Ford's 1st Electric F-150 Pickup Truck
Ford's F-150 Lightning May Be an EV Gamechanger
The long anticipated Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck is being hailed by some automotive experts as disruptive, gamechanging innovation in the EV market. In the first 48 hours after it was unveiled in late May 2021, 44,500 people reserved it for purchase. For the past five years, the F-150 has been the top selling vehicle in the US. Ford has electrified and added many smart features to their best selling vehicle, which is expected to result in big sales. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the F-150 is now going digital and fully electric. He added several fascinating details. He said Lightning can power your house during a power outage. The EV is faster than the original F-150 Lightning Performance truck and it will constantly improve through over the air updates. Production on the vehicle will start in spring 2022 and the first e-trucks will be delivered in the same year.
Smart, Zero Emissions Driving
The base model of the Lightning with a 230 mile range starts at $39,974. A 300 mile version starts at $90,000. For charging convenience, Ford has developed the Ford Pass charging network that combines established networks into 63,000 charging areas throughout the US with access under one digital pass. The Lightning is also smart with Alexa voice assistance in the infotainment system, Ford's hands free driving system and over the air updates for the vehicle. The navigation system contains accurate range planning based on the terrain, weather and the weight of the payload. It informs drivers about the range left on the battery.
Ford's F-150 Cash Cow
Ford's F-series of pickup trucks is the biggest franchise within Ford and the top selling vehicle in the US. It is second only to the iPhone in sales as a branded consumer product, with the iPhone racking in $55 billion and the F-series $42 billion in revenues in 2019. The importance of the F-series and the F-150 Lightning can not be overemphasized in their impact on the future of Ford. The Lightning will encounter intense competition from a number of new electric trucks including Tesla's Cybertruck, GMC's Hummer EV and Rivian's R1T. But some experts are forecasting that the Lightning will particularly give the upcoming Tesla Cybertruck a big run for the money.
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