Ford Lightning electric pick-up could follow regular F-150 line-up

Ford Australia has opened the door to the F-150 Lightning electric pick-up being sold in Australia.

However, it is contingent on the regular Ford F-150 being a success locally – before the company is prepared to commit to niche models such as the Lightning electric pick-up and F-150 Raptor performance ute.

In an interview during the media preview for the Ranger Raptor, the boss of Ford Australia, Andrew Birkic, told Drive: “They say ‘never say never’ and we’re always open to what Ford is producing globally.

“Our job is to have a (focus) on that, keep an eye on other opportunities. But the main priority right now is to get Job One right. We need to go through our engineering process and get these vehicles out to customers before we even consider anything else.

“What we are undertaking here (with the local right-hand-drive conversion program of the Ford F-150) is a significant remanufacturing job. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

“That said, we’re seeing what’s happening in North America, and the investment in Lightning and other electrified Ford vehicles. Let’s see what happens with supply.”

When asked if Ford Australia believed local customers would embrace a Lightning or F-150 Raptor, Mr Birkic said: “What we are focused on right now is getting F-150 here and into Australian showrooms.

“Hopefully, over time, the dialogue will really open up. Obviously electrification is a major investment for Ford Motor Company globally.”