In 2018, in the time it would have taken you to make a bowl of two-minute noodles, Ford would have sold four Ford F-150 pickup trucks. What is more, for more than 35 years, the F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States.
But there’s a saying that goes: “All good things must eventually come to an end,” and with the electric car revolution gaining ground Ford might have thought the F-150 was living on borrowed time. That is, until the Blue Oval decided to join the fray with an all-electric version of the F150 pickup.
Despite a promotional clip showcasing the towing capability of the electric F-150 pulling a line of freight train cars weighing over 1 million pounds, it’s not entirely clear what reception the loyal yet conservative F-150 market will give the Lightning. At the unveiling CEO Jim Farley told reporters that the F-150 Lightning will be a test as to whether mainstream Americans truly want electric vehicles.
Well, if pre-orders are anything to go by the Ford F-150 Lightning is going to prove that electric pickup trucks will be popular. In less than 12 hours after the truck was officially revealed more than 20,000 potential buyers each laid down $100 to reserve an electric Lightning, with orders surging to 70,000 by May 26 before topping 100,000 by June 10th.
How Do F-150 Lightning Pre-Orders Stack Up Against Others In The Industry?
The trend of taking an up-front deposit to get your name on a list, popularized by Tesla, has been adopted by several other EV manufacturers. VW took orders for the ID.3, as did Porsche for the Taycan and GM for the Hummer.
The pre-order has subsequently not only become a measure of the market’s acceptance of the as yet untried offering, but also a barometer of the potential popularity of the vehicle.
So when Elon Musk unveiled the radicle Cybertruck, the motoring world was astounded by the 250,000 reservations Tesla received in the five days following its eventful reveal in November 2019. An ongoing, unofficial crowd sourced tally managed by Tesla fans estimates that over one million people had put down a $100 refundable deposit for the Cybertruck by the end of May 2021.
This is an impressive order-book when measured against the Texas Giga factory’s installed manufacturing capacity of between 250,000 to 300,000.
While the futuristic Cybertruck’s pre-orders are remarkable, they almost seem too good to be true, so a more relevant comparison would probably be Ford’s Mach-E.
According to the online publication, Electrek, the Mach-E Forum tracked about 20,000 vehicle reservations in the first week after Ford started taking orders, with that number growing to over 41,000 by the end of February 2020. The “first edition” model sold out within the first week.
With the first year’s production set at 50,000, this means Ford already has reservations for about 82% of the entire 2021 production. When it comes to the electric F-150, a completely new product line for Ford, initial production is likely to be constrained. Nevertheless, based on capacity data from parts plants that supply the truck, Wolfe Research's analyst Rod Lache expects 80,000 a year for the first year.
So, with over 100,000 pre-orders and the first year’s production booked out, the Ford F-150 Lightning is proof that electric pickup trucks will be popular. At some point in time probably even eclipsing the legacy F-150.
This Is Why Ford’s F-150 Lightning Electric Pickup Truck’s So Popular
Although the company hasn't released many details on the Lightning's powertrain, Ford does say the electric F-150 will offer more horsepower and torque than any F-150 currently on the market.
That implies it'll have more than 450 horsepower and do zero to 60 mph in less than 5.0 seconds, with an expected range of more than 300 miles. This estimate is based on the long-range Mustang Mach-E with an EPA-rating of 305 miles.
This, however, is not the only reason the pickup is proving popular. Unlike the Cybertruck, Rivian, and even the Hummer, the Lightning is meant to be a work-truck aimed at fleets and businesses.
To tackle this segment Ford has designed the F-150 Lightning Pro specifically to satisfy commercial customers’ needs.
Starting at $39,974 for a version with an estimated 230 miles of range, Ford expects to capture sales from fleets looking to switch to electric vehicles. By so doing Ford claims fleets could cut maintenance costs up by to 40% over eight years and 100,000 miles of use compared to a 2.7L EcoBoost F-150.
To further enhance the pickup’s versatility the Lightning Pro will come equipped with onboard power outlets, capable of running electric tools and accessories. The truck also houses a set of electrical outlets in the massive, 14.1 cubic feet, water-resistant front trunk.
The extended range option comes with an 80-amp charging station that can recharge a traction battery overnight, while Ford has also patented a removable range extender that fits into the truck's load-bed.
The right product, at the right time, at the right price should be enough to seal the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning’s popularity.