Ford Motor Co. announced it is “nearly doubling” the production volume for the new F-150 Lightning™ to 150,000 trucks per year to meet high demand. The automaker’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. – where the all-electric pickup will be assembled – is in the “final pre-build phase” before mass production begins in the weeks to come.
It’s the second announced production increase for the lithium-ion battery-powered F-150 Lightning since Ford unveiled the new model in May 2021, with an initial output set at 40,000 units. That was increased as pre-order reservations increased last year. Reportedly, the automaker paused new reservations as the demand continued to rise.
Ford has not indicated the details or any cost involved for the production expansion.
“With nearly 200,000 reservations, our teams are working hard and creatively to break production constraints to get more F-150 Lightning trucks into the hands of our customers,” stated Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford’s Americas & International Markets Group. “The reality is clear: People are ready for an all-electric F-150 and Ford is pulling out all the stops to scale our operations and increase production capacity.”
Deliveries of the 2023 F-150 Lightning will begin in the spring. The dual-motor, four-wheel-drive vehicle will have an estimated full-charge range of 230–300 miles (370-480 km.)
Ford will begin confirming potential buyers’ reservations in waves starting this week. Reservation holders who do not receive an email invitation from Ford to convert their reservation for the 2023 model year will have an opportunity to order a future model-year vehicle “in due course,” according to the automaker.
The base-model F-150 Lightning will have a starting price of $39,974.
