Lightning Pro available to order by general public! {ordering closed 8/16/23}

[astricklin]

The pro for that price is a great value for TONS of real truck users......

The problem is convincing those "real" truck users to go electric.

The dealers near me don't even stock base xl ice trucks for retail. They order all of them with the stx package because people want the power, cloth seats over the manual vinyl ones.

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[KevinC]

The way pricing is now, I'm guessing a lot of people are willing to pay the $5k for the features added to the pro. Originally it was $13k difference and not worth the upgrade, in my opinion.

Also to get adaptive cruise you have to go to XLT. I foresee a lot of people who want an EV want at least that level of driver assist.

That's the boat I am in. I keep eyeing that adaptive cruise control. I've gotten addicted to it on other vehicles and it would feel like a step backwards to not have it. It's like the backup camera, i had to backup a truck without one last month and I froze for a second because I couldn't remember how to do it...Mirrors... remember it has mirrors and look over shoulder.

 

[astricklin]

That's the boat I am in. I keep eyeing that adaptive cruise control. I've gotten addicted to it on other vehicles and it would feel like a step backwards to not have it. It's like the backup camera, i had to backup a truck without one last month and I froze for a second because I couldn't remember how to do it...Mirrors... remember it has mirrors and look over shoulder.

I never understood why trucks have so little tech equipment and cost so much more than other vehicles.

 

[cdherman]

The problem is convincing those "real" truck users to go electric.

The dealers near me don't even stock base xl ice trucks for retail. They order all of them with the stx package because people want the power, cloth seats over the manual vinyl ones.

I didn't think even the Pro had vinyl seats.... Where I am from, in a work truck, a good vinyl (Ie something synthetic) is what you want. You ever sit on cloth or leather with grease on your pants?

I get it .. work trucks are ordered by companies that plan ahead, understand their true needs etc. Dealers need fancy trucks on the lot for the boys that make decisions a little less careful......

 

[Shady]

The way pricing is now, I'm guessing a lot of people are willing to pay the $5k for the features added to the pro. Originally it was $13k difference and not worth the upgrade, in my opinion.

Also to get adaptive cruise you have to go to XLT. I foresee a lot of people who want an EV want at least that level of driver assist.

or you can buy the parts and install it on your pro for not very much . As long as they still include the wires. Most with tow package and tech had the wires at least the first 2023 did. And if not you can wire it yourself. There is a thread on it.

 

[astricklin]

or you can buy the parts and install it on your pro for not very much . As long as they still include the wires. Most with tow package and tech had the wires at least the first 2023 did. And if not you can wire it yourself. There is a thread on it.

Ya but 1% of people are going to even be willing to do that.

Plus things start to add up. If you want adaptive cruise, I think it's at least $500 in parts (I think closer to $1000), then you have to take off the steering wheel. That means removing the airbag too and you have to be very careful when doing that.
Then if you want power seats, you've either got to order brand new seats (not cheap) or go to a junk yard (not new).
Then you've got to add on paying for forscan and crossing your fingers that you don't fuck anything up.
I've got the knowledge, skills, and tools to do so but I'm very apprehensive about pulling apart most of the front end of a brand new vehicle.

For me it go to be where for the amount of things I would want to add, $5k to have that all done already seems not unreasonable.

 

[GDN]

I've got no real insight, but predict that it will only be another month or so and they will open this up even once again. Now they are ramped to over 2000/wk if they don't have some really big fleet customers lined up they'll have to make the Pro available again - that is where the demand seems to be.

 

[3rdgenfan]

Ya but 1% of people are going to even be willing to do that.

Plus things start to add up. If you want adaptive cruise, I think it's at least $500 in parts (I think closer to $1000), then you have to take off the steering wheel. That means removing the airbag too and you have to be very careful when doing that.
Then if you want power seats, you've either got to order brand new seats (not cheap) or go to a junk yard (not new).
Then you've got to add on paying for forscan and crossing your fingers that you don't fuck anything up.
I've got the knowledge, skills, and tools to do so but I'm very apprehensive about pulling apart most of the front end of a brand new vehicle.

For me it go to be where for the amount of things I would want to add, $5k to have that all done already seems not unreasonable.

The package that comes with ACC on the XLT is an additional $5k on top of the $5k difference from the PRO.

The parts for ACC and Lane Centering were $550 shipped and you only needed to pop the airbag off if you wanted to install the buttons, otherwise everything works as normal. So with the $12 that FORScan cost, I am in it for $562. I was also apprehensive about ripping the front off my my wildly overpriced brand new truck, but its just nuts and bolts. If you can build a LEGO set, you can install ACC.

 

[Bills R Electric]

I could see them doing a few incentives in the future to get things moving. However I do feel the Pro is very competitively priced at 50k. An ice XL crew cab with 4x4, the 3.5 hybrid and nothing else is 49k msrp. The pro is way better equipped than that.

I have an ER Lariat, but am tempted to order a Pro too, the only hold back is the SR battery just wouldn't work so well for my driving habits.

 

[RickLightning]

My take is that in this availability / pricing experience we went through:

- A large number of the 200,000 reservation holders didn't order, and went away.
- Many went to order, and then saw the much higher prices, and went away.
- Some portion bought, and had no understanding of EVs, range, etc. and quickly switched back.
- Non-fleet PRO orders today have to evaluate, as some are mentioning, the loss of features that they might want, which pushes them to XLTs or Lariats.

 

[chl]

I could see them doing a few incentives in the future to get things moving. However I do feel the Pro is very competitively priced at 50k. An ice XL crew cab with 4x4, the 3.5 hybrid and nothing else is 49k msrp. The pro is way better equipped than that.

Nothing yet...but the Chevy Silverado WT is now in production (since June?) for fleet buyers, retail availability coming this Fall, then there will be competition with Ford for the retail customer:

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2023/06/2024-chevy-silverado-ev-work-truck-production-is-under-way/

 

[chl]

My take is that in this availability / pricing experience we went through:

- A large number of the 200,000 reservation holders didn't order, and went away.
- Many went to order, and then saw the much higher prices, and went away.
- Some portion bought, and had no understanding of EVs, range, etc. and quickly switched back.
- Non-fleet PRO orders today have to evaluate, as some are mentioning, the loss of features that they might want, which pushes them to XLTs or Lariats.

The estimates were 80% plus reservations were either canceled or not used to buy, mostly in response to the 40% price hikes - I was one who cancelled.

My dealer reached out to me this week and said I could now order a Pro, but supply might be limited (where have I heard that sales pitch before?) and I'd need to order by no later than the `16th of August, thereby using FOMO tactics, originating with Ford, not him in particular. He has been as frustrated with Ford as the rest of us.

I passed because I think the next model year will be a better vehicle with fewer glitches, at least I hope so, and because the Chevy Silverado WT will be available to retail customers this Fall, representing some head-to-head competition for the Pro.

That will (should) benefit us consumers with lower prices and incentives.

A few months ago, when there were massive cancellations of reservations, many here said that Ford would never lower their Lightning prices - they were wrong.

The trend in EV battery costs should go back to the steep downward price trend it had pre-COVID shutdown, and that should also benefit those who can wait to buy.

And it sounds like Ford is getting the idea that an EV pickup doesn't have to be an air-blocking box and could be streamlined and made lighter with modern composite materials - and if they follow through with implementing their words, future PU's will be much more efficient and therefore have better range per kWh of battery.

As the fever pitch of excitement over the Lightning dies down, and competiton kicks in, more rational fairer negotiations with Ford dealers should be available, which I look forward to.

 

[BEVolution]

With a possible auto union strike, these might end up being 2024 models.

 

[bmwhitetx]

No extension this time. Again the Pro is no longer available (I was a reservation holder so was getting the Pro offer before the general public like many of you):

 

[TexasEdition]

We put an order in for a Pro on 8/9/23 after the price drop and the order book opened to the general public.

No need to buy the bigger battery since we will be using the truck for our landscaping business. We have already converted all of our other tools to battery. This purchase will electrify our biggest tool.

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