Ford has taken more than 44,500 bookings for Pickup Lightning F-150, although while production will not start up to 2022 car makers have taken steps to ensure the EV truck supply. The All-Electric version of the F-150 was opened for bookings earlier this week, with prospective owners risking the place according to a $ 100 deposit that could be returned.
In the first 12 hours, Ford was later confirmed, he had seen more than 20,000 orders for EV. Now, in less than 48 hours, the total passed 44,500 bookings, Ford CEO Jim Farley was confirmed.
Obviously, there is a big difference between the actual-confirmed reservation and order, and still have to be seen how much of the placeholder that really continues to buy lightning 2022 F-150. Ford Ran the same reservation scheme for Mustang Mach-e, all electric crossover, although it hasn’t said how much conversion he saw too. It’s a similar practice with the rest of the automotive industry, mind, with companies like Tesla and others usually don’t discuss how many reservation holders are truly committed in the end.
One outlier is a new Ford Bronco. The anticipated truck – which will be brought back to the final dealer this year – opened for bookings with a similar system last year, after it was first announced. According to Ford Mike Levine, the product communication manager for the North American region, the conversion of bronco orders has been around 66 percent of the 190,000+ reservation in front of the actual book opening book.
The part of the F-150 lightning appeal is a low initial price, with the commercial version of the electric truck starting around $ 40,000 before the subsidy and incentives of EV. Part of the reason for Ford can achieve it, the executive in the car maker said, is a standardization of many key parts with other electric vehicles. By taking what catalog approaches, rather than designing special components for each model, can rely on the economy scale to keep the overall cost down.
However, no one passes through the number of items such as the battery cell needed, especially considering Ford’s ambition to finally offer an electrical version of all the vehicles. While the battery package is usually a single most expensive component in EV, they can also be the biggest obstacle.
To help avoid it, Ford has signed an agreement with SK Innovation on battery production. Bluovalsk will, according to the memorandum of two companies, joint ventures to build battery cells and arrays in the US for Ford and Lincoln vehicles in the future. From mid-decade, Ford said, it expects Blueovalsk to produce around 60 gigawatt hours (GWH) in traction battery cells and array modules every year.
It still makes space to expand further production, Ford added, and it might be a good thing. The car maker predicts it will require up to 240 GWh every year for its vehicles throughout the world, with North America just taking into account 140 gWh from it.
SK innovation has been tapped to provide batteries for F-150 lightning, although it will be the next cells and arrays that focus on Blueovalsk. Ford has worked on the development of the technology, and last month announced it would open a special R & D facility – Ford Ion – to develop and test new batteries. Car makers also joined BMW in investing in the strength of the solid-state battery exchange this month, with the mind to use the company’s technology to build the next generation battery on the existing Li-ion production line.
Appetite for a partial battery because Ford not only sees it as a tool for propulsion. Lightning F-150, for example, can multiply as an emergency reserve battery all over the house and, in time, will act as a power reserve to help manage demand for solar and peak networks.