Look. I get it. Times are tough right now, especially if you’re in the business of making things. Materials and other costs associated with making cars make it a pricey endeavor. But increasing the price of your product three times in just four months might turn some people off. That’s what’s going on at Ford, as the automaker has on the F-150 Lightning yet again.
The price increases don’t affect all models. The base Pro and midlevel XLT are seeing the increases, while the already pricey Lariat and Platinum trims don’t see an increase. Including a $1,895 destination charge and an acquisition charge of $645 (a charge that Ford Credit charges customers; essentially it’s an account service fee), a base F-150 Lightning Pro now starts at $58,514. Remember, the Pro started at $39,974. But as pointed out, the pricing now is $5,000 more since the last price increase a few months ago.
The midlevel XLT now starts at $66,014 (including destination and acquisition fee). And that’s with the standard-range battery which will give you 240 miles on a charge. If you want the long-range battery with 320 miles, it’ll be $83,514. Yep, you’re getting charged $17,500 to get 80 more miles of range.
A rep from Ford told the increased costs are “due to rising material costs, market factors, and ongoing supply-chain constraints.” The pricing went into effect December 15. Ford says that pricing for commercials customers will be going up in Q2 of 2023. This makes me wonder how many price increases we could see in the coming year from automakers across the board.