Ford announced today that it is on track to increase production of the F-150 Lightning’s various trims, including the high-demand XLT model, as capacity will continue to ramp up at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center this fall, decreasing customer wait times.
Ford is continuing to accept retail customer orders of both the Lariat and Platinum models of the F-150 Lightning, but customer interest in the XLT trim has effectively put the automaker in a tough position due to heightening demand.
Ford has worked with its suppliers to enable higher production metrics for the XLT trim in particular, as it has been the most sought-after trim level of the F-150 Lightning, which is the company’s introductory electric pickup.
“Customer interest for XLT has considerably outstripped supply since the F-150 Lightning launch, and we’ve worked with our suppliers to help address that,” Marin Gjaja, Chief Customer Officer of Ford’s Model e division, said. “We heard loud and clear from our customers that they want their truck deliveries as close as possible to their orders. As we scale production, we are making this possible.”
The XLT trim of the F-150 Lightning starts at $64,474 before federal tax credits and can be ordered at a Ford dealer or online. It also has an extended-range battery option that will increase range from the standard 240 to 320 miles, and is available for $78,874.
The increase in production of the F-150 Lightning is just one part of Ford’s plan to scale electric vehicles and increase manufacturing capacity to continue matching demand. Ford wants to triple production by the end of the year to reach 150,000 units, which would help the company meet the overwhelming demand for the vehicle, which has been hard to put a reservation in for due to its extensive waitlist.
To help support its goals of expanding EV adoption, Ford recently announced it would adopt Tesla’s charging connector in the next few years. Tesla, in turn, will also open 12,000 of its North American Supercharger locations to Ford beginning next Spring.
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