Cars and Drivers

Ford's Poor F-150 Lightning Sales

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: March 5, 2023 10:52 am

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 10:58 am

The Ford F-150 Lightning is supposed to be its EV flagship. It is the electric version of its F-150 pickup, the best-selling vehicle in America for over four decades. That should give the Lightning a built-in advantage. However, Ford has only sold 3,600 in the first two months of 2023. It is a sign of how far Ford has to go as it tries to get Lightning sales into the tens of thousands per month.

It is not clear why the Lightning is doing so poorly. Production has been shut down for weeks because of battery problems. The price of the Lightning has jumped, which happened suddenly and without warning. The least expensive Lightning, known as the “Pro” has a base price of $55,974. With a modest number of options, the price rises to over $65,000, which is hardly a level that most pickup drivers are likely to pay.

Ford has had enough time to get the Lightning out of its plants. It was launched on April 22 of last year. Executive Chairman Bill Ford, the company’s de facto CEO, said it was Ford’s 21st-Century moment. Henry Ford, who launched the Model T in 1908, must be spinning in his grave.

Ford credited several people and organizations that have already failed at their jobs. Bill Ford said, “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.” UAW chief Ray Curry may want to call Bill Ford and ask what happened.

Ford has had chance after chance for the Lightning’s early days to be a success. It has missed all of them and now has to repair its image as a company that can keep its promises at all.

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