The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is on track for a spring launch, which means that the all-electric pickup will begin populating the roads very soon. The Lightning’s build and price configurator is live, and the first couple of order “waves” have been sent to customers, though some have been surprised by dealer markups over the past couple of months, though most dealers are selling the truck at MSRP and Ford recently warned dealers about such nefarious practices. Now, we’re learning that the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning will also be available with the automaker’s Options Plan, a lease-like option that debuted with the Ford Mustang Mach-E, according to a dealer memo seen by Cars Direct.
Ford’s Options Plan is a type of balloon financing that provides lower monthly payments than a purchase, yet also requires a larger one-time payment at the end of the loan term. However, it also puts the vehicle in a buyer’s name, unlike a lease. That last little tidbit allows consumers to claim the current $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but whether or not a buyer can actually take advantage of the credit depends on their tax liabilities, and if they are able to use it, they won’t see the savings until they file their taxes.
Generally, automakers pass along the federal tax credit to lessees in the form of lease cash, up to $7,500 in many cases. However, the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E leasing program does not give customers this type of credit, and that money instead goes to Ford Credit, which claims that this gives buyers more control. Thus, Ford’s Options Plan figures to be a popular alternative for those that want to receive the tax credit, yet don’t want to go with a traditional loan to purchase an F-150 Lightning.
Ford hasn’t yet revealed any details about its F-150 Lightning Options Plan in regards to residual values, nor has it updated its online payment calculator with money factors associated with the plan. However, the memo notes that customers taking advantage of this plan will have a variety of options, including the ability to return the pickup once the term is up, trade-in or sell it to a third party, or payoff or refinance the truck.
Obtaining an F-150 Lightning might prove to be difficult early on, however, as the automaker recently admitted that it won’t be able to fulfill all of its customer orders in the 2022 model year, despite ramping up production significantly. Ford also recently imposed a one-year no-sale provision for customers, which will prevent them from flipping their new electric pickups for a profit.
We’ll have more on the F-150 Lightning soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, F-150 Lightning news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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