Earlier this month, Ford Authority reported that 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning production would be ramping up sooner than originally planned, with a goal of reaching 80,000 units per year by January 2023. This move came after the automaker secured 200,000 reservations for the forthcoming all-electric pickup, a high level of demand that admittedly took Ford by surprise. Now, Ford CEO Jim Farley has revealed that the company plans on doubling that number to 160,000 units annually at some point in the near future.
“There is a capital investment, you know. We have to increase the capacity physically at the Rouge plant,” Farley told Bloomberg during a recent interview. “We only capacitize about 80,000, so we’ll have to double that. And that means physically building a bigger building. That’s, you know, hundreds of millions.”
Back in November, Farley announced that Ford was doubling its planned EV production by 2024, from 300,000 units per year to 600,000 units annually. However, at that time, Farley did not specify which of Ford’s EVs would receive a production boost, and this is the first time the CEO has discussed specific production targets. As Ford Authority reported last week, all-electric versions of the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator have been delayed to late 2024, so those models presumably won’t play a part in reaching that goal.
As Ford Authority recently reported, Farley believes that the vast majority of the 200,000 Lightning reservation holders – 80 percent – will convert them to orders, which means that it’s possible that not all customers will receive a 2022 model. Ford will also reportedly utilize a staggered or “waved” order conversion process for the F-150 Lightning, starting in January, while reservations for the EV pickup recently closed as Ford prepares to begin that process.
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Comments
I’m an eventual buyer of the Lightning, and look forward to owning one. I’ve already installed the wiring upgrades necessary for a home charging station, but will wait to buy the actual charging hardware until I get the truck and/or other EV. I’m sure technology will continue to evolve to have more charging capacity and ability.
These are welcome developments and news from Ford.
Another excuse Ford is using to let untethered and unscrupulous dealership practices to jack up their prices.
I believe Ford is moving in the wrong direction relying on EV vehicles to combat global warming. If EV buyers knew the damage to rainforest where some of the battery materials are mined, they may reconsider their vehicle of choice.
Care to share your valid, verifiable data sources for alleged materials mining in rainforests?