- The Ford F-150 Lightning might be adopted by a brand new electrical pickup truck that may begin manufacturing in 2025.
- Codenamed Venture T3, Ford says the second-generation truck will and profit from simplified manufacturing.
- The follow-up to the Lightning might be constructed at Ford’s big Blue Oval Metropolis manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
Ford CEO Jim Farley mentioned the corporate’s subsequent electrical pickup truck goes to be “just like the Millennium Falcon”—no matter which means.
Farley’s feedback include at present’s announcement that Ford plans to follow-up the F-150 Lightning with a brand new EV truck that may go into manufacturing in 2025. Whereas particulars in regards to the second technology are scarce, we’re advised it’s codenamed Venture T3 (as in Belief the Truck).
Moreover bettering on the present Lightning’s driving vary and towing capabilities, Ford says the next-gen truck might be “totally updatable” and “continually bettering.” Some of these options are anticipated to be made attainable by a brand new electrical platform and the expanded availability of over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Ford’s second electrical pickup truck might be constructed at its Blue Oval Metropolis manufacturing facility, a $5.6 billion, 3600-acre campus exterior Memphis, Tennessee. The brand new state-of-the-art campus additionally features a battery plant as a part of a partnership with vitality firm SK Innovation. Not solely are the advantages of all of this mentioned to incorporate easier, extra environment friendly, and less expensive manufacturing processes, however they’re claimed to permit Ford to construct as much as 500,000 EV vans per yr at peak manufacturing.
Right this moment’s announcement in regards to the F-150 Lighting follow-up come on the heels of Ford forecasting a lack of $3 billion on EV gross sales in 2023. The elevated losses are partly because of the firm’s huge investments in its services in Kentucky and Tennessee together with the cash its spending on alternate battery chemistries. In fact, Ford understands that is a part of the method of increasing its EV division, and it’ll proceed to ramp up manufacturing of the Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E.
Earlier this month, Ford mentioned it hopes to construct 150,000 Lightnings yearly by the top of this yr. That might triple the truck’s manufacturing. The Mach-E may even be in-built greater volumes, with the corporate in January saying manufacturing will improve practically 67 %, from 78,000 items final yr to 130k in 2023.
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Eric Stafford’s car habit started earlier than he may stroll, and it has fueled his ardour to jot down information, evaluations, and extra for Automotive and Driver since 2016. His aspiration rising up was to develop into a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like automotive assortment. Apparently, getting wealthy is more durable than social-media influencers make it appear, so he averted monetary success fully to develop into an automotive journalist and drive new vehicles for a residing. After incomes a level at Central Michigan College and dealing at a day by day newspaper, the years of mainly burning cash on failed challenge vehicles and lemon-flavored jalopies lastly paid off when Automotive and Driver employed him. His storage at the moment features a 2010 Acura RDX, a handbook ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.