The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck goes into production starting April 26.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning has been in pre-production since last fall, but the first customer examples of the full-size electric pickup truck will begin rolling off the line on April 26.

Pre-production vehicles are typically used for final testing, certification, and registration purposes. They also provide plant employees with the opportunity to resolve any issues before the first customer example is built.

Production of the F-150 Lightning takes place at Ford's Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan; the F-150 Lightning's batteries come from the Lawsonville Components plant and the electric drive unit from the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center The electric drive unit will be supplied from the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center. Both plants are located in Michigan.

Note that Ford is not the first company to begin production of an electric pickup truck; EV startup Revere began production of the 2022 R1T last fall, and General Motors began production of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV a little later.

One of the major advantages the F-150 Lightning has over the R1T (and Hummer EV) is its starting price of $39,974; the R1T currently starts at nearly $80,000, but a cheaper version is due in 2024, making the GMC even more expensive.

Ford's price shock has led to a flood of reservations: more than 200,000 units of the F-150 Lighting have been booked, resulting in millions of dollars of additional investment and hundreds of additional workers at the Rouge plant to increase production capacity to 150,000 units per year, about four times the original target.

The F-150 Lightning was launched with standard four-wheel drive. Two electric motors, one on each axle, were driven by liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery packs, producing 426 hp on the standard range battery and 563 hp on the long range battery. Peak torque in both cases is 775 lb-ft. The EPA-estimated range goal for trucks equipped with the standard range battery is 230 miles. The EPA-estimated range for trucks equipped with the long-range battery is 230 miles. Rear-wheel drive models will be available at a later date and may have a reduced starting price.

Four grades are currently available, including the regular XLT, Lariat, and Platinum grades, as well as a work truck for commercial use. The base price of $39,974 is for the Work Truck, while the XLT grade starts at $52,974. The Lightning is currently only available in a full 4-door crew cab configuration with a 5-foot-5-inch bed.