Miners Tests the 2015 F-150 Unknowingly
The all-new 2015 Ford F-150 is a big gamble for the American manufacturer. It is their best-selling product, not to mention the most popular vehicle in North America. When the latest version was unveiled, there was quite a ruckus over the use of aluminium. People were worryied that this material was too new- and that Ford had no idea what they were in for.
They were underestimating the Dearborn manufacturer. In a recent marketing strike, it was revealed that quite a few prototypes were being used in the real-world… Most of the time without their driver’s knowledge!
Ford delivered last-gen F-150s equipped with aluminium cargo boxes for commercial fleet uses as early as 2011. Barrick Gold Mine, a contractor in construction, and public service repairmen were only told they had ‘’something new’’ in their trucks, and that Ford’s engineers would check on them once in a while.
The trucks worked hard, and the engineers learned a lot from them. For example, they determined that they needed to use a thicker gauge of aluminium for the cargo box to ensure that even after multiple impacts, the box stayed structurally sound.
This is not the first time Ford put incognito test mules into real-world conditions. Another F-150 prototype made headlines earlier this year. Disguised as a last-gen truck, this 2015 F-150 competed in the Baja 1000 off-road race in Mexico… before driving right back to Michigan!