In Issue 3 of Koktail Magazine, I wrote a piece on electric pickup trucks worth keeping in the back of your mind, and on that list was the electric Ford F-150 Lightning, which was the most accessible of all the next-gen EV pickups, in my opinion.

After closing the books for F-150 pre-orders due to overwhelming demand, Ford has resumed order-taking, though the base model of the electric pickup now costs US$7,000 more than the original US$40,000. On the higher end of the model range, hikes have been up to US$8,500, with the Platinum edition coming in just shy of US$100,000. Not alone in the price hike, the GMC Hummer EV, another electric pickup highlighted in the same piece I wrote for Koktail, recently saw an increase of US $6,250. 

The new price for the F-150, however, is offset by a few improvements to the truck. First, the EPA-estimated range for the base model has increased from 230 miles to 240 miles (370km to 386km). There’s also a new feature on the Tow Technology Package called the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which automatically steers the truck to make it easier to attach a trailer. Fleet buyers will also have the option of the Special Vehicle Service Package including things like police-grade cloth seats for the base Pro model. 

The increases have been expected with supply chains still strained and global inflation impacting raw materials. The timing has, however, left many netizens suspicious that Ford’s price bump was conveniently related to a bill passed by Congress increasing EV tax credits just two days prior (the tax credit equates to roughly the same as Ford’s increases), negating the function of such tax programs. 

Obviously, if you’re one of the lucky 120,000 people who have already managed to get an order in before the recent changes, you won’t have to worry about the new prices. Those with reservations have been sent private offers for deliberation.