It’s one of the biggest questions hovering over the automotive industry. It affects thousands of jobs. It could alter the demand for oil, changing international politics. It could impact the speed of climate change. It even has the attention of the President of the United States.
Will Americans buy electric pickup trucks?
Early returns say: yes.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Ford has accepted more than 100,000 reservations for its upcoming F-150 Lightning battery-powered pickup.
The Ford F-150 has been America’s best-selling vehicle for more than four decades. Thousands of companies purchase fleets of them for their hard-working hauling abilities. Hundreds of thousands of families purchase them every year and use them for everything from trips to school to hauling weekend camping gear.
The F-150 Lightning is an all-electric version of that truck. It features a price tag starting below $40,000 and up to 300 miles of range.
But there has been some question as to whether Ford fans would accept an electric vehicle (EV) in truck form. Some drivers are understandably nervous about the need to recharge a truck after 300 miles or less. And, while electric trucks are an obvious solution for many fleets whose trucks drive predictable daily routes, they’re a tougher sell to those who need a truck for heavy hauling and towing work.
Ford sells upwards of 700,000 F-Series trucks every year. So the 100,000 reservations don’t mean the Lightning will displace gas- and diesel-powered F-150s anytime soon. But they could represent a significant chunk of F-150 sales next year.
