Ford F-150 Lightning prices

The biggest price decrease is on the pickup’s mid-level Flash trim, now priced $5,500 lower at $67,995. That was followed by $2,500 off Lariat models, now priced at $74,995, as well as a $2,000 reduction for XLT models, with a new price of $62,995.

Prices on the $54,995 entry-level Pro model and an $84,995 top-end Platinum model were unchanged.

Automotive industry price cuts

The cost reductions are the latest electric vehicle price changes for the broader automotive industry amid slower-than-expected consumer adoption. Ford’s cuts come three months after it adjusted Lightning prices, including increasing some model prices.

Ford on price cuts

“It’s part of the normal response to both where the market place is, our supply and where our inventory sits … which we do all the time,” Ford Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra told reporters on the sidelines of an event at its F-150 plant in Dearborn, Michigan. “New technology like electric vehicles takes some time to find the right sweet spot and the balance.”

Galhotra declined to comment on the nature of the problems that caused the stop-shipment as well as on why gas and diesel versions of the F-150 were held for months after production started. He broadly said engineers constantly write software onto modules for the vehicles, which are all connected with modems, to detect any anomalies and determine defects.

“There were some several small issues,” Galhotra said. “Once we find the solution to them, we fix them and then we ship. … We try to find every single thing that we can.”

As per Ford, it referred to what it called an “unprecedented truck offensive,” saying it assembled 144,000 F-150 full-size and Ranger midsize pickups during the first quarter of the year that are making their way to dealers and customers. Roughly 92% of the pickups built were F-150 pickups.

Having a large number of vehicles is not a good thing for an automaker. It means more costs on their books and delayed deliveries to dealers and customers.

Incentives for dealers

Automotive News on April 4 reported that Ford has revived a controversial practice of goal-based incentives for dealers called stair-step programs to increase sales for the vehicles. Since February, the automaker, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the program, has been offering retailers escalating cash bonuses if they reach and exceed monthly F-150 sales targets, Automotive News reported.

Ford quality checks

Ford last year also delayed shipments of its larger Super Duty pickups, which are siblings to the F-150, for months to do additional quality checks and inspections following issues with recent launches that led to recalls and high warranty costs.

“We’re going to prioritize quality, always. These are very complex vehicles with complex launches. We want to take the time to make sure everything is good, everything is perfect,” Galhotra said. “And when we’re satisfied with the level of quality, then and only then we’ll start shipping to our customers.”

Ford has said its warranty costs contribute to a cost disadvantage of $7 billion to $8 billion annually compared to its traditional competitors.

Shares of Rivian (RIVN), which produces the comparably-priced R1T pickup, are down 6.5% and circling an all-time low.

The post Ford to Resume Shipment of F-150 Lightning with Price Reduction appeared first on Industry Leaders Magazine.