Ford Australia leaves door open to F-150 Lightning and Raptor

Ford Australia has confirmed the arrival of its big ute and it opens the door to more exciting machines to head Down Under.

The future is bright for Aussie ute fans.

Yesterday Ford Australia confirmed its big F-150 pick-up truck will arrive in Australia in 2023.

The brand will import them to Australia and then convert them to right-hand drive in Melbourne through its partner RMA.

This opens the doors for two of the most exciting variants on sale in the US: the all-electric F-150 Lightning and high-performance F-150 Raptor.

Ford has confirmed its F-150 will arrive in Australia in 2023.

Ford Australia has only confirmed V5 petrol-powered F-150 XLT and Lariat versions, but the local outfit hasn’t ruled out bringing other variants Down Under.

An electric F-150 theoretically would be easier to convert from left-hand to right-hand drive because there are less mechanical elements to move around. For instance, there are no exhaust or transmission links between the front and rear that need to be shifted.

Securing vehicles might be the hardest part.

Local boss Andrew Birkic said the success of the regular F-150 in Australia was “one of the inputs” for securing future high-demand variants.

The Lightning can power tools and other equipment on worksites.

“I absolutely love the Lightning. It’s incredible,” he said.

“Absolutely, I’m sure we could sell that product.

“Right now [America] really is the focus. North America are investing billions of dollars to make sure that program is robust, and they get that vehicle to their customers and dealers.”

In December last year it was reported the F-150 Lightning has more than 200,000 reservations and a waiting list of more than three years.

Ford US reportedly had to close its reservations for a short time in 2021.

US website Autoblog stated Ford will only make 15,000 units this year with plans to eventually hit 160,000 a year by 2025.

The Lightning can tow up to 4500kg.

The electric F-150 forms the core of the brand’s more than $28b global investment in electric cars. This includes the electric Transit van due in Australia this year and the Mustang Mach-E SUV that has launched overseas.

The F-150 Lightning promises to be a proper work and play truck, too.

A combination of two electric motors – one on each axle for all-wheel drive ability – and an extended range battery delivers a supercar beating 420kW and 1050Nm. The standard range battery makes 318kW/1050Nm.

The Lightning’s tray doubles as a work bench.

It has a driving range of 370km when equipped with the standard battery and more than 480km when fitted with the extended range battery.

The Lightning has vehicle to load capability, which means you can power tools and appliances with it by simply plugging them into a power socket in the tray.

Conventional utes don’t come with standard lockup storage space, but the Lightning has a 400L boot under the bonnet.

The F-150 Raptor brings monstrous performance with twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine making 335kW and 691kW. It has beefed up Fox shocks and multiple driving modes.