Ford F-150 Lightning has been America’s favorite in recent times as thousands of customers are pre-ordering the superfast pickup electric truck. And Ford announced details of the cheaper model, which costs $39,974.
Two price ranges
There are two battery ranges, a 300-mile range, and a 230-mile range with prices of $49,974 and $39,974 respectively. These cheaper models are called Lightning Pro.
The cheaper F-150 Lightning Pro weighs 5,000 pounds and has a payload of 2,000. Further, the pickup truck uses two electric motors, for each axle. These motors are to have 426 horsepower and feet of torque- 775 pounds.
And the 300-mile range model has a 10,000 payload capacity. And has 563 horsepower. It is a drastic variation in features with an additional $10,000.
A buyer can choose as per their need. As said by Ford’s General manager, Ted Cannis, “Fleet buyers, which include construction and landscaping companies, utilities and all levels of government, focus on the cost and capability to complete the job. No more, no less.”
America's best-selling line of commercial vehicles* just added a new member to the lineup. Introducing the all-new, all-electric 2022 #F150Lightning Pro. pic.twitter.com/CLGX1DUsDR
— Ford Trucks (@FordTrucks) May 24, 2021
Future goals
Ford expects to have sales from electric pickups of 1 million per year by 2030. Ford has always been in the auto industry and works well with large production, unlike the upcoming startups. It plans to take leverage of that aspect and sell in fleets to businesses.
As told by Autotrader executive analyst, Michelle Krebs, “Fleets are ideal for EVs. Fleets have scheduled, predictable work patterns, which makes the charging more predictable and easily scheduled for non-peak times.”
And recently Ford has been focusing on being fully electric. And electric pickup is a huge market than it seems.
Potential in electric pickups
The top competitors for Ford F-150 lightning are Tesla’s Cybertruck and GMC Hummer. However, as a recent survey showed GMC Hummer was least preferred by interested buyers, the main competition is considered to be between Ford and Tesla.
President and CEO of NETA, a work truck industry association, Steve Carey said, “Work vehicles present a growing opportunity for electrification.” He further added,
“As electrified vehicles continue to evolve and availability expands, we anticipate an increased adoption rate in commercial applications. Proper training for fleets to determine suitable applications — both from a total cost of ownership and drive and duty cycle perspective — will be extremely important. Effective and efficient charging solutions for fleet requirements and quality of guidance provided to equipment installers will also be vital to implementation in commercial applications.”
Selling a fleet is more about performance than marketing or the popularity of the car. And Ford caught that aspect of selling their pickup trucks. As it seems to be the first most electric pickup truck being sold in America with different range options, Ford has truly made an entry into the electric vehicle segment with F-150 lightning.
