Ford anticipates strong enough demand for the F-150 Lightning for the automaker nearly to double production plans for the electric truck to 150,000 units a year. On Thursday, January 6, the first group of people with reservations for the pickup get the opportunity to place an actual order for the pickup.
"With nearly 200,000 reservations, our teams are working hard and creatively to break production constraints in order to get more F-150 Lightning trucks into the hands of our customers," said Kumar Galhotra, president of The Americans & International Markets Group at Ford Motor Company.
Gallery: Ford F-150 Lightning Production Increase
To make this adjustment possible, Ford created a small, multi-disciplinary task force. Folks from manufacturing, purchasing, strategy, product development, and capacity planning are making the necessary changes to build more units of the Lightning. The automaker is also working with suppliers to get the extra components for making them.
In December, Ford boss Jim Farley said that the company needed a bigger building if it wanted to increase F-150 Lightning production. Judging from this new announcement, the automaker found a different solution to the problem.
Electrifying Ford F-150 Lightning News:
Ford plans to let people convert their F-150 Lightning reservations into purchases in several waves. If you have a booking for one, the automaker plans to email folks an invitation to buy the electric truck. This info is also available from a person's Ford.com account.
According to Ford, more than 75 percent of the people placing reservations are new to the brand. Prices for the electric truck start at $39,974 before tax incentives. A customer survey suggests the range-topping Platinum grade could be $89,874.
The F-150 Lightning is now in the final phase of pre-production. The examples coming out of the factory are for evaluating real-world durability. Ford plans to start building the truck to send to dealers in the spring.
Source: Ford