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Ford announced a new \u201cFlash\u201d trim of the model year 2024 F-150 Lighting, with a bigger screen, longer range, and a heat pump to help improve battery conditioning on those colder days. The company said it is also expecting to make more F-150 Lightning deliveries to customers later this year after a factory shutdown restricted Ford\u2019s supply of the electric truck. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ford says it is targeting an EPA-estimated range for Flash of 320 miles, which would fit neatly in between the automaker\u2019s Standard Range and Long Range models. The F-150 Lightning Standard Range typically gets less than 300 miles of EPA-estimated range, while Extended Range variants can travel as far as 350 miles on a single charge. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ford says it is targeting an EPA-estimated range for Flash of 320 miles<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
A heat pump will also be included with Flash, a nod to customers who have complained that cold weather tends to sap the F-150 Lightning\u2019s battery<\/a>. Heat pumps can keep batteries at a more optimal temperature during the winter months, which helps with charging times, range, and performance. More and more EVs are coming with standard heat pumps<\/a> as the auto industry begins to recognize their utility. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The new tech in Flash includes a 15.5-inch touchscreen as standard, which is currently only found in the Lariat and Platinum trims. Price-wise, the F-150 Lightning Flash will sit above the XLT in the model lineup, with a $69,995 price tag and an expected delivery sometime next year. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer of Ford\u2019s EV-focused model e division, said the goal was to put some of the features in the more expensive models that customers like the most in a more affordable profile. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t actually have a vehicle at this price point that\u2019s equipped in this way,\u201d Gjaja said in a briefing with reporters Monday. \u201cSo if you look at the way that Flash is equipped, it has some of the features that a Lariat has, and has some of the features that an XLT has, and not surprisingly, it lands at a price between the two of them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t actually have a vehicle at this price point that\u2019s equipped in this way\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Affordability is a crucial subject for Ford, especially as it relates to the F-150 Lightning. Recent price hikes have caused some customers with pre-orders to cancel their reservations<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The new trim aside, the flow of F-150 Lightnings to customers should improve this fall now that the company\u2019s Rogue Electric Vehicle Center reopened in August. The factory was closed for six weeks<\/a> to expand and retool the plant for increased production capacity. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The first hint that Flash was coming was when Electrek<\/em> spotted<\/a> a trademark filing for the name earlier this year. At the time, it was assumed the name was applied to a performance version of the truck, coming on the heels of a partnership between Ford and Red Bull Powertrains on next-gen hybrid power units. But now we know that won\u2019t be how it\u2019s used. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The F-150 Lightning Flash won\u2019t have the curb appeal of the new Platinum Black edition<\/a> of the electric truck, with its factory-applied matte black exterior and limited production run. But the introduction of a new trim is a sure-fire sign that Ford is ramping up its hopes for the Lightning to help boost sales and slow the EV cash burn. The company has said it will lose $4.5 billion on its EV business in 2023. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n