Ford Supplying Real Life Dutton Ranch With F-150 Lightning Pro Trucks and E-Transit Vans

The main goal of this project is to demonstrate how electric vehicles can have a positive impact on the agriculture industry with regards to increasing productivity, sustainability and lowering the total cost of fleet ownership anywhere from 10% to 20%.

The pilot program is launching with Bevill Vineyard Management and Vino Farms in Healdsburg, as well as the Dutton Ranch in Sebastopol, which together represent about 4,000 acres in Russian River Valley. By the way, that right there is the real Dutton Ranch (more of a namesake), as opposed to the one John Dutton runs on TV in the fictional world of Yellowstone.

In real life, California’s Dutton Ranch boasts a fleet of about 70 work vehicles, with fuel costs averaging at roughly $5,000 per month, so we can understand how the F-150 Lightning Pro might come in handy.

For those who don’t know, the ‘Pro’ variant of the Ford F-150 Lightning is the work truck version of the EV pickup, aimed mostly at commercial and fleet buyers. You could even argue that this is the most important variant, especially among customers that make a living using their utility vehicles.

“This collaboration with the Ford Pro team is a great natural next step to help us continue our progress in sustainable agriculture,” said Sonoma County Winegrowers president Karissa Kruse.

“A lot of farming families have a rich history with Ford, and with history comes trust. So as many of our farmers look for ways to lead in innovation and be a part of the solution, that trust is critical when it comes to investing in electric vehicles and in solutions to manage farming fleets. Our farmers love this pilot program; it’s going to be foundational.”