The Lightning Owners forum alerted us about some of the highest dealer markups it has seen on the all-new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. The sad part is that the price gouging has only just begun since Ford just started selling the Lightning. Hopefully, the automaker's policies will help deter such antics.
The forum member, Junk in the Frunk, who posted the information cited a recent tweet showing an F-150 Lightning selling for $145,309. However, they made it clear they didn't have any specific details aside from what was posted on Twitter. Junk in the Frunk wrote:
"A Platinum starts at about $91,000, and obviously there are a ton of options you can add from there, but a +50% market adjustment?! I'm thinking Ford corporate might have something to say about this.
Anybody around Thousand Oaks, CA with experience at DCH Ford?"
Obviously, it wasn't difficult to quickly check and see if the Twitter post came from a real Ford dealer website. DC Ford of Thousand Oaks does have an F-150 Lightning with a selling price of $145,309. In addition, there are currently two other Lightning electric truck options available with prices at around $130,000.
Keep in mind that Ford already experienced a similar dealer markup situation with its Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. While the automaker can't really get too involved in policing franchised dealerships, the company publically stated that if dealers mark up these vehicles, they are going to lose their F-150 allocation allotment. Sadly, this won't stop them from making some extra money by selling their current inventory at prices way above MSRP.
Ford also recently shared that dealers may be fined $25,000 for selling demo vehicles early. However, this is only if the demo can't be replaced within 90 days. In related news, GM has followed suit with Ford. In fact, in January 2022, just after Ford announced its potential penalties against dealers who mark up the Lightning, GM made almost exactly the same announcement related to its current and future EVs.
Do you think Ford will be able to get dealers to stop price gouging? Will removing dealerships' future allocations help? Let us know in the comment section below.
That said, we'll end on a more positive note. Despite these markups, there are many Ford dealers across the country who have vowed to sell the F-150 Lightning at MSRP. Be sure to do your homework, and don't pay extra when you don't have to.
