Ford announced on Thursday that it will invest extra $250 million and create 450 jobs to boost production capacity of the future F-150 Lightning all-electric vehicle to 80,000 units per year. The announcement comes after the all-electric pickup truck received more than 150,000 pre-orders.
According to Ford, the additional cash and jobs will be split throughout the company’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center, and Rawsonville Components Plant.
The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, a 500,000-square-foot building that was built as part of Ford’s $700 million Rouge Complex expansion. The Rouge Complex also assembles gas-powered F-Series trucks. Ford also revealed that pre-production of the Lightning trucks has begun. These prototypes will be put through their paces in the real world. Customers will be able to purchase the truck in spring 2022.
The all-electric pickup truck is a key component of Ford’s $30 billion commitment in electrification, and it’s one of three Ford electric vehicles set to appear in the next 18 months, including the Mustang Mach-E. In terms of the bottom line, Lightning may be the most important. The all-electric Mustang Mach-E and the E-Transit, a configurable all-electric cargo van aimed at commercial clients, were introduced before the Ford F-150 Lightning.
The Ford F-150 Lightning will be available in four trim levels: base, XLT, Lariat, and Platinum, as well as two battery options. The truck features an aluminum alloy body and is powered by two in-board electric motors. It has four-wheel drive and an independent rear suspension as standard. Before any federal or state tax incentives, the base model will cost $39,974, while the midseries XLT would cost $52,974. The destination fees and taxes are not included in any of these rates. Reuters, September 16 – Due to high demand for the electric pickup truck, Ford Motor Co (F.N) announced on Thursday that production capacity for the F-150 Lightning will be increased to 80,000 units per year. The vehicle will be on sale next spring.
At an event attended by Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the American carmaker announced that it would invest $250 million and create 450 hourly jobs across three of the state’s sites to boost vehicle manufacturing.
