Ford Raises Lightning Price and Restarts Orders

• The Ford F-150 Lightning is readying for new orders with increased prices.

• The base-model electric Ford truck now starts at $48,769, which is a $7000 jump from the previous year.

• Ford’s battery-electric Lightning pickup has sold 4400 examples since Ford started taking orders in May.

The popularity of Ford’s F-150 Lightning is a sign that battery-electric vehicles are gaining steam with mass-market automakers. Unfortunately for some, the Lightning might have gained too much steam; Ford wasn’t able to keep up with early demand, and that lead to Ford shutting down new orders in April.

Now the automaker says it’s reopening the Ford F-150 Lightning order lines this week, and the new truck will have slightly more range. This is mostly good news, but there’s a catch: The electric truck comes with a price adjustment.

The new base price when orders reopen will be $48,769. That means the most affordable Pro model sees a $7000 jump from the former $41,769 base price. The Pro isn’t the only model that gets a price increase, as all the models see revised pricing. The XLT now starts at $61,269, and the range-topping Platinum Extended Range starts at $98,669 before any options are thrown it's way.

The upcoming Ford F-150 Lightning will also boast 240 miles on a charge on base trims, which is a 10-mile range increase over the previous base battery. Ford is also adding its Pro Trailer Hitch Assist tech to the Lightning under the tow technology package. This helps folks back their Lightning up to a trailer with the pickup controlling throttle, steering, and braking.

The price increases make sense considering the demand, but it might be a hard pill for some prospective Lightning buyers to swallow. According to Ford, the Lightning has sold 4400 examples since it started taking orders this May. It’ll be interesting to see how the revised pricing affects the sales numbers—if at all.

Do you think the updated pricing will hurt the F-150 Lightning? Or is it just trying to match demand? Let us know your thoughts below.