Ford's epic Lightning bait-and-switch is complete (the official "I'm out" thread).

[FordMaster]

Are people really upset that the Pro model isn’t available to the general public, a model which Ford clearly stated you had to have a fleet account with 10-15 vehicles to order any Pro model?

Or did the price change more than I am aware of. Pretty sure on day 1 of lightning announcements said that the high end models would be 90k+.

If regular consumers being told they can’t purchase something for the base price because they aren’t fleet is bait and switch, then ok. Lol.

Am I totally missing something here folks?

I don't think it had anything to do with not being able to get a Pro model. It had to do with the astronomical price of the packages on other models. $20k for the ER??? C'mon are there really stupid ppl out there gonna pay that kind of money for 70 more miles over the SR? I'm not one of them and I know I'm not alone! I ordered a 2022 XLT 302a high for $20k less than the XLT ER that I built and priced. Without knowing if the EV rebates will ever come to light, it just wasn't worth it to me.

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[Pilot2022]

Are people really upset that the Pro model isn’t available to the general public, a model which Ford clearly stated you had to have a fleet account with 10-15 vehicles to order any Pro model?

Or did the price change more than I am aware of. Pretty sure on day 1 of lightning announcements said that the high end models would be 90k+.

If regular consumers being told they can’t purchase something for the base price because they aren’t fleet is bait and switch, then ok. Lol.

Am I totally missing something here folks?

Where did you come up with that? Ford said Pro will be available to general public and people have been placing orders this week…

 

[LightningShow]

Yes, they only said that Pro ER wouldn't be available to retail customers.

 

[Mike G]

I'm with you. Lariat+ for me. I just wish the moonroof wasn't forced on me, but the wife will be happy with it.

Absolutely! My thoughts exactly. I did order the Lariat+ as well but after having a twin panel moonroof on my '18 Raptor I'm not looking forward to the headaches it causes (with no benefit as far as I'm concerned, since I don't *ever* use it).

Mike

 

[Mike G]

Yeah, I am starting to agree with you. Not only that but the Lariat does not come with Body colored door handles or mirrors, unless it's a mistake on the site? At this point maybe the Pro is the best options even with the SR battery. Ford truly dropped the ball.

I would not rely on computer graphics on the site as your guide. I currently have a '21 PB 150 that the graphics on the site shows has a chrome front bumper, but a body colored back bumper! But it actually has body colored bumpers all round (as well as the body colored door handles and mirror caps) So it's probably just an "attention-to-detail" issue on the web graphics designer and programmers.

Mike

 

[sotek2345]

Absolutely! My thoughts exactly. I did order the Lariat+ as well but after having a twin panel moonroof on my '18 Raptor I'm not looking forward to the headaches it causes (with no benefit as far as I'm concerned, since I don't *ever* use it).

Mike

What issues? I really like the look of the moonroof and am glad it is coming on the Lariat+

 

[Mike G]

I’m keeping mine! I like too much to toss it aside, even for a Lightning.

Me too! It will be great to have both for different needs. There's no way my Mach-E is going to get traded.

Mike

 

[Mike G]

What issues? I really like the look of the moonroof and am glad it is coming on the Lariat+

The rattle from the rear panel either not being properly aligned or the seals that haven't been lubed with the special silicone stuff. And if you don't do this routine maintenance on the mechanism (like not using the roof at all for over a year) and then go to use it you might break off the little plastic tab that will then jam the track on one side or the other and then that will have to get replaced (PITA job). These things happened to me and others, and there are lots of Youtube videos on these topics.

And it's all due to a hole in the roof that I didn't want and don't ever intend to use in the first place (dealer ordered the truck fully loaded).

But now if you want the Lariat+...you don't have a choice at all. You're getting the unwanted hole in the roof whether you like it or not. At least I know now how and when to lube the seals, and how to replace parts on the track.

Mike

 

[AutonomousHybridF150]

I watched multiple Ford press releases on announcement day, and everything coming from Ford stated that the Pro Model was for commercial fleet customers only. This article confirms the messages from ford stating this very thing.

So now that fleet Pro model is clearly not part of the alleged bait and switch, please do tell how the other lightning packages are bait and switch?

I never got access to the lightning price tool. So, did this tool allow you to build a custom lightning with individual options, but then later ford changed that to only trim level package changes, with no option to tic or un-tic options?

 

[dpatt711]

ER is over rated. In 11 months my SR MachE has never made me wish I had an ER battery. Charging away from home on the rare days we drive over 200 miles is pretty much never an issue. I do stop at RaceTrac on occasion to get a free coffee or use my points to get ice cream for the little one.

One time we got home late and I forgot to plug it in and charge. Next day we went 50 miles first thing and ran down to 25% battery. Horrors, I had to plug in an charge for free at Whole Foods as we ate at dinner.

If a person actually drives enough to need ER the $10k will be far more than offset by fuel savings. How many of us actually drive 200+ miles a day every day?

Not to mention if you're driving that much you're not going to trust a 50mi DTE and will probably charge anyways.

 

[jb56]

So now that fleet Pro model is clearly not part of the alleged bait and switch, please do tell how the other lightning packages are bait and switch?

I never got access to the lightning price tool. So, did this tool allow you to build a custom lightning with individual options, but then later ford changed that to only trim level package changes, with no option to tic or un-tic options?

It seems to me that Ford played games with the way they advertised the Lightning both in terms of pricing and range. I don't think it was necessarily a bait and switch, but I think the pricing for extended range is more than most people anticipated. The Platinum pricing is pretty ridiculous, and so is the XLT + extended range. It seems the only way you get any "value" out of this truck is to go with the Pro with a standard battery, or the Lariat + with the extended battery, which puts you close to $80k. If you assume you can get the $7,500 tax credit, from what I can tell by configuring different trucks, a Lariat + lightning is about $7,000 more than an equivalent power boost after the tax credit. That is a big difference, but not insane. But contrast that with an XLT ER vs a comparable 2021 XLT and the price difference is massive. If you want to get into a reasonable price point, you have to ditch the extended range, which is not a great option for a lot of people.

 

[FordLightningMan]

I dont think bait and switch is appropriate, the proper term is disappointment. The XLT + ER was never promised at any price point. I think the vast majority of people assumed it would be in the mid-high $60k range. This made common sense, if you were to step up the pricing structure from Pro to XLT to Lariat.

They should've did what Silverado appears to be doing. Just said there is Pro and Lariat + ER available for MY22. If you price the XLT + ER trim in a way it makes no sense, why does it even exist? This would've been much better optically, than the kick in the pants for people excited for the middle trim. Just hold the XLT off until the battery price makes it sensible to produce without the forced added options at a later model year.

 

[TF1000]

I watched multiple Ford press releases on announcement day, and everything coming from Ford stated that the Pro Model was for commercial fleet customers only. This article confirms the messages from ford stating this very thing.

Your attachment says "WITH EXTENDED-RANGE BATTERY". You know non-fleet people on this very site have successfully ordered Pro Lightnings with the SR battery.

 

[Blainestang]

I watched multiple Ford press releases on announcement day, and everything coming from Ford stated that the Pro Model was for commercial fleet customers only. This article confirms the messages from ford stating this very thing.

Nope. Ford did NOT specifically state publicly the Pro ER was fleet only until several days after "announcement day".

They didn't say it on 5/19, the original reveal. They didn't say it publicly on 5/24, the secondary announcement of the details on the Pro (and the date of the InsideEVs article).

Apparently, some media people got word that the Pro ER was fleet-only, because a handful of them reported that, but most didn't report it, so it was unclear whether it was a misunderstanding on their part.

Then a Ford communications manager seemed to confirm that Pro ER was available retail on Twitter on 5/26 (meaning, it still wasn't clear publicly from Ford) and then a different Ford communications manager clarified on 5/28 that the Pro ER was fleet only. On 5/30, Ford actually added "Fleet only" to the Lightning Technical Specifications sheet.

So, Ford had 10s of thousands of reservations before clarifying that the Pro ER was fleet-only.

I'm not saying it rises to "bait and switch" levels, but it absolutely was not publicly clear at the original launch or even the secondary Pro announcement that the Pro ER was fleet-only.

Even your quote above is unclear. You say "the Pro Model was for commercial fleet customers only", but that's not true. The Pro SR is available to retail customers. The Pro ER is not.

 

[LightningShow]

The best value in EV trucks over the next few years will be getting a hold of a used Pro ER from a commercial fleet.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ford banned resale on Pro ER trucks for a time period. A fleet could order 100 of them at 52k and turn them right around at $60k-$65k with no problem.

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