Ford hikes costs on its F-150 Lightning as manufacturing resumes after EV battery hearth

Ford F-150 Lightning vans manufactured on the Rouge Electrical Car Middle in Dearborn Michigan.

Courtesy: Ford Motor Co.

Ford Motor stated that it has resumed complete manufacturing of its electrical F-150 Lightning pickup following a February battery hearth — and that it is as soon as once more elevating costs on the preferred truck.

Ford stated the standard-range Lightning Professional, a lower-cost model of the truck optimized for fleet use, will now get started at just below $60,000, no longer together with transport. That is more or less 50% upper than the Lightning Professional’s unique beginning worth at release ultimate spring. Ford famous that the 2023 Lightning Professional is bought out for retail consumers; order banks for fleet consumers will reopen in April, the corporate stated.

Ford additionally raised the cost of the mid-level Lariat trim with standard-range battery from about $74,500 to only underneath $76,000. The beginning worth for a Lightning within the top-line Platinum trim additionally larger, from about $96,900 to only over $98,000.

Information of the cost will increase and the resumption of Lightning manufacturing was once first reported through Automobile Information.

Ford has raised Lightning costs a number of instances because it first introduced the truck’s pricing in 2021. The usual-range Professional model was once at the beginning set to begin at just below $40,000, however fast-rising prices of crucial uncooked fabrics similar to lithium, cobalt and nickel — and all of a sudden prime call for for the electrical pickup — led Ford to extend costs a number of instances in 2022.

Ford halted manufacturing and shipments of the Lightning in February after a just-built truck looking forward to a top quality test stuck hearth in a Ford conserving lot. The corporate therefore known a possible battery cellular defect and recalled 18 Lightnings that can have had the similar factor.

No different fires have been reported, and Ford stated on the time that it was once blind to any injuries or accidents associated with the defect.

Shipments of the Lightning may also resume this week, a Ford spokesperson informed CNBC.