Pre-series production of Ford F-150 begins
Ford has started pre-series production of the F-150 Lightning. The electric pickup truck is scheduled for market launch in spring 2022. Due to the high demand, Ford has now confirmed that it will significantly increase production.
Ford now has more than 150,000 reservations for the all-electric version of the F-150 pickup truck, unveiled in May. In August it was leaked that the company means to increase the production capacity for the F-150 Lightning to 80,000 units per year due to high demand, which Ford has now officially confirmed. The manufacturer is investing an additional 250 million US dollars and creating 450 new jobs in the making of the electric pickup.
The F-150 Lightning will be assembled at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Centre. The additional investments and jobs do not only concern the final assembly but also the powertrain and component production at the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center and the Rawsonville Components Plant.
“We knew the F-150 Lightning was special, but the public’s interest has exceeded our highest expectations and changed the conversation about electric vehicles,” says Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “So we’re doubling down, creating jobs and investing to increase production. This truck and the Ford-UAW employees who assemble it in Michigan have a chance to make history and lead the electric vehicle movement in America.”
Ford is reportedly offering the F-150 Lightning in two variants, one with a range of 230 miles (around 370 kilometres) and 318 kW of powertrain power, or with a range of 300 miles (around 480 kilometres) and 420 kW of power. The US-American carmaker has not revealed how the pre-orders are distributed among these variants and whether Ford is concentrating on one variant for the time being to ramp up production.
The pre-production vehicles now built are to be subjected to various practical tests before deliveries to customers begin in spring 2022. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said at the event at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center: “I am proud of Ford for committing to invest $30 billion in electrification through 2025, including this additional $250 million today to create 450 jobs in Dearborn, Ypsilanti and Sterling Heights supporting the production of the new F-150 Lightning.”
1 Comment