Ford F-150 Lightning Gets 44,500+ Reservations In Under 48 Hours!

Ford CEO Jim Farley has announced (via Twitter of course) that Ford pulled in more than 44,500 reservations for the F-150 Lightning in fewer than 48 hours! I think that, by many standards, that’s a great achievement and an indication that the F-150 Lightning is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing — especially since people I talked to who I thought might have watched the reveal hadn’t even hear of it. I’ll list exactly what I think the F-150 Lightning is supposed to be doing after the embedded tweet.

While many Tesla fans see the Ford F-150 Lightning as a competitor to the Tesla Cybertruck, I think the core point is that it’s an ally more than a competitor. I think Elon Musk (see above) comes to the table with the same opinion. We need everyone to switch to electric transport — and much quicker than is happening. The Ford F-150 Lightning expands the EV-buyer universe by appealing to people who would not buy another electric vehicle. Here’s a brief list of what I think the Ford F-150 Lightning is supposed to do in 8 more specific points:

1. The Ford F-150 Lightning is attracting more traditional truck buyers who would never buy something that didn’t closely match the trucks they’ve owned in years past and probably didn’t even consider another electric vehicle before this.

2. The Ford F-150 Lightning is pulling hardcore Ford fans into the electric era (and not just ones who will buy the electric F-150, but also ones who see the F-150 Lightning, see Ford is seriously serious about EVs, and decide to buy a Mustang Mach-E or a future electric Ford vehicle).

3. The Ford F-150 Lightning is providing another option for people who want an electric truck but definitely don’t want a Tesla (because they have a grudge against Elon Musk, don’t trust buying a vehicle from a fairly young company, have consumed too much Tesla FUD, or for some other reason).

4. The Ford F-150 Lightning provides an attractive option for people who pay attention to and are influenced by traditional advertising, rather than this newfangled Internet-based doge-coin-crazy stuff (note: these people almost definitely do not read CleanTechnica).

5. The Ford F-150 Lightning pulls in buyers who really want vehicle-to-home technology.

(Some of our readers have also noted that the F-150 Lightning has been a big hit with farmers they know.)

6. The Ford F-150 Lightning provides an option for Tesla fans (yes, Tesla fans) who just don’t like the Cybertruck and wanted an electric pickup truck with a different design (whether for aesthetic or utilitarian reasons). Yes, there are many Tesla fans who LOVE the Cybertruck. But there are also many who don’t. (Side note: Twitter world ≠ the whole world.)

7. The Ford F-150 Lightning has pulled people into the electric market with that DAMN HAWT Mega Power Frunk.

8. The Ford F-150 Lightning pulled in people who loved Chris Farley, miss Chris Farley, and saw so many similarities between Jim Farley and his late cousin Chris Farley during the F-150 Lightning reveal that their heart strings were untangled, their minds were opened, and they woke up to the promise, potential, and immense benefits of a well designed electric vehicle.

RIP, Chris. Happy to see you doing great things, Jim.

https://youtu.be/Yjisj5T0VqE

Related Stories:

1. Talking With Ford’s Head Of Electric Vehicles About Ford F-150 Lightning & Team Edison
2. Ford F-150 Lightning — One Big Shocker!
3. The Ford F-150 Lightning Is One Of Tesla’s Biggest Achievements, & A Top Tesla Ally
4. The Ford F-150 Lightning Is A BIG Win — 3 Core Questions Remain
5. Ford Gilds EV Lily With Solar Power Hookup For New Lightning F-150 Pickup Truck
6. Ford Gives Us The F-150 Lightning Lowdown — A Video Series With Much More Information About The Vehicle