Ford CEO Jim Farley noted that the company is scrambling to double their soon-to-launch F-150 Lightning production. As per the CEO, Ford’s current capacity is about half of the demand for the new vehicle.
According to Ford, the company already is nearing 200,000 retail reservations for the pickup. The retail reservations required a $100 fully-refundable deposit. Farley did not provide how many corporate orders they had.
The issue is the vehicle itself and the batteries that power the truck. To help, Ford created a dedicated team to find a way to double capacity in both vehicle and battery production.
Farley did not detail if they are looking to source batteries outside of their current agreements or make battery cells in-house.
However, the Ford F-150 Lightning is not the only in-demand EV on the Ford roster. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is also in high demand. In fact, the demand is roughly twice the current production rate. On the Mach-E side, Ford is expanding their capacity and is hoping to produce 600,000 units in the next 24 months.
There is no new timeline or set production goal for the F-150 Lightning yet. However, a successful and sustainable launch of the F-150 is vital for the Detroit-based automaker.
Ford F-150 Lightning pre-production begins as reservations climb to 150,000
Source: CNBC
