Ford’s plan to increase production of the electric F-150 Lightning is moving full steam ahead.
The automaker is working to boost output at the Michigan factory that builds it to a rate of 150,000 vehicles annually by the end of 2023.
Ford delivered just 7,333 of the pickups through May due largely to downtime at the factory as work to upgrade it was being completed.
It has now announced that reservations are no longer necessary and that some vehicles ordered today should be delivered as soon as September.
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Ford is focused on ramping up deliveries of the most popular XLT trim, which has a starting price of $64,474 for trucks with a 240-mile driving range and $78,874 for models with an extended range battery option that increases that to 320 miles.
Higher-end Lariat and Platinum trim trucks ordered today are currently expected to be delivered in October, according to the Ford consumer website.
“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,” said Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer of the automaker’s electric vehicle division, Ford Model e.
“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.”
Ford in May announced an agreement with Tesla that will allow its electric vehicles, including the F-150 Lighting, to us the Tesla Supercharger network starting in 2024.
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Current models will require an adapter to use the Tesla connector, but the charging process will be integrated into the Ford app to allow a seamless plug-and-charge experience for Ford owners.
Ford will adopt the Tesla North American Charging Standard plug in its new vehicles, including the next-generation electric pickup, starting in 2025.
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General Motors last week announced a similar deal with Tesla that follows the same timeframe.