Ford reopens F-150 Lightning orders as production (and prices) ramp up

Today we’ve learned that Ford Motor Company has reopened its order books to the next wave of F-150 Lightning reservation holders. The news comes as the American automaker returns to full production of the all-electric truck this week at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan. That being said, those reservation holders will see higher MSRPs across multiple trims. Here’s the latest.

Ford Motor Company continues to bolster its EV production infrastructure to try and keep up with the tremendous demand for its F-150 Lightning pickup, which still remains sold out for for many prospective buyers.

Patient Lightning reservation holders who were due for delivery have had to wait a bit longer this year after Ford discovered a potential battery issue in mid-February that necessitated a “stop shipment” on all orders and a halt to production in Dearborn, Michigan.

Ford quickly identified the problem, and as it worked to amend the issue, it was simultaneously announcing plans to triple Lightning production and double Mach-E production this year. Speaking of the Mach-E, it officially launched in Australia today, reaching a global total of being sold in 39 different markets.

Back to the Lightning. By early March, Ford announced that F-150 Lightning production would resume as early at March 13 and new orders would then follow. Today, a spokesperson for Ford has confirmed that Lightning orders are once again open and production returned to full steam this week.

Ford F-150 Lightning production is back, orders reopen

According to a spokesperson for Ford who spoke with Electrek today, the next wave of reservation holders will be able to lock in their F-150 Lightning orders today. When that does happen, however, customers may encounter an all-electric truck priced higher than it was when they made in their initial reservation.

The automaker is increasing the MSRP of the Lariat Standard Range pickup from $74,474 to $75,974. Additionally, the previous MSRP of $96,874 for the Platinum trim will jump to $98,074. Ford states the price increases for Lightning orders are “in response to current material costs, market factors, and supply chain constraints.”

This news is merely the latest price hike for the F-150 Lightning, as Ford tries to transition into an all-electric company, bolster EV production, and navigate a finicky supply chain environment. In August of 2022, Ford increased the price of all the models by $6,000-$8,000. In October, Ford increased the base price of the F-150 Lightning to up to $52,000. Then in December, Ford added another $5k to the Lightning MSRP.

We’ve recently learned that these price increases will also affect commercial orders as well. The MSRP of the F-150 Lightning Pro is being increased from $55,974 to $59,974. That 2023 model year remains sold out for retail customers.

Looking ahead, Ford is aiming to reach an annual output rate of 150,000 EVs at its Rouge facility by this fall. The spokesperson for Ford shared that the automaker intends to open retail orders of the F-150 Lightning for the first time in late spring.