Livestreams of the unveiling of Ford’s F-150 Lightning just completed a few minutes ago, and although there was not a wealth of new or groundbreaking information about the truck itselfFord CEO Jim Farley dropped a rather small nugget of gold during his speech: There’s probably an EV Ranger on the way.
“We’re already pushing dirt down in Blue Oval City, Tennessee for another electric pickup truck that’s different from this one,” Farley said.
That means another EV Ford truck is already on the way.
According to a Ford spokesman, the new EV “will be a next-generation electric truck, different from the F-150 Lightning.” Although we can not confirm whether the new EV will be based on Ranger or Maverick, the smart money is on Ranger.
It all has to do with the wording of the spokesman. They claimed it was a “next-gen” truck. Maverick is still a new platform and will not have an update or platform change for a while. In return, the Ranger stands for a complete overhaul in the near future. If they already have plans for another EV truck, it will mean that it will come sooner rather than later, just like the next generation Ranger.
As more information about the new Ford EV pickup comes out, we will of course bring it to you. Odds are that it will be something of a seller, considering Ford really just can not make enough cars right now.
Farley also teased an “extended lineup that you have not seen yet.” So I would not count an EV Maverick out yet.
Electric cars are like the name of the game for FoMoCo’s future. By the end of next year, Farley says the company will produce about 600,000 electric vehicles a year. That number will rise to over 2,000,000 in just four years.
“We plan to challenge Tesla and everyone who’s going to be the leading electric car maker in the world. It’s something no one would have believed from us just two years ago,” Farley said. “Take a look at this truck and believe it . “
As for right now, Farley says the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, where the lightning is being made, can build up to 150,000 trucks a year. The plant had been expanded twice in preparation for a full production ramp up by the EV pickup. The country where the Rouge plant is located has been home to Ford production for over 100 years – all the way back to the Model A.
Another thing we learned during the livestream is that Farley is not afraid to dig into Tesla despite its EV name recognition. He made two comments about the company – including one that was a question of when Lynet’s competitors would actually be produced. * cough * * cough * Cybertruck * cough *.
Sorry there was something down my throat.