Sam Krahn 
Electric vehicles and big screens go together like peanut butter and jelly. And while the functionality of moving most interior features to a touch screen rather than using physical controls is questionable at best, the target EV buyer loves it and that’s what matters to manufacturers. But big screens are getting better, and they’re moving beyond battery powered vehicles. That’s just what’s happening at Ford, where the portrait-oriented Sync 4A system that was first available on the Mustang Mach-E will spread to the upcoming electric F-150 and 2023 Ford Expedition SUV.
Spyshots, which you can see over at AutoBlog, show prototype test vehicles of both the electric Ford F-150 and updated 2023 Expedition, this time including their interior. The photos show the same screen found in the Mach-E, which means it’s massive, portrait oriented, and has a cool floating volume knob at the bottom. The F-150 EV’s interior is more covered, but there’s no mistaking the screen shape. Notably, this means the interior will have substantial differences to the gas powered F-150, which has a 12 inch landscape oriented touchscreen. It runs Sync 4, but not 4A and has physical HVAC and radio controls.
Interestingly, these won’t be the first vehicles outside of the Ford Mustang Mach-E to get the portrait Sync 4A screen. The recently updated 2021 Ford Edge also gets the system, but it’s a bit of a mashup between new and old, as there are still physical audio controls below the screen. The Explorer also has an optional 12 inch portrait screen, but it runs Sync 3.
While the Ford F-150 EV, rumored to be called the E-150, will likely get the Sync 4A screen standard, it’s also possible the regular F-150 could get it in 2023 as an option. The photos of the 2023 Ford Expedition show some physical buttons under the screen, so these interiors may not be quite as minimal as the Mustang Mach-E. These vehicles are likely only the next in line for Sync 4A after the Mach-E, so expect the big screen design to spread through all of Ford’s range in the coming years.
