Ford F-150 Lightning production is slated to increase this fall and the company has announced they’ll be paying special attention to the XLT variant, which is aimed at retail consumers and begins at $64,474.
While the truck is in “high-demand,” Ford wants to reduce customer wait times so they’re allocating a significant portion of the production increase to build new XLT variants. As a result, people who order a new F-150 Lightning XLT today can expect delivery as early as September.
As you’re undoubtedly aware, the F-150 Lightning has been a huge success and this has resulted in long wait times as well as absurd markups. In fact, a quick search found multiple trucks being listed for $10-20k over sticker.
More: Ford Hikes F-150 Lightning Prices Again, Now Starts At Nearly $60,000
Markups and long waits are a sure-fire way to annoy customers, so Ford has been working to increase production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The company says they’re on track to triple F-150 Lightning production by the end of this year and this will give them an annual capacity of approximately 150,000 units.
Ford Model e Chief Customer Officer Marin Gjaja said, “Customer interest for XLT has considerably outstripped supply since the F-150 Lightning launch and we’ve worked with our suppliers to help address that. We heard loud and clear from our customers that they want their truck deliveries as close as possible to their orders. As we scale production, we are making this possible.”
The F-150 Lightning XLT has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that produces 462 hp (345 kW / 468 PS) and 775 lb-ft (1,050 Nm) of torque. The motors are powered by a 98 kWh battery pack, which gives the truck an EPA-estimated range of 240 miles (386 km).
Customers can also get the truck with a 131 kWh extended-range battery, which increases the range to 320 miles (515 km). The output also climbs to 580 hp (433 kW / 588 PS), but pricing jumps to $78,874.
