The Blue Oval’s decision to pivot significantly toward fully electric vehicles by the end of this decade will see the automaker spend boatloads of cash to develop and manufacture the batteries and platforms necessary to accommodate the technology. But before that transition takes place, two of Ford’s pre-existing and popular fleet vehicles are getting fully electrified variants of their own. As Ford Authority previously reported, the two vehicles in question, the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and 2022 Ford E-Transit, have secured substantial orders from customers, and in the case of the Lightning, surprised the company when it came to the amount of interest it has generated thus far. However, overwhelming demand has prompted Ford Pro to halt fleet orders for both vehicles, and it is currently unclear when the automaker will resume taking regular orders for the duo.
Sources familiar with the matter explained to Ford Authority that production cannot currently meet demand for the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and 2022 Ford E-Transit. As a result of the situation, fleet orders will be automatically placed on a material hold until the dealer in question gets the appropriate allocation for either vehicle. As production ramps up to match the orders, their status will change, but no timeline has been outlined yet. This latest development arrives not long after The Blue Oval confirmed that it is currently on a mission to greatly increase Ford F-150 Lightning output to 150,000 units per year by mid-2023 and followed more recent news that the automaker has received 10,000 orders of the 2022 Ford E-Transit from fleet customers large and small.
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning and 2022 Ford E-Transit both depend on facilities that are also responsible for their internal combustion counterparts. For the former, at least some capacity at the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant is used to construct basic components of the pickup before the fully electric variant heads to the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. Similarly, the Ford E-Transit is constructed at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant, where the gasoline versions are also manufactured, along with certain versions of the 2022 Ford F-150.
We’ll report back on this development once we receive more information, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-150 news, Ford F-150 Lightning news, Ford Transit news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
Would be easy if ford had not sold off many plants last decade, they could have had idle plants rampping up for a change over in production while ice plants operated at full capacity and the electric at the unused plants for batteries, motor, assembly and even chips,… but once again like they don’t like to get ahead of the industry and slowly while others catch up and eat their lunch …. sad ways with no vision
Out of the big makers, Ford has done the best to get electric trucks and vans out there. I still think they have underestimated the demand for the F-150 lightening. The E-Transit design needs a little work. I am just 5′ 11″ and can’t walk without stooping in the mid-height in tennis shoes. That was probably intentional, to steer people to the tallest, but the tallest is a no-go with electric, it just takes away too much range. They need to lower the floor like the European Transits. Put in-wheel motors in the back wheels. They can’t play the same games with electric.
Making chips is not viable. It takes many billions of dollars to build a fab.
It’s been awhile since ford closed any plants. I think the last one was the St Paul plant? And that was an ancient plant landlocked in the middle of a very anti-industrial area.
The term ‘factory’ does not mean you can make anything there, they are designed and laid out for specific operations. You end up tearing down the entire thing and starting over. Sometimes it’s best to start fresh.
I ordered a FULL SIZE TRANSIT
in MARCH of 2021, still waiting.
Please, if you can’t report on specifics, can you report whether-or-not the TRANSITs are being built?
It seems reservation holders were used as an advertisement. Want a base model, meaning no carpet, no non-vinyl seats, no entry level wheels? We’re all out of those.
Want a Platinum? We can do that!