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Yeah, I've seen the same on a couple of Facebook groups I follow. It's disappointing, but entirely logical, as you mention in your article.
I don't think "marketing stunt" is fair, though. Pro trucks are being made and sold, but that's almost certainly done at a loss at this stage of the game. Just like Tesla's Model 3 was initially advertised with a $35K starting price, those models didn't get produced for the first year because of how unprofitable they were. But as battery manufacturing scaled and cost came down, the value proposition looked better and they could sell the standard-range car in large numbers without going bankrupt. I was one who had to wait over a year for that Standard-Range trim, and I was glad I did. It was the best car I've ever owned.
I support whatever they need to do to scale production of the lightning as fast as possible. And if that means paying for scale with dollars from mostly high-end trims at first, I can wait. 'cuz $80K is a bit rich for this guy. I've been Truck-poor in the past, and it's no fun.
Yeah, I've seen the same on a couple of Facebook groups I follow. It's disappointing, but entirely logical, as you mention in your article.
I don't think "marketing stunt" is fair, though. Pro trucks are being made and sold, but that's almost certainly done at a loss at this stage of the game. Just like Tesla's Model 3 was initially advertised with a $35K starting price, those models didn't get produced for the first year because of how unprofitable they were. But as battery manufacturing scaled and cost came down, the value proposition looked better and they could sell the standard-range car in large numbers without going bankrupt. I was one who had to wait over a year for that Standard-Range trim, and I was glad I did. It was the best car I've ever owned.
I support whatever they need to do to scale production of the lightning as fast as possible. And if that means paying for scale with dollars from mostly high-end trims at first, I can wait. 'cuz $80K is a bit rich for this guy. I've been Truck-poor in the past, and it's no fun.
I was dead set on getting an XLT with extended range battery for an added $10k which would put it right at $63k until I read you can't get the extended battery without buying a whole bunch of other options in a trim level I didn't care to spend another $20k on bringing the cost to over $83k..... for an XLT I'd sooner buy a Raptor for less.
I requested and received a refund of my deposit for other reasons mainly and placed a preorder for a Rivian @ $70k with longer range and more amenities albeit a smaller truck. Unless Ford changes it's BS method of trying to squeeze $$ out of people for something they don't want, my current truck will be my last Ford purchase ever!
I was dead set on getting an XLT with extended range battery for an added $10k which would put it right at $63k until I read you can't get the extended battery without buying a whole bunch of other options in a trim level I didn't care to spend another $20k on bringing the cost to over $83k..... for an XLT I'd sooner buy a Raptor for less.
I requested and received a refund of my deposit for other reasons mainly and placed a preorder for a Rivian @ $70k with longer range and more amenities albeit a smaller truck. Unless Ford changes it's BS method of trying to squeeze $$ out of people for something they don't want, my current truck will be my last Ford purchase ever!
It’s actually not quite that bad. It’s $10K for the option pack and another $10K for the battery, which makes it $74K. Could I? Probably. Should I? Nope.
I’m switching gears…when my number comes up, I’ll probably order the best value which is the base-model Pro with the large “generator” and towing options. That’ll put me in the low-40’s, which is a heckuva value for the price. And in the meantime, I’ll hope they revise their option packages to allow a big battery in lower trims. I’ve lived with a 240-mile range in my Tesla, and I could do the same in the Ford. And Tesla is far more optimistic on their range ratings than Ford, so I expect the Lightning will do a bit better.
It’s actually not quite that bad. It’s $10K for the option pack and another $10K for the battery, which makes it $74K. Could I? Probably. Should I? Nope.
I’m switching gears…when my number comes up, I’ll probably order the best value which is the base-model Pro with the large “generator” and towing options. That’ll put me in the low-40’s, which is a heckuva value for the price. And in the meantime, I’ll hope they revise their option packages to allow a big battery in lower trims. I’ve lived with a 240-mile range in my Tesla, and I could do the same in the Ford. And Tesla is far more optimistic on their range ratings than Ford, so I expect the Lightning will do a bit better.
This is the cheapest big-battery model:
They must have heard everyone screaming about the added 10k. Hmm. This changes my thought process damnit! LOL well ok so it's one or the other now. Or do I wait it out for the Pro? Tough choices but at least there are choices now.
They must have heard everyone screaming about the added 10k. Hmm. This changes my thought process damnit! LOL well ok so it's one or the other now. Or do I wait it out for the Pro? Tough choices but at least there are choices now.
I wish they reacted to customer sentiment that fast. But nope, this is the same pricing that was released when the Build and Price tool went live. I was assuming $10K for the XLT plus $10K for the battery to get a long-range truck for $63K. But the 302A package means it’s $74K which is significantly over what I planned. I never intended to pay for the higher option package, and nobody knew it was mandatory for the Long Range battery until the pricing was released.
I feel RL's fury and, funny enough, Tom, that's exactly what I want to order too... which will now be for 2023. Rapid Red Pro, 9kwh, tow package, and 360 camera for $46K. Honestly, I think it's the best performance truck bargain available today, which is why it's so frustrating that it's 'sold out'.
I'm fortunate that the limited availability works well for my plans. I'm halfway through law school after a physical disability ended my military career earlier than planned. I have another ~18 months left and am happy with my current car for the meantime. What kills me is how much I really got to enjoy EV ownership with my Tesla. It just wasn't versatile enough for me, and my Subaru is scratching that itch better than I expected. I'm also payment-free for the first time in my life, which I'm in no hurry to end.
So if my dealer were to call tomorrow to place an order for that elusive Pro, I'd be excited to get started. But waiting another year or two suits me just fine. And hopefully, a cheaper long-range option shows up between now and then.
If one can wait, it would be wise to wait on the second version of the EV F150.
Do you mean second year or second generation? Regardless, generally good advice in the car-buying world. FordTechMakeULoco on YouTube recently released a video about how 2017 3.5L EcoBoost engines tend to leak a lot because it was the first year of a major redesign.
Wait until the second year of the new full EV F150 but just like the new Lightning, many will jump on the first year.
I wonder if Ford will drop the Lightning name when the new full EV F150 hits the market or will the Lightning name be reserved for the highest performing full EV F150.
Perhaps down the road, the Lightning name will take the place of the Raptor.
Wait until the second year of the new full EV F150 but just like the new Lightning, many will jump on the first year.
I wonder if Ford will drop the Lightning name when the new full EV F150 hits the market or will the Lightning name be reserved for the highest performing full EV F150.
Perhaps down the road, the Lightning name will take the place of the Raptor.
Are they planning an EV F150 on its own platform? I hadn't heard that, and I don't think it would make much sense if the Lightning is all it's cracked up to be. The Silverado looks great, but probably doesn't do enough better to justify the added costs of a separate platform. And I think the ICE-powered trucks will be made for decades because of certain specific use cases that battery-electric models can't fill. Think long-distance towing...that's going to be an extremely tough problem to crack.
Lots of other nations are planning on banning ICEs in the coming decades, but no such ban has even been floated in the U.S. And our pickup market is generally a North American thing; global markets that are planning on banning EVs don't have full-size trucks, massive RVs, or the culture of long-distance towing that we do.
I'd love for the Silverado to prove me wrong about the benefits of the dedicated platform, but pickups are very different from cars. It's not possible for a competitive electric car/CUV to share a platform with an ICE variant. But body-on-frame applications make it a lot easier.
Are they planning an EV F150 on its own platform? I hadn't heard that, and I don't think it would make much sense if the Lightning is all it's cracked up to be. The Silverado looks great, but probably doesn't do enough better to justify the added costs of a separate platform. And I think the ICE-powered trucks will be made for decades because of certain specific use cases that battery-electric models can't fill. Think long-distance towing...that's going to be an extremely tough problem to crack.
Lots of other nations are planning on banning ICEs in the coming decades, but no such ban has even been floated in the U.S. And our pickup market is generally a North American thing; global markets that are planning on banning EVs don't have full-size trucks, massive RVs, or the culture of long-distance towing that we do.
I'd love for the Silverado to prove me wrong about the benefits of the dedicated platform, but pickups are very different from cars. It's not possible for a competitive electric car/CUV to share a platform with an ICE variant. But body-on-frame applications make it a lot easier.
About a month ago when Ford was talking about their new battery factory, I read about this online as well and they mentioned that the “new” full EV F150, which more than likely will be the next generation F150, will be built in the same area as the battery factory.
This is the F150 that I was referring to in my previous post.
The Chevy is a good looking vehicle and I’m really looking forward to to Fords answer.
I have to admit, the more I read about EV’s the more interested I get.
One thing for sure is that the automotive power train landscape is going to look very different in the next 4-5 years.
I have to admit, the more I read about EV’s the more interested I get.
One thing for sure is that the automotive power train landscape is going to look very different in the next 4-5 years.
Yes it will. And it’s going to be great.
I’m in the vast minority of people who owned an EV and went back to gas. At the time, affordable EVs with any capability didn’t exist, and they’re still not completely there yet. But that’s changing in the immediate future, and I’m looking forward to not giving a crap(again) about gas prices, oil changes, or any of that nonsense. And the driving experience is addictive. 🏎
I'd sooner buy a Raptor for less.
