You might be wondering why a truck, that debuted almost a year ago, is being launched once again? Well, that’s because Ford showcased the truck on May 19, 2021, but the series production is all set to begin today (26th April). We pretty much know everything there is to know about the F-150 Lightning and its work-truck version, the F-150 Lightning Pro. But, this time, Ford has released the images of the truck at the company’s new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.

Why So Much Hype?

Silver Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford Motor Company

The F-150 has been the best-selling pickup truck in the U.S. for over the last four decades. The truck has been in production since 1948 and is currently in its 14th generation. It has been the bread-and-butter for Ford for the longest time. Despite so many generation changes, it is this transition to electrification that’s the biggest in its history. For what it’s worth, the F-150 Lightning becomes the first (and currently the only) full-size electric pickup available now with a starting price of less than $40,000.

There were apprehensions initially as to how people would respond to this complete transformation. But, the response has been phenomenal as Ford received 200,000 reservations for it already. You’d expect the Ford truck loyalists to be the ones holding the majority of the reservations. As it turns out, three-quarters of reservation holders do not currently own or lease a Ford vehicle. Whether you’re a Blue Oval fan or not, this is big news.

On a side note, Ford had to stop taking reservations for its first electric truck because the reservations it has already received are beyond its capacity at the moment. The main product page throws this disclaimer when you head to it; “Due to high demand, the current model year is no longer available for retail order. Contact your dealer for more information.”

Where Will The F-150 Lightning Be Produced?

The Ford F-150 Lightning will be built at the ultra-modern Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, located within Ford’s historic Rouge Complex. Even though the facility is almost brand-new, Ford is already expanding the center to ramp up production to an annual capacity of 150,000 in 2023. Ford has invested $950 million into the Rouge facility and created 750 jobs.

In total, Ford’s investment in Michigan for F-150 Lightning alone now totals more than $1 billion. The investment has gone into coming up with the latest technologies at the factory. The company mentioned that the Rouge facility is the first Ford plant without traditional in-floor conveyor lines and instead uses robotic Autonomous Guided Vehicles to move the F-150 Lightnings from workstation to station in the plant.

This level of financial commitment shows how much volume the F-150 brings in for Ford, and the automaker will hope the Lightning will continue the same way. The automaker even noted that only iPhone beats it in revenue among all American consumer products, according to a 2020 study. The electric motors and electric transaxles will be assembled at the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center, and the batteries will be assembled at the Rawsonville Components Plant.

Here’s What They Had To Say

“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.”

“America’s real transition to electric vehicles starts now,” said Ford President and CEO Jim Farley. “F-150 Lightning is just the beginning of our ambitions for growth and leadership in digital, electric vehicles. We continue to expand our EV manufacturing footprint across the U.S., including the start of site preparation at BlueOval City, which will enable us to meet the ever-increasing customer demand for our exciting EV line-up.”

What’s The Ford F-150 Lightning All About?

In a nutshell, here’s what the F-150 Lightning is all about:

- It will be offered in three main trims – XLT, Lariat, and Platinum

- There will be a worktruck as well called the Lightning Pro

- Full-width LED strip up front with LED headlights

- 18-inch wheels on the XLT, 20-inch on the Lariat, 22-inch on the Platinum as standard

- Suspension - Independent double-wishbone with coilover shocks at the front, and independent semi-trailing arms at the rear

- Available with two battery pack options - Standard-Range (SR) and Extended-Range (ER)

- Range – 300 miles on ER, 230 miles on SR

- Supports up to 150 kW DC fast-charging

- Towing capacity – 10,000 pounds (ER) and 7,700 pounds (SR)

- Payload capacity – 1,800 pounds (ER) and 2,000 pounds (SR)

- Dual-motor setup and a four-wheel-drive system standard on all trims

- 563 horses and 775 pound-feet of torque with ER battery pack

- 426 horses and 775 pound-feet of torque with SR battery pack

- 0-60 mph in mid-four seconds

- 12-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel

- 12-inch touchscreen on XLT, 15.5-inch on Lariat and Platinum

- Push Button Start, 360-degree Camera, Eight-speaker B&O sound system on the Lariat, 18-speaker B&O sound system on the Platinum, etc.

- Optional BlueCruise hands-free driving experience on more than 130,000 miles of highways across the U.S. and Canada

- Pro Power Onboard standard. The Pro and XLT trims come with a 2.4 kW Pro Power Onboard, whereas the Lariat and Platinum with a 9.6 kW capacity generator

- Prices: Pro - $39,974; XLT (SR) - $52,974; XLT (ER) - $72,474; Lariat (SR) - $67,474; Lariat (ER) - $77,474; Platinum - $90,874