The F-150 Lightning has made waves since its introduction. As one of the first electric vans from a major manufacturer, the Blue Oval is on demand. And some of that demand seems to be coming from some unconventional places. At least in terms of who usually buys a full-size truck.
Who is the F-150 Lightning for?
As electric, the F-150 Lightning is carving out a place for itself. It’s more expensive than the gasoline-powered F-150, but it still looks and feels like a traditional pickup. Placed next to the regular 2023 Ford F-150, it doesn’t look very radical in terms of design.
Over 60% of people who get this truck are under 50 years of age. The majority are either Millennials or Generation X.
Another difference is that 70% of buyers have a bachelor’s degree. When it comes to trucks with an internal combustion engine, that figure is 42%.
Ford Lightning owners use their truck beds more
Now, research by The Drive shows that a lot of truck owners don’t do the truck stuff. And Blue Oval provides some additional numbers, showing that about 50% of F-150 owners tow something in the bed of their pickup once a month.
That number jumps to 74% for the Ford F-150 Lightning. Lightning owners are said to use their truck bed at least once a week at higher rates than gasoline-powered pickups.
So, despite it being an electric truck, its owners aren’t shy about doing truck things. That might have something to do with younger people being more energetic, even if you wouldn’t expect an early adopter of electric cars to be the type who does the truck stuff on a regular basis.
Will Ford increase production of the F-150 Lightning?
Like I said before, Blue Oval is struggling to keep up with the demand for its electric truck. Accordingly, the new production target is 150,000 units by the end of 2023. This means a tripling of production by the end of the year. Hopefully, that means more people can take delivery of this EV.
The other thing worth noting is that its price has been steadily rising. It’s not uncommon for automakers to increase the MSRP on certain models, but the 2023 Lightning certainly isn’t as cheap as it used to be.
For now, the F-150 Lightning remains more expensive than its gasoline counterpart. And it certainly isn’t easy to show up at an agency and get one. But that has been the case for many vehicles since supply chain disruptions are already starting to show.
There might be some light at the end of the tunnel if Ford can triple production of this electric truck.
