Ford is more than aware of the need to build as many electricLightnings as it can, as fast as it can, at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The good news is the automaker has come up with ways to increase annual production to 150,000 full-size trucks a year, almost doubling the 80,000 it previously promised and hopefully heading off at least some dealer markups on the hotly anticipated pickup.

Also this week, Ford started building the final stage of pre-production Lightnings, both retail Lightnings and the 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro for commercial customers. The final pre-build pickups will be tested in real-world customer conditions to evaluate whether any final tweaks are needed before mass production of the trucks begins for delivery to buyers this spring.

Converting Reservations Into Orders Starts Thursday

As a result, on Thursday the first wave of reservation holders—those who plopped down a refundable $100 deposit—will be able to convert their intentions to actual orders. That is a day after General Motors unveils the Chevrolet Silverado EV at CES.

Additional Lightning reservation holders will be invited in phases to place their orders over the next few months. Reservation holders will be sent an email inviting them to place their order, or they can log into their Ford.com account to see when they are eligible to take the next step. Not all will get a 2022 model, so those further down the list will have an opportunity to get a 2023 model when their turn comes.

The Lightning starts at $41,669 and will be the quickest F-150 in the family, while still capable of towing up to 10,000 pounds. It has a range of about 300 miles on a single charge and a cool frunk (front trunk) for additional trunk storage where the (nonexistent) engine would normally go.

Last month Ford stopped taking reservations from retail customers when the list approached 200,000 intendees. Three out of four reservation holders are new to the Ford brand.

How Can Ford Build More F-150 Lightnings?

A task force with representatives from manufacturing, purchasing, strategy, product development, and capacity planning worked together to find ways to make more vehicles per hour. Enough solutions were found to achieve a 150,000-unit annual run rate that will be implemented by the middle of the year. That is a significant hike from the 80,000 Lightnings a year Ford said it would be able to build in 2023, its first full year of production.

Ford is also working with its key suppliers and its own feeder plants such as the Rawsonville Components Plant and Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center to get more parts to the assembly plant, including battery cells and electric drive systems.