On April 26, the new Ford pure electric pickup truck F-150 Lightning was officially put into production, becoming a memorable moment in the wave of electrification of the US automotive industry.
Ford motor is producing the fastest-accelerating F-150 to date, the F-150 Lightning, for customers across the United States.
The Ford All-Electric Pickup F-150 Lightning, officially commissioned at the Electric Vehicle Center at the prestigious Rouge pickup plant, is currently the only electric model that has been proven for reliability and capability to the Built Ford Tough standard. To date, the Ford F-Series pickup has won the nation's best-selling pickup for 45 consecutive years. According to a 2020 survey, in the U.S. consumer goods category, the F-series pickup trucks generated the second most combined revenue after the iPhone.
"Today, we are celebrating the official mass production of the 21st century 'Model T' at the Ringier Electric Vehicle Center," said Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Company. Since its introduction, the F-150 Lightning has been enthusiastically sought after by consumers, all thanks to the efforts of Ford engineers, designers, and the contributions of every employee at the factory. ”
The response to the F-150 Lightning has been unprecedented, with 200,000 units booked so far. Ford is expanding its Ringier Electric Vehicle Center to increase annual production by 150,000 units by 2023. Ford has invested $950 million in this regard and created 750 new local jobs. To date, Ford has invested more than $1 billion in the F-150 Lightning in Michigan and added a total of 1,700 new jobs to the state, including the Ford Van Electric Vehicle Powertrain Center, which assembles electric motors and drive axles, and the Rawsonville plant, where batteries are assembled.
"America's electrification transition is just beginning," said Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company, "and the F-150 Lightning demonstrates our ambition to grow our business in smart electric vehicles and ultimately become an industry leader." We will continue to expand the production of electric vehicles in the United States to meet the growing consumer demand for Ford electric vehicle products. In fact, we have already begun preparations for the construction of the Blue Oval City project. ”
According to the plan, Ford's annual production of electric vehicles will exceed 2 million by 2026, equivalent to one-third of global sales, and is expected to further increase to half of global sales by 2030.
With an extended battery pack, the F-150 Lightning accelerates at around 4.5 seconds at 0-96 km/h. At the same time, the advantages of nearly 10kW of external power output and vehicle OTA technology that keep vehicles in the best condition at all times have attracted more and more new customers to choose to buy Ford. Three-quarters of the order holders are non-Ford owners, and the F-150 Lightning has become the first pickup truck or the first electric vehicle in many customers' lives.
The essence of century-old car manufacturing empowers the new F-150 Lightning
In September 2020, Ford announced the construction of a Jung Electric Vehicle Center on the premises of its prestigious Jung plant, enabling large-scale production of the new plant with more than 118 years of experience and expertise in automobile manufacturing.
It is worth mentioning that the Ringier Electric Vehicle Center uses an innovative manufacturing process - this is Ford's first factory in the world without the use of traditional ground conveyor equipment, instead using a fully automated guided vehicle to transport F-150 Lightning parts.
These fully automated guided vehicles improve the operational efficiency of the factory to a certain extent, including capacity improvement, optimization of quality inspection efficiency, and meeting the needs of product customization. The work of the fully guided vehicle can be quickly adjusted without being limited by the traditional production lines for the installation of earth chains, moving mats, conveyors and overhead cranes. The plant also uses collaborative robots that work side by side with workers without the need for any safety cages. These cobots can better help workers with ergonomically challenging tasks while keeping them safe.
The Ford Ringier Electric Vehicle Center sorts and recycles the waste generated during the production process, thus achieving "zero waste landfill". The new plant was remodeled and expanded from the historic Dearborn assembly plant to recycle used materials from the original plant.
In addition, Ford has made a solemn commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050 and to generate 100% of its electricity from local renewable energy sources at all of Its global manufacturing facilities by 2035.
Ford's smartest and most innovative Ford F-150 ever
The Ford F-150, which has been named the favorite model of American customers for 36 consecutive years, is being electrified in waves.
For the first time, this full-size pickup hides a spacious "front load compartment" space in the engine compartment with a volume of up to 400 litres. The exclusive Mega Power Frunk design allows the front load compartment to not only lock, but also to open and close electrically, which further enhances the user experience while achieving a large space. As a washable, waterproof space with drains, the front load compartment can also be used as an "on-board refrigerator" and provides a light source for use in dark environments. At the same time, it can also power the device with an output power of 2.4kW. Coupled with the nearly 1.7-meter-long rear bucket space and the power supply available in the cockpit, the vehicle is equipped with a total of 11 power outlets, and the external output power supply power is as high as 9.6kW, which meets the power demand of multiple scenarios.
Meanwhile, with the help of a professional home integration system, the F-150 Lightning can provide whole-house power for up to three days in the event of a grid outage, and once the grid is restored, the pickup truck will automatically switch to charging mode. At the same time, it can also charge other electric vehicles without worrying about electricity pressure.
"The introduction of the Ford F-150 Lightning will change the stereotype of electric vehicles," said Linda Zhang, principal engineer of ford F-150 Lightning. The hassle-free experience it brings will amaze customers. ”
With an extended battery pack, the F-150 Lightning 0-96 km/h accelerated at around 4.5 seconds, making it the fastest F-150 in history. The F-150 Lightning delivers an amazing ride with the highest peak torque of 1050 Nm in F-150 history, and powerful instantaneous torque output with a powerful towing capability.
In addition, as the latest feature of Ford's Co-Pilot 360 Smart Driving Assistance System, BlueCruise Active Driving Assistance allows F-150 Lightning owners to achieve true "hands-free" quasi-autonomous driving on specific highway sections that have exceeded 200,000 kilometers in the U.S. and Canada (Note: local traffic regulations allow). At the same time, with the support of Ford Power-Ups vehicle OTA technology, the vehicle experience will continue to iterate, optimize the performance of the F-150 Lightning and add new features, and keep it commonly used and always new.
As an electric vehicle, the F-150 Lightning has a range of about 320 miles under EPA standards. Owners can charge their vehicles through the largest network of public charging facilities in North America.
The home charging device is provided by North American partner Sunrun. Thanks to the industry's first dual-car charging system, the F-150 Lightning with an expanded battery pack can be fully charged overnight with an 80-amp home charger. Customers also have the option of installing a solar system to power their homes with clean, sustainable energy and charge the F-150 Lightning.