Ford has delivered the first of its electric utes, the F150 Lightning, to a customer in what will be a landmark moment in the transition to electric vehicles.
Tesla has led the way in the US and around the world in delivering EVs at mass scale, but the significance of the first F15 Lightning delivery is the fact that it comes from a legacy car maker, and that it is a ute, or pickup (as they say in the US).
The lucky first recipient was a Michigan resident named Nick, who posted his experience on a F-150 Lightning enthusiasts forum, where he fielded questions from others who either have them on order, or are just curious.
Nick says he made his reservation in May last year, confirmed the order in January this year, and the car was delivered on May 26 by his local dealership.
“I am going camping in the next week or two. I will report back actual range,” he says on the forum in response to a question, many of which were focused on the spacious “frunk”. The F-150 Lightning also features vehicle to load technology.
Nick says he has solar on the roof, batteries in the basement, but is still waiting for the “pro-charger”. He has a mobile plug to “trickle charge” when he gets round to using it.
He says works for a firm specialising in distributed energy.
“It’s been a pretty crazy and happy afternoon! I love these moments where my work at Blueprint Power and personal life collide,” he says.
“I get really excited about what this truck represents and how excited everyone is about it. From my farming family to the random group of internet strangers/friends here.
“Just such a nifty moment to be part of.”
Ford began production of the F-150 in April in what it described as a “Model T moment”. It is expected to produce around 40,000 F150 Lightnings this year, and reportedly has taken more than 200,000 orders.
Ford says it is bringing the fossil fuel version of the F-150 to Australia, but no word yet on whether it will bring the Lightning to these shores.
See also:Â Electric utes are on the way, but how soon?
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of The Driven, and also edits and founded the Renew Economy and One Step Off The Grid web sites. He has been a journalist for nearly 40 years, is a former business and deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review, and owns a Tesla Model 3.