Photo: Ford
The most affordable version of the Ford F-150 Lightning has been sold out for the 2023 model year, and the orders have been reserved almost exclusively for fleet customers. Now, Ford has opened the F-150 Lightning Pro order book to retail buyers, but only for a limited time.
Ford sent mixed signals with its electric Ford F-150 Lightning production in 2023. In the spring, Ford tossed the reservation system, allowing everyone to place an order. At the time, the Blue Oval had about 200,000 reservations for the electric pickup truck. The announcement was made in May, soon after the Rouge EV Center production resumed following a battery fire. This suggested that either interest in the Lightning was down or the production was booming.
Of course, Ford bragged about the latter, although the production line upgrades were only completed in August. In June, Ford announced reducing the waiting time for the Lightning to three months thanks to the production catching up with the demand. I'd say it was actually the other way around, with the demand dropping well below the output, and that was before Ford started the factory upgrades to triple the production capacity.
This was confirmed in July when Ford cut the F-150 Lightning price by about $8,000 across the board, with the most significant cut ($10,000) reserved for the entry-level Pro variant. As expected, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the improved production capacity and lower battery material costs led to this decision. Remember, the Rouge EV Center production line was still upgrading, and Ford was still losing money with every EV it sold. You get the picture, Lightning doesn't sell as expected, and Ford cuts prices, a classic development. Still, the Lightning Pro, the cheapest variant reserved for fleet buyers, was announced as sold out for the 2023 model year. What gives?
During the second-quarter earnings call, Jim Farley announced that the increased capacity will allow Ford to offer the work truck to retail customers, although still "in limited quantities." So it's not sold out, after all. The F-150 Lightning Pro trim has a starting price of $49,995 after the last price cut, and it is a very compelling offering if you can get it at this price. And it turns out you can, for a limited time at least.
According to people familiar with the matter, Ford opened the F-150 Lightning Pro orders to retail customers until August 16. More than that, you can almost get it at MSRP, as people soon discovered. Considering that dealers have no problem ripping off customers with "market-adjustment fees," this is another signal that the Lightning, even the "sold-out" Pro trim, is not selling as well as Ford expects.
Rumor has it that Jim Farley is unhappy and wants to shake up the system. Ford CEO announced that Ford Model e dealers would offer upfront transparent pricing on ford.com starting next year. This is the closest thing to Tesla's direct-to-consumer, no-haggle sales strategy. Farley also wants Ford employees to drive the company's electric vehicles for one week and see what the electric revolution is all about. Ford CEO is road-tripping an F-150 Lightning from Los Angeles to Las Vegas as an example to its employees.
Of course, Ford bragged about the latter, although the production line upgrades were only completed in August. In June, Ford announced reducing the waiting time for the Lightning to three months thanks to the production catching up with the demand. I'd say it was actually the other way around, with the demand dropping well below the output, and that was before Ford started the factory upgrades to triple the production capacity.
This was confirmed in July when Ford cut the F-150 Lightning price by about $8,000 across the board, with the most significant cut ($10,000) reserved for the entry-level Pro variant. As expected, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the improved production capacity and lower battery material costs led to this decision. Remember, the Rouge EV Center production line was still upgrading, and Ford was still losing money with every EV it sold. You get the picture, Lightning doesn't sell as expected, and Ford cuts prices, a classic development. Still, the Lightning Pro, the cheapest variant reserved for fleet buyers, was announced as sold out for the 2023 model year. What gives?
During the second-quarter earnings call, Jim Farley announced that the increased capacity will allow Ford to offer the work truck to retail customers, although still "in limited quantities." So it's not sold out, after all. The F-150 Lightning Pro trim has a starting price of $49,995 after the last price cut, and it is a very compelling offering if you can get it at this price. And it turns out you can, for a limited time at least.
According to people familiar with the matter, Ford opened the F-150 Lightning Pro orders to retail customers until August 16. More than that, you can almost get it at MSRP, as people soon discovered. Considering that dealers have no problem ripping off customers with "market-adjustment fees," this is another signal that the Lightning, even the "sold-out" Pro trim, is not selling as well as Ford expects.
Rumor has it that Jim Farley is unhappy and wants to shake up the system. Ford CEO announced that Ford Model e dealers would offer upfront transparent pricing on ford.com starting next year. This is the closest thing to Tesla's direct-to-consumer, no-haggle sales strategy. Farley also wants Ford employees to drive the company's electric vehicles for one week and see what the electric revolution is all about. Ford CEO is road-tripping an F-150 Lightning from Los Angeles to Las Vegas as an example to its employees.
Lightning Pro orders have opened to ALL customers! No reservation needed. You’ll want to act quick as this will only be open until August 16th and could close sooner based on demand. $49,995. STEAL!
— Jace Craft-Miller ??????????????????? (@jacecraftmiller) August 9, 2023
?????? https://t.co/UuqqhaNcL3
Starting next year @Ford model e dealers will offer upfront transparent pricing on https://t.co/Hldfv84vI0. The Ford Store Morgan Hill is a great example of how dealerships are meeting the increased demand for more EVs. Since 2005, their one-price model has been a big hit with… pic.twitter.com/aNUgFvafvT
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) August 10, 2023
Google News