Native conversion to right-hand drive may very well be the way in which the Ford F-150 Lightning electrical pick-up truck makes it on-sale in Australia.
The Lightning’s Aussie prospects have been boosted by the institution of a brand new meeting line in Melbourne that has began changing left-hand drive petrol F-150s imported from the USA to right-hand drive on the market by Ford sellers from November.
The Ford-backed program is a worldwide first and is being run and primarily funded by the Thai automobile modifier RMA.
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Ford Australia president Andrew Birkic has beforehand admitted curiosity within the Lightning however went a step additional by confriming an investigation was underway into the native sale of the twin motor all-wheel drive Lightning after a media tour of the power final week.
“Have we’ve had some preliminaries? Sure. Are we’re intrigued by it due to what it affords? Sure.”
However Birkic additionally performed down the extent of the investigation into Lightning.
“I feel we’ve to do extra work on it. Is there a market? Sure; are their consumer circumstances? Sure, no doubt I’m certain there may be. What we all know is in Australia we’re going to see a larger degree of [EV] adoption.”
Birkic mentioned additional investigation into Lightning for Australia “will come within the fullness time”.
![2023 Ford F-150 Lightning.](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/F-150-Lightning_Lariat_off-road_04-1024x592.jpg)
“We simply have to show that we will do the remanufacturing [to right hand drive], we will do it with a lens on high quality, our clients like it and within the subject in six months [after launch] that what we all know the standard is nice.”
The Lightning is just not prime precedence for the brand new Melbourne facility, which is at the moment ramping up manufacturing of 4 completely different variations of the F-150.
It’s already beginning to put together for the mannequin yr 2024 F-150 replace which has already been revealed within the USA.
The heavy obligation F-250 and F-350 diesel pick-ups are additionally on the possible to-do checklist with different variants of the F-150 such because the Raptor high-performance off-roader of curiosity. One other potential native conversion is the Ranger-based Bronco SUV.
Separate to all this Ford Australia has commenced a plan to roll out 5 electrified autos by the top of 2024. The E-Transit electrical van is already on-sale, the Mustang Mach-E electrical crossover is quickly to launch, the E-Transit Customized and the Puma EV will arrive in 2024. A plug-in hybrid Ranger ute has additionally been confirmed for 2025.
![2023 Ford F-150 Lightning.](https://evcentral.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Rouge-Electric-Vehicle-Center_04_-Darrlye-Steele-1024x768.jpg)
Lightning was among the many first electrical full-size pick-ups to go on-sale within the USA. The Chevrolet Silverado EV is launching now, whereas the Tesla Cybertruck also needs to begin deliveries this yr. The RAM 1500 REV is scheduled for 2024.
Preliminary Lightning manufacturing fell approach behind demand however that has began to stability out extra lately as Ford builds up meeting line capability to 150,000 items each year.
That’s excellent news for Ford Australia, because it must supply built-up Lightnings from the River Rouge Plant in Michigan and ship them to Australia for native conversion.
One other full-size Ford pick-up based mostly on an easier new EV-specific platform and constructed on the new Blue Oval Metropolis plant in Tennessee is scheduled for 2025, additional increasing manufacturing and availability. The Lightning may very well be discontinued as quickly as 2026, US authority Automotive Information suggests.
“One of many key components of the formulation is … are you able to get provide?” Birkic mentioned. “They’re [Lightning production] absolutely spoken for and they’re constructing that enormous facility. As soon as all these items fall into place then there could also be alternatives.”