American legacy automaker Ford has officially started customer deliveries of its popular electric pickup, F-150 Lightning, in the European market.
Jubilee model
The first-ever F-150 Lightning in Europe went to a Norway-based couple, Dag and Angel, on Saturday.
This significant development marks the electric pickup’s official entry in Europe, starting with the Norwegian market as expected.
“Exciting to see our Ford customers in Norway begin receiving their F-150 Lightning deliveries. Congrats to Dag and Angela. Hope your new F-150 Lightning serves you well!”
Ford CEO Jim Farley
Ford cut the e-pickup’s production this year
The official commencement of the Ford F-150 Lightning’s delivery to European customers followed the company’s previous announcement to cut the model’s original production target to approximately 50% this year.
The move is expected to affect 1,400 workers, which will take effect on April 1. About 700 factory workers of the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center that produces the Ford F-150 Lightning will move to the Michigan Assembly Plant. Ford will deploy the remaining workers to the Rouge Complex in Dearborn or other Southeast Michigan Ford facilities. They can also choose to employ the Special Retirement Incentive Program under the UAW-Ford contract.
The move is apparently part of Ford’s plans to shift its focus to hybrid and gas-powered vehicles in the coming years.
“We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America’s best-selling EV pickup. We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla’s charging network beginning this quarter.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley
F-150 Lightning specs
For reference, presented below are the key specifications of the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning in the US:
Despite the setbacks, Ford still managed to defend its spot as the no. 2 electric vehicle brand in the US market in 2023 owing to the popularity of the Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. Its FY 2023 electric vehicle sales reached 72,608 units, up 17.9% year-on-year.
