The livestream of the unveiling of Ford’s F-150 Lightning just wrapped up a few minutes ago, and while there was not a ton of new or groundbreaking information on the truck itself, Ford CEO Jim Farley did drop quite the little nugget during his speech: there’s probably an EV Ranger on the way.
“We’re already pushing dirt down in Blue Oval City in Tennessee for another electric pickup truck that’s different than this one,” Farley said.
That means there’s already another EV Ford truck in the works.
According to a Ford spokesperson, the new EV “will be a next-gen electric truck, different from F-150 Lightning.” While we cannot confirm if the new EV will be based on the Ranger or Maverick, the smart money is on Ranger.
It all has to do with the phrasing from the spokesperson. They claimed it’s a “next-gen” truck. The Maverick is still a new platform, and won’t have an update or platform change for a while. On the other hand, the Ranger is due for a complete overhaul in the near future. If they’ve already got plans in the works for a second EV truck, that’ll mean its coming sooner rather than later, much like the next-gen Ranger.
Obviously, as more information on the new Ford EV pickup comes out, we’ll bring it to you. Odds are it’ll be quite a seller, considering Ford really just cannot make enough cars right now.
Farley also teased an “expanded lineup, which you have not seen yet.” So, I wouldn’t count out an EV Maverick just yet.
EVs are sort of the name of the game for FoMoCo’s future. By the end of next year, Farley says the company will be making about 600,000 electric vehicles per year. That number will balloon to over 2,000,000 in just four years.
“We plan to challenge Tesla and all comers to become the top EV maker in the world. That’s something that no one would have believed just two years ago from us,” Farley said. “Take a look at this truck and believe it.”
As for right now, Farley says the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center where the Lightning is being made can build up to 150,000 trucks per year. The plant had been extended twice in preparation for a full production ramp up of the EV pickup. The land where the Rouge plant is located has been the home of Ford production for over 100 years – dating all the way back to the Model A.
Something else we learned during the livestream is Farley isn’t afraid to make a dig at Tesla despite its EV name recognition. He made two comments about the company – including one that was a question as to when the Lightning’s competitors would actually be produced. *cough* *cough* Cybertruck *cough*.
Sorry, there was something in my throat.