Ford Stops Accepting Reservations for F-150 Lightning Due to High Demand

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

The Ford F-150 Lightning is one of the more exciting electric pickup trucks in the pipeline. Consumers are patiently waiting for Ford to begin production of the vehicle and for deliveries to start. But Ford recently took another step to getting closer to bringing the F-150 Lightning to market by closing its reservation books. 

Ford's Received A Lot Of Interest

Speaking with Automotive News, Ford CEO Jim Farley stated that Ford was "approaching 200,000" reservations for the electric pickup truck. That's a large number of reservations, as Ford just started to accept reservations for the vehicle earlier this May. Shoppers were able to reserve a model by putting down a refundable $100 deposit for the vehicle. 

While this is a good sign for reservation holders – it means that Ford's getting ready to start turning reservations into orders and begin building the vehicle – it's bad news for shoppers that are waiting to purchase a model after it officially goes on sale, because it means long wait times. Ford hasn't stated how many F-150 Lightning models it plans to build in the first year of production, but said that it will double production for the vehicle's second model year to 80,000 units annually in 2024. Auto News claims that it believes production of the F-150 Lightning could hit 80,000 units as early as January 2023. 

According to the outlet, Ford will be implementing a "waved invitation approach" to ensure that reservation holders get their orders, and eventually their pickup trucks, as quickly as possible. The staggered approach will see the turn reservations into orders starting in January. Ford didn't provide any information on how many waves it would have or how many orders would be made in every wave. 

Ford Faces Serious Competition

Ford expects to convert more than 80 percent of Lightning reservations into official orders for the vehicle. The first pickup trucks are expected to start shipping in spring 2022, so consumers that were one of the first to put in a reservation for the model should receive it within the next six months if all goes well. 

Pricing for the F-150 Lightning starts at roughly $40,000 and can double depending on configuration. The base pickup is a fleet vehicle with roughly 230 miles of range. Higher trim levels come with roughly the same features as the Mustang Mach-E and have a range that's in the neighborhood of 300 miles. Depending on the configuration, the F-150 Lightning can tow between 7,700 and 10,000 pounds. 

When the F-150 Lightning arrives next spring, it will compete with the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV Pickup. Compared to its main rival, Chevrolet, the F-150 Lightning will be on the market for an entire year before the Silverado EV arrives. 

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods