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DETROIT – At a time when skeptics wonder about the demand for all-electric vehicles, automakers including Ford Motor Company, continue to see steady orders even as prices rise.
Ford reopened its retail order banks Thursday for those who already hold reservations to buy the F-150 Lightning pickup truck – as three work shifts and full production return to the center in Dearborn, Michigan, where a battery fire occurred last month.
The automaker shut down assembly of the high-profile truck for five weeks after the battery fire in the center’s holding lot. Now things are back to normal.
Trucks are shipping to customers, and Ford has adjusted its MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) upward in response to current material costs, market factors and supply chain constraints, Ford spokesman Martin Gunsberg confirmed to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Thursday.
The latest prices for new orders of the 2023 Lightning:
- Lariat Standard Range grows from $74,474 to $75,974
- Platinum grows from $96,874 to $98,074
Earlier:Ford recalls 18 electric F-150 Lightning trucks for battery defects, following February fire
More car recalls:57,000 Jeep Wranglers recalled over ‘unnecessary’ part that could cause fuel leak, fire
Lightning Pro sold out ‘early on’
Ahead of the commercial order banks opening in mid-April, Ford has tweaked the price of its F-150 Lightning Pro from $55,974 to $59,974. At this point, the designated allocation of 2023 F-150 Lightning Pro trucks for non-commercial customers is sold out. That Lightning Pro order bank will not reopen for the 2023 model year.
“We sold out of Pro early on,” Gunsberg said.
The Pro is widely viewed as the rugged entry-level electric truck whereas the pricier trim models offer higher-end interior and exterior finishes that include a lightbar that goes across the front trunk, luxurious leather seats, a larger display screen on the dashboard and a glass roof.
Ford customers wanting the popular pickup currently must have a reservation and wait until the company invites them to place an order. The new process starting in coming weeks will allow shoppers without a reservation to order a Lightning directly for the first time, Gunsberg said.
“As we ramp up production toward a 150,000 annual run rate by the fall, we will start to open retail ordering for the first time in late spring,” Gunsberg said.
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Meanwhile, Ford met a price cut on its Mustang Mach-E to meet a Tesla Model Y price reduction in February, and while Tesla has since increased the price on its SUV, Ford has remained firm.
Follow reporter Phoebe Wall Howard on Twitter @phoebesaid.
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