join in on the electric revolution with us.

When you first scan the QR code on your iOS and Android device, you’ll see a power button that will activate the 3D F-150 Lightning. From there, you can customize the truck however you’d like and explore its exterior and interior by simply scrolling and tapping.

If you’d like to see a 3D version of the F-150 Lightning in your driveway (or even your living room), you can use the AR function to place the truck in an open area for you to further peruse. It’s all powered with the help of Google. Thomais Zaremba, industry director, automotive, Google, said:

We’re proud to work with Ford to bring this innovative experience to life. Ford continues to meet customers where they are – and that’s increasingly online. This campaign brings the F-150 Lightning to life in a new way, and serves as a natural extension of our broader collaboration to help transform Ford’s business and deliver new customer experiences.

The Ford “F-150 Lightning: Strike Anywhere” 3D AR experience is now live and available on iOS and Android via the QR code above or on Ford’s website.

The real-life F-150 Lightning remains on track to become available for purchase in spring 2022.