Here's Why It's So Hard To Get an F-150 Lightning

Complex Problem

The Ford F-150 Lightning launched last year to tremendous demand that far exceeded The Blue Oval's expectations, with over 200,000 reservations placed right off the bat. With supply chain issues continuing to plague automotive production in general, Ford has struggled to catch up with demand for the F-150 Lightning, but as one might imagine, this particular matter is far more complex than that.

Photos: Ford

Major Expansion

For starters, Ford simply underestimated how many people would line up to purchase an F-150 Lightning when it launched, prompting it to close order books for the EV pickup sooner rather than later. Now, faced with a massive backlog of orders, the automaker is embarking on an effort to ramp up production, not only at the existing Rouge Electric Vehicle Center but also by building a brand new factory right next to it.

Photos: Ford

Exceeding Expectations

Some may point fingers and say that Ford should have been better prepared for this demand, but the truth is, the automaker (and its competition) is entering uncharted waters here - the F-150 Lightning is the first mass-produced EV pickup on the market, following the pricier and more limited Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV - which means that no one really knew what to expect.

Photos: Ford

Time Consuming Process

In the short term, Ford is working to expand F-150 Lightning production to 150,000 units annually, but still expects that filling all of its existing orders will take some time. "It will take most of this year and some of next year just to convert the reservations – and I trust we haven't had it open for a year and a half," Darren Palmer, FoMoCo's EV lead, said in a recent interview with Business Insider.

Photos: Ford

Supply and Demand

Aside from this slanted supply-demand curve, the supply chain is also wreaking havoc on Lightning production, as well as forcing Ford to raise prices - which it did in a big way for the 2023 model year. While most of the initial crisis centered around chips, the automaker has had a hard time acquiring all sorts of parts lately, even Blue Oval badges, most famously.

Photos: Ford

Catalyst for Change

On the bright side, Palmer sees big things in the future thanks to the fact that the Lightning has thus far exceeded everyone's expectations, in more ways than one. In fact, he believes that it's the catalyst for a massive EV transition that's coming in the very near future.

Photos: Ford

Mind Blowing Future?

"The things we're going to bring in the next three years are just mind-blowing. They're doing things that vehicles never did before," Palmer said, giving us a bit of an enticing preview of what's to come.

Photos: Ford

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