Ford
Even without having driven it yet, I feel confident in proclaiming this year’s Ford F-150 Lightning one of the most important new vehicles of 2022. It’s the first battery electric variant of the automaker’s best-selling—and its most quintessentially American—machine, and even before the first trucks reach customers later this year it seems clear Ford has a hit on its hands.
In response to nearly 200,000 reservations on its books, the Blue Oval has decided to increase annual production of the F-150 Lightning. It’s nearly doubling the original production plan at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, and will churn out 150,000 Lightnings a year to meet demand.
A stripped-out F-150 Lightning Pro, aimed at the commercial market, starts at $39,974 for the version with the standard battery pack and 230 miles (370 km) of range, or $49,974 for the 300-mile (482 km) extended-range Lightning Pro.
The better-equipped F-150 Lightning XLT is the entry trim for non-commercial customers and starts at $52,974 before any tax credits or incentives.
Ford
Ford says that three-quarters of the reservations have come from people new to the brand. Due to demand, it will be emailing reservation holders based upon when it got those reservations and asking them to log in to their Ford.com account to convert the reservation into an order. According to Ford, “Those who don’t receive invitations to convert for the 2022 model year will have an opportunity to order a future model year vehicle in due course.”
The Lightning looks like it’s not the only electric Ford to find favor with the public. Last month, the automaker announced that it is going to triple annual production of the Mustang Mach-E crossover to 200,000 units a year by 2023. And global production of the battery electric Transit van—which Ars is going to drive later this month—is set to give Ford the annual capacity to produce 600,000 BEVs a year.