2021 Ford F-150 to launch in July, electric version due 2022

That's according to Ford COO Jim Farley, revealing details about the F-Series launch in an interview with American broadcaster CNBC.

Farley announced the 2021 Ford F-150 will be launched on July 25 (though some sources have the date as June 25) with production to begin later this year, but he said the company didn't expect to have the fully-electric variant of the Ford pickup on the market until mid-2022.

The electric F-150 is expected to follow a range of turbocharged petrol, diesel, and hybrid V6 engines. For now, the iconic Ford pick-up is not planned for Australia and remains primarily a North American model.

With Ford selling an F-Series pickup every 30 seconds by some estimates, moving to an electric powertrain marks a historical step in the model's 72-year history.

Though details of the electric F-150 have not been released, it's expected that the vehicle will share major electric powertrain components with strategic partner Rivian.

Ford has invested US$500 million in the start-up electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, which is also offering an electric dual-cab ute named the R1T. Pre-orders for the R1T are already open.

The electric dual-cab ute market is heating up, with the Ford F-150 and Rivian R1T set to join the likes of the Nikola Badger and Tesla Cybertruck within the next two years.

More electric utes are expected from General Motors (under Chevrolet, GMC and Hummer brands), Bollinger, and China's Great Wall.