The wait is over! The vehicle that experts and pundits promised would steer the American masses toward electric vehicles
, the Ford F-150 Lightning
, is on its way to buyers. A lot is riding on Ford’s ability to shift the pickup truck-loving community toward going electric with this truck. As the bestselling vehicle in the US for the last 40 years, electrifying the F-150 has the potential to appeal to a crowd not usually associated with going green.
But releasing the electric pickup to the public is just the beginning of a long road to bringing the majority of Americans on board and into EVs. Ford and its competitors have a lot more to do before electric vehicles become the norm. Jerry
the car ownership super app
explains. The Ford F-150 Lightning is ripe with opportunity
Ford’s new electric truck is not the first battery powered pickup on the market. The legacy brand’s new partner, Rivian
, beat everyone to the punch in the autumn of 2021 when it successfully delivered its first R1Ts to customers. But the Ford truck’s size opens up new possibilities for the powertrain that have yet to be tapped. While the Rivian was clearly designed to tackle rough terrain, its structure doesn’t lend itself to construction sites very well, an environment the F-150 is more than familiar with.
That makes the Lightning the first EV ready for commercial, industrial, and private use, a lead Ford plans to take full advantage of.
Ford is up against the same constraints as other EV builders
Ford has 200,000 orders of F-150 Lightnings to fulfill. That’s a number the company is likely sweating about, what with all the obstacles the auto industry is facing right now, the electric car segment especially.
The chip shortage
affects all models and powertrains, but the price of lithium, graphite, and cobalt puts a lot more pressure on EVs than other types of cars. Ford’s pre-existing suppliers might put it in a better position than newcomers like Lordstown and Rivian, but they won’t guarantee that the blue oval will have the materials it needs to produce all the pickup trucks it’s promised.
The brand’s dwindling supply of EV tax credits
could also put a damper on buyers’ excitement. The Verge
says CEO Jim Farley is lobbying for more incentives from Biden, but so far, the well remains shallow. Owning a Ford F-150: gas vs. electric
The list of pros and cons between conventional and electric vehicles is a long one. From starting prices to car insurance
rates, initial costs are always more for an EV. But with gas prices where they are right now, the point at which electric vehicle ownership catches up with internal combustion engines is getting closer and closer. And with a little help from Jerry, the difference between coverage can become less of a barrier, too.
Jerry
is a personal insurance broker that lives in your pocket. But don’t worry about buying tiny office furniture: Jerry is an app. Once you download Jerry, just answer a handful of questions that will take you roughly 45 seconds to complete, and you’ll immediately get car insurance quotes for coverage similar to your current plan.
Jerry customers save an average of over $800 a year on car insurance payments!
MORE: Tech Boost: Ford Will Use Software Updates to Increase Range on the F-150 Lightning
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