Why Ford Is Done Selling The 2023 F-150 Lightning
The Ford F-150 has been America's best-selling vehicle for a long time, and the F-150 Lightning brought the market share of the F-150 platform to the electric pickup truck space. In 2022, Ford sold 15,617 units of the F-150 Lightning, which still put it a little behind the Rivian R1T, which ended up being top dog in terms of electric trucks in 2022, according to Barron's.
It's clear that the all-electric pickup is gaining popularity, and it's no wonder why. The F-150 Lightning is jam-packed with features and has plenty of performance — thanks to a pair of electric motors that produce up to 580 horsepower, 775 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 time of under four seconds. That's impressive for such a large vehicle.
Range on the F-150 Lightning is impressive, too — and it would have to be, considering it's at least partially trying to win over a pretty practicality-obsessed crowd. Ford claims an EPA range of 240 miles for the standard-range battery, which can be extended to 320 miles with the extended-range battery. Unfortunately, it's going to be a little more difficult to get hold of a 2023 model year Ford F-150 Lightning.
Ford stops taking orders of the 2023 Lightning due to high demand
A notice on the Ford F-150 Lightning product page reads: "Due to high demand, the current model year is no longer available for retail order. Contact your dealer for more information." This indicates that, although you can still configure a Lightning on Ford's website, you can no longer place an order for one.
Shortages are something we've all become accustomed to over the last few years, and while industries are slowly recovering, there are still limits to what is possible within a supply chain. Compounding the recent supply chain issues, the F-150 Lightning is a relatively new addition to Ford's lineup. Being all-electric, production capacity may be more limited than its internal combustion siblings.
The success of the Lightning seems to be one of its greatest burdens, and Ford doesn't seem to be able to keep up with the demand, despite previously stating that it aims to produce 150,000 units per year by 2023. The increasing demand for Ford's electric pickup is a good sign for the future of electric vehicles. Although, a high demand is almost certainly going to have some impact on second-hand pricing, especially if the vehicle is already in short supply so early on in the year.