Ford announced a new “Flash” 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’s supply of the electric truck.
Ford says it is targeting an EPA-estimated range for Flash of 320 miles, which would fit neatly in between the automaker’s 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.
Ford says it is targeting an EPA-estimated range for Flash of 320 miles
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’s battery. 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 as the auto industry begins to recognize their utility.
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.
Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer of Ford’s 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.
“We don’t actually have a vehicle at this price point that’s equipped in this way,” Gjaja said in a briefing with reporters Monday. “So 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.”
“We don’t actually have a vehicle at this price point that’s equipped in this way”
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.
The new trim aside, the flow of F-150 Lightnings to customers should improve this fall now that the company’s Rogue Electric Vehicle Center reopened in August. The factory was closed for six weeks to expand and retool the plant for increased production capacity.
The first hint that Flash was coming was when Electrek spotted 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’t be how it’s used.
The F-150 Lightning Flash won’t have the curb appeal of the new Platinum Black edition 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.
“We will not rest,” Gjaja said. “Our plan is to scale production and scale demand for our EVs with a focus on profitability.”
