For years, fans of the Lightning dreamed of a day the truck might return. While the name is returning, this pickup is a totally different machine. For logical reasons, Ford is launching its all-electric pickup as the F-150 Lightning, and the truck is set for its public reveal on May 19 at 9:30 p.m.

America’s favorite vehicle for nearly half a century is going digital and fully electric. — Jim Farley, Ford President & CEO

“Every so often, a new vehicle comes along that disrupts the status quo and changes the game … Model T, Mustang, Prius, Model 3. Now comes the F-150 Lightning,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said. “America’s favorite vehicle for nearly half a century is going digital and fully electric. F-150 Lightning can power your home during an outage; it’s even quicker than the original F-150 Lightning performance truck; and it will constantly improve through over-the-air updates.”

The rumors are true. Ford is bringing back the Lightning branding for its all-electric F-150. (Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company)

To hear that it is quicker than the previous model is promising, as the last Lightning, produced in 2004, delivered 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque from its supercharged, 5.4-liter engine, which propelled it to cover the quarter mile in 13.9 seconds at 100 mph. That was certainly impressive for a sharp-handling truck that could still tow 5,000 pounds.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what capabilities the all-electric Lightning brings to the table when it goes into production next spring at the new Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.

The truck promised to be quicker than the previous SVT Lightning and will be publicly revealed via livestream on May 19 at 9:30 p.m.

“The truck of the future will be built with quality and a commitment to sustainability by Ford-UAW workers at the Ford Rouge Complex — the cathedral of American manufacturing and our most advanced plant,” Farley added.

To see what’s coming, you can watch the livestream reveal from Ford World Headquarters on the company’s YouTube channel and Twitter feed, as well as 18 public spots across the country, including Times Square in New York City and Las Vegas Boulevard.