Ford says it is reducing customer wait times for the F-150 Lightning as the company is on track to increase production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center this fall to 150,000 trucks a year.
The high-demand F-150 Lightning XLT model will gain the largest initial production increase, with Ford noting that new retail orders made today are estimated to get delivered as early as September.
Ford also continues to accept retail customer orders for the Lariat and Platinum models, but not for the base Pro model, which is sold out for 2023. The automaker says no reservation is needed for retail orders.
"Customer interest for XLT has considerably outstripped supply since the F-150 Lightning launch and we've worked with our suppliers to help address that. We heard loud and clear from our customers that they want their truck deliveries as close as possible to their orders. As we scale production, we are making this possible.”
Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer, Ford Model e
Last month, Ford reopened retail orders for the 2023 F-150 Lightning and operated some price adjustments, with the most notable being a $2,100 reduction for the F-150 Lightning XLT with Extended Range battery.
The model starts at $78,874 (excluding $1,895 destination), which is just enough to make it eligible for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act as its starting MSRP falls under the $80,000 cap.
Of the entire F-150 Lightning lineup, only two models fail to qualify for tax credits: the Lariat Extended Range, which starts above the $80,000 cap at $85,974, and the range-topping Platinum, which has a starting MSRP of $98,074 (both prices excluding $1,895 shipping).
Ford says the F-150 Lightning production increase is part of its plan to scale electric vehicles and make them more accessible to customers. The company is on track to triple F-150 Lightning production by the end of this year to an annual rate of approximately 150,000 units.
Last month, the automaker completed plant upgrades in Cuautitlan, Mexico to support a production ramp for the Mustang Mach-E in the second half of this year to an annual rate of 210,000 units.
