Ford's F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck has finally started shipping after nearly a year since its pre-orders opened in 2021.
On top of that, its full production is now in full swing at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center of the automaker.
The all-electric F-150 Lightning from Ford is displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California on November 18, 2021.
Ford's F150 Lightning Shipping Starts
As per a news story by The Verge, the shipments of its first-ever all-electric pickup mark its second release in the emerging world of EVs, following the 2022 Mustang Mach-E SUV.
The news outlet noted that the release of Ford's newest F-150 EV is an unforgettable feat for the American carmaker as it is the first-ever full-size electric pickup truck in the market.
Some might argue that Rivian's R1T is also an all-electric pickup truck. But the F-150 is on a different scale as it is in full-size form, which should compete with the upcoming EVs of Ram and Tesla.
On the other hand, the Rivian R1T electric pickup is more like a midsize truck, which The Verge says sits in the middle of the Toyota Tacoma and full-sized offerings.
To make the shipments of Ford's first electric pickup possible, the American automaker had to spend a whopping $950 million to build a factory, which produced more than 750 jobs, to double the production of the highly sought-after EV.
The Ford electric truck already garnered a staggering 200,000 pre-orders even before it started shipping out. So, the American firm still had to fill in these orders, which is likely to take until next year to finish.
Ford F-150 Lightning Production
According to a recent report by Electrek, Ford is already planning to ramp up the full production of the all-new F-150 Lightning to an impressive 150,000 output by the end of 2023.
The CEO and president of Ford, Jim Farley, himself dubbed the start of the production of its first electric pickup truck as a "Model T moment."
Ford Motor Company unveils their new electric F-150 Lightning outside of their headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan on May 19, 2021.
For those who are not familiar with the Ford Model T, you are missing out as it is one of the first mass-production vehicles launched way back in 1908, as per the website of Ford.
With that said, the production of The Model T is a historic moment not just for the American automaker but for the world of vehicles as well.
The Ford CEO also boldly claimed that "America's real transition to EVs starts now."
However, it is worth noting that EV tech giants like Tesla have already started shipping thousands of EVs to the market. But Ford's latest offering could likely further accelerate the shift to electric.
Related Article: Ford, PG&E to Use F-150 Lightning EV as 'Power Bank' During Disasters, Use Its Charge to Power Homes
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Written by Teejay Boris
