Paul Lienert

DETROIT, Reuters – Ford Motor (NYSE 🙂 Co believes there will be a large market for electric vans and trucks in 2030. But it has been facing early resistance from customers, who represent a critical audience for Ford’s F-150 Lightning Lightning and E-Transit products, a senior executive stated on Thursday.

Ted Cannis from Ford Pro stated at the Reuters Events Automotive Summit that E-Transit van and Lightning pickup “are targeted towards real people doing real jobs.”

Some potential buyers of fleets are still waiting to see if they can get a deal. This is partly due to a lack in experience with electric cars and partially because of a lack understanding of government policies and regulations regarding EVs.

According to Cannis, these aren’t impracticable in the longer-term, he told Reuters.

“In the U.S., we see 70% of the full-size bus and van industry going electric by 2030. That’s more than 300,000 vehicles annually. And we expect a third of the full-size pickup (market) to go all-electric by 2030, which is more than 800,000 vehicles annually.”

Cannis explained that electric vans or work trucks can be used to reduce fuel costs and maintain their vehicles. However, there are still concerns about the safety of EVs for both managers and employees.

Ford remains optimistic, he stated, but Ford also expressed concern about how potential buyers react to the Lightning. He described the Lightning as “the most thrilling F-150” and said it was “the best F-150.” There are 150,000 reserved vehicles from fleet and retail customers. I am not certain how they can provide enough.

Ford has doubled the production targets for its Lightning truck due to high demand in the early stages of development, ahead of 2022’s launch. According to sources, Ford plans to produce more than 80,000 vehicles annually in 2024, an increase on its previous goal of more that 40,000.