Ford has taken the covers off its new $40,000 F-150 Lightning - the first electric version of its best-selling pick-up that will go head-to-head with Elon Musk's Tesla Cybertruck when it hits the US market early next year. 

On the outside, it looks very much like its immensely popular gas-powered version.

However, batteries and electric motors replace the conventional internal combustion engine - freeing up space for a 'mega power frunk' - a front trunk - that can carry up to 400 pounds (181kg) of whatever you need to carry. 

Range is up to 300 miles on a full charge, based on the American EPA test cycle, and it produces more torque than any F-150 before it.

A huge lithium-ion battery powering the pick-up is stored in the chassis floor to keep the centre of gravity low and spreads the additional bulk across the footprint of the vehicle. 

While it will tip the scale far heavier than a petrol equivalent (though kerb weight is yet to be revealed), it's far from slow.  

It will be sold to customers with the choice of two battery capacities, providing official ranges of 230 miles or 300 miles for the extended range version.

The latter should be a match for the entry version of Musk's much-anticipated Cybertruck, though a 'tri-motor' version is rumoured to offer up to 500 miles of range on a full battery.