Ford has stopped taking orders for an electric pickup truck
Ford Motor Company (F) has stopped accepting pre-orders for its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, but this may be a positive signal. The Ford electric pickup truck turned out to be very popular. On the first day, 20 thousand pre-orders. By the beginning of November, this number reached 160 thousand.
As a result, by the beginning of December, the company received pre-orders for 200 thousand cars and stopped further accepting orders due to reaching the limit of planned production capacity. Ford will launch the primary production of electric vehicles by 2025, and the first deliveries may begin in the summer of 2022.
Currently, Ford can produce no more than 80 thousand F-150 Lightning, but the company plans to increase production capacity rapidly. An essential part of the future development of Ford electric vehicles is the development of new solid-state batteries – cheaper and safer than modern lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes.
Ford plans to build several new production facilities, including a large complex in Tennessee, launched in 2025. As a result, Ford may become one of the largest manufacturers of electric vehicles globally. Ford has more than 10% in electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive INC (RIVN). Rivian has a unique electric pickup truck that can become a donor of ideas for Ford.
In addition, Ford may at any time sell part of Rivian’s shares from the entire portfolio with a total value of about $12 billion. Thus, Ford can get a significant increase in the capital of $ 30 billion, which the company intends to spend on the development of electric transport.
