Ford F-150 Lightning firms for Oz

An Australian introduction for the Ford F-150 Lightning has taken another step in the right direction following news that the full-size electric pick-up is one of two models being considered to join a local bank’s burgeoning fleet of EVs.

Teacher’s Mutual Bank recently announced it would spend $2 million to purchase 33 battery-electric vehicles between now and 2027, two of which will be zero-emissions pick-up trucks.

According to the bank’s public relations department, the two models under consideration are the Ford F-150 Lightning – a vehicle that Ford Australia is yet to confirm for this market – and the much smaller, locally-developed ACE Yewt.

It’s unknown whether this is simply a potential shortlist or the bank has had some genuine conversations with fleet agencies, but there’s mounting evidence Ford is gearing up for a local release of the F-150 Lightning as soon as it becomes available from North America.

The Blue Oval’s local division has most of the groundwork in place to launch the all-electric load-lugger if given the opportunity, including nameplate security, a local right-hand drive conversion program and a glaring hole in its EV line-up.

Apart from promising to offer five electrified models in Australia by the end of next year, Ford trademarked the F-150 Lightning nameplate with IP Australia in May last year, along with five other names relating to the internal combustion F-150, all under Class 12 (motor vehicles, automobiles and parts thereof).

Local brand executives have made no secret of the fact they’re looking into the Lightning as well as other F-150 variants beyond the upcoming XLT and Lariat, but they’ve also said any expansion to the F-150 line-up will depend on the success of the Aussie remanufacturing program being run with RMA Automotive.

The revelation that Teacher’s Mutual Bank has shortlisted the Lightning certainly caught Ford Australia’s PR department by surprise, given it has not announced plans to introduce the battery-powered pick-up locally and its parent company continues to combat unprecedented demand in its native market.

carsales also understands no formal discussions have been held between Teacher’s Mutual Bank and Ford Australia’s fleet sales department, which suggests to us the Lightning’s shortlisting is indeed more of a wish-list, but the bank’s pair electric utes aren’t due to be purchased until 2027.

Documents published by the bank show it has only budgeted $100,000 towards the purchase of both vehicles, which won’t cover the would-be purchase price of a single Lightning, let alone two of them.

For reference, the LDV eT60 – Australia’s only commercially available electric ute right now – is priced from $92,990 plus on-road costs.

Still, four years is a long time to revise budgets and it seems time is on the bank’s side because a source close to Ford’s local product planners told us that any potential timeline for the Lightning would more than likely emulate that of the Mustang Mach-E, which will take the best part of three years to arrive Down Under.

The Lightning only entered production in April 2022 and on that basis it theoretically wouldn’t arrive here until mid-2025, even if it was produced in RHD ex-factory.

That theory also largely rules out the chances of the Lightning joining the E-Transit, E-Transit Custom, Mach-E and Puma EV as the fifth electrified Ford on sale here by 2024.

Indeed, we’d wager an electrified Ranger or Everest would probably beat the F-150 Lightning into Aussie showrooms, especially given the recent confirmation of a mild-hybrid Toyota HiLux and Fortuner coming to at least some markets next year.

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