When you have an advantage, do everything not to lose it, coaches often tell their teams.
On the contrary, it is necessary to put more pressure to increase this advantage. Because the more we show the opponent that we won't let them back into the game, the less they will find the resources necessary to try to get back on track.
At least, if we don't relax we are at least sure that we will not be defeated. Ford (F) has made this adage its own.
The Dearborn, based-Michigan automaker is transitioning to electrification like other legacy vehicle makers. To gain market share quickly in this competitive sector, the group led by CEO Jim Farley is developing electric versions of its legendary models and also electric versions of its bestsellers. This is the case of the F-150 pickup, one of the best-selling vehicles in North America since its launch. Its electric version, the F-150 Lightning is eagerly awaited in the coming months.
Ford has just confirmed that the first deliveries scheduled from spring are on schedule. Basically, there will be no delays as consumers who have placed an order might have feared due to the continued disruption of supply chains, shortage of chips and soaring prices of raw materials.
Ford's EV Deliveries On Track
"Still on track for Spring deliveries… #f150lightning #electric #REVC," recently tweeted Emma Bergg, a Ford spokeswoman. The tweet is accompanied by a photo showing five units of what appears to be the F-150 Lightning being charged in a factory.
The list of reservations for this vehicle is very long. Ford has already amassed about 200,000 reservations for the F-150 Lightning since unveiling the electric pickup truck last May.
This great interest in this electric pickup has led Ford to increase its production rates. The automaker has increased their production target from 40,000 units up to 150,000 in the first year to meet "high" demand.
“With nearly 200,000 reservations, our teams are working hard and creatively to break production constraints to get more F-150 Lightning trucks into the hands of our customers,” said in January Kumar Galhotra, Ford's president of the Americas & International Markets Group. “The reality is clear: People are ready for an all-electric F-150 and Ford is pulling out all the stops to scale our operations and increase production capacity.”
The first customer vehicles could roll off the production line as early as April after some customers received notices their Lightning’s were scheduled for production.
The F-150's main competitor on the market today is Rivian's (RIVN) R1T electric pickup, whose prices for new configurations have been increased recently. GM (GM) markets the GMC Hummer electric pickup but it is above all the Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup expected in several months that is supposed to compete directly with the F-150 Lightning.
As for Tesla (TSLA), the market leader in electric vehicles has further postponed the start of production of its futuristic Cybertruck.
Ford
Ford Expects Fall EV Deliveries
Due to "unprecedented" customer interest, Ford implemented a wave-by-wave reservation process, with reservation holders being asked to watch for an invitation via email from Ford or to log into their Ford.com account.
"Next wave of invitations to convert reservation to order will go out this summer… for deliveries in the fall," Bergg said.
"Any hints on how many you expect to make for 2023? Also, will there be another round of dealer prioritization aka line skipping?" a user asked Bergg on Twitter.
"So we’re ramping up to a target of ~80k for 23MY and then to a run-rate of 150k mid-year - looking to break constraints continually. Dealer prioritisation are small numbers for loyal customers… hope that helps," the spokesperson responded.
The official EPA range and efficiency ratings for the upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning shows that the base F-150 Lightning XLT comes with the standard 98Kwh battery pack, and with those efficiency ratings will be able to travel 230 miles (370km) on a full charge.
The F-150 Lightning with the extended range comes with 131kWh battery pack and it is able to travel 300 miles (482km) on a full charge.
Four variants of the F-150 Lightning are available - Pro, XLT, Lariat, and Platinum. The base price is $39,974.
