Ford has just started production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup, with the automaker celebrating the first models to roll off the production line yesterday. In an interesting twist, a brief power outage at the event gave Ford the chance to show off one of the coolest features of its new electric pickups.
The automaker says that it has 200,000 reservations for the electric Ford F-150 Lightning already, which is enough that it is already expanding the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center factory to try to build 150,000 units of the pickup in 2023. More than $1 billion in manufacturing investments have already been made, creating around 1,700 jobs at five Ford plants in Michigan.
The Ford F-150 Lightning starts in Canada from $68,000 for an XLT trim truck. It offers up to 370 km of electric range with the Standard Range battery or 515 km in Extended Range versions. In the U.S., the work truck version starts from just under $40,000.
“Today we celebrate the Model T moment for the 21st Century at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. “The Rouge is where Ford perfected the moving assembly line, making it a fitting backdrop as we make history again. The stunning anticipation for F-150 Lightning is a credit to the work of our Ford engineers and designers, and the UAW team members who are building these trucks with pride.”
During the presentation around the launch, Ford CEO Jim Farley was able to show off the Pro Power Onboard feature of the F-150 Lightning. The Detroit Free Press reported that there was a power disruption during the event. To make sure interviews could continue, Farley himself plugged lights into an F-150's power plug, followed by a group of aides running around with more plugs and more trucks.
Thanks to Pro Power Onboard, Farley said the trucks could run the cameras and lights for around three days. They can do the same for your home in the event of a power outage.
Expect to start to see the trucks on the road over the next few months.
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