Ford has restarted sales of its 2024 model year F-150 Lightning pickup trucks at reduced prices, after deliveries of the vehicle were halted in February due to an undisclosed quality control issue.
The standard range Lightning is back on sales at $62,995, a reduction a $2,000, while the newly introduced Flash trim and the Lariat extended range model are reduced by $5,000 and $2,500 respectively. The former is now priced at $67,995, and the latter at $76,995. The Platinum Extended Range trim remains unchanged at $84,995.
The price cuts come after Ford last week announced a renewed pickup truck "offensive", a strategy to push its ICE F-150 and Ranger vehicles to broader dealer distribution, at the expense of the electric Lightning.
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Ford is also offering a rebate incentive for customers who already own a Tesla, suggesting that Ford sees reducing upfront cost as key to converting conquest customers away from Elon Musk's market leading EVs.
US electric truck demand has been constrained for some time, which has led Ford to postpone an upcoming e-pickup — which CEO Jim Farley last year called "one of the most thrilling vehicles I have ever seen in my career" — until 2026. This upcoming electric truck, combined with Ford's desire to go after smaller market segments perhaps leaves the Lightning on the outside looking in.
Despite the signals coming from Ford management, the Lightning has enjoyed a solid start to 2024 in terms of deliveries. Ford has sold 7,743 Lightning units in 2024 to-date. an 80pc increase over Q1 of 2023
Ciaran has written about finance, politics and culture. He is passionate about e-mobility and what it means for our way of life.
Ciaran has a Masters in Ancient Philosophy from Oxford University.
