If you’ve had your eye on Ford’s first-ever electric pickup, now’s your chance. According to a post on the Lightningowners.com forum, Ford reportedly sent dealers an email, alerting them that F-150 Lightning order banks will open to the masses on May 9. Up until now, only reservations holders could order a Lightning but soon the order books should be open to all who want one.
When Ford first announced the F-150 Lightning back in May 2021, it snagged more than 200,000 reservations from excited potential customers. Since deliveries began, Ford sold almost 16,000 F-150 Lightning pickups—which is including a brief delay in February, due to a battery issue—so there are still plenty of reservation holders left. However, not having a reservation won’t stop you from ordering a Lightning, either online or from a dealer.
If you’re worried about more production delays, or not being able to snag an allocation, you should be in the clear. Ford said in a press release last month that it plans to triple its EV production and build 150,000 F-150 Lightning trucks by the end of 2023.
However, if you want to place your order, you will be slightly limited to trim. According to the dealer memo, only the XLT, Lariat, and Platinum models will be available to order on May 9. The entry-level F-150 Lightning Pro is said to be sold out for the 2023 model year.
There is some more good news for potential F-150 Lightning buyers, though. Any Lightning order under $80,000 is eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act. On top of that, many states offer additional tax credits, which vary depending on state.
However, price updates will be announced on May 9, which may affect the tax credit eligibility of certain models. The F-150 Lightning Platinum is already excluded from the federal tax credit, as it starts at $99,969. At the current pricing, the F-150 Lightning Lariat just squeaks under the tax credit’s price threshold, starting at $77,869. We’ll have to until May 9 to find out if the Lariat will continue its eligibility but, even if it does, customers will need to keep their options list tight.
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