The Ford F-150 Lightning may just be one of the most important vehicles in automotive history. The industry is rushing to push the adoption of electric vehicles for the sake of the environment and government mandates. One of the challenges facing that wide adoption rate is that most EVs that are currently available tailor to urban demographics and are not as practical in other situations.

The Ford F-150 truck is one of the best-selling vehicles in America. We speculate the reason for the F-150’s popularity is its utility. There are many professions in which owning a good truck is advantageous. Trucks are also very popular in rural areas of America. If the truck demographic can switch to electric vehicles, it will go a long way in wide EV adoption.

To win over that demographic, it will take a compelling truck. While the Tesla Cybertruck is interesting, that stems more from the truck’s polarizing design and the hype drummed up by Elon Musk.

The Ford F-150 Lightning is a different story.

Why the Ford F-150 Lightning has so much potential

Before the Ford F-150 Lightning announcement, only three major electric trucks were discussed in news cycles: the Tesla Cybertruck, the Rivian R1T, and the GM Hummer EV. While those three trucks certainly provide a lot to discuss, they may not be appealing to typical truck buyers due to their polarizing design or the high price tag.

The Ford F-150 Lightning not only looks like a truck but also offers a feature set that truck buyers are looking for. Ford took the simple strategy of taking what the F-150 already is and just making it electric rather than take an avant-garde, futurist approach.

The F-150 Lightning can power tools from its truck bed, has the biggest front trunk (or “frunk”) of any other EV truck, and can power a home for up to three days in the event of a power outage. The F-150 Lightning also has a much lower starting price than the Rivian R1T and the GM Hummer EV.

F-150 Lightning production to increase to 80,000 units per year

According to a report from Reuters, Ford announced that they are boosting F-150 Lightning production to 80,000 units per year due to “strong demand” for the EV truck.

“The interest from the public has surpassed our highest expectations,” Executive Chairman Bill Ford said in a statement.

At an event, the automaker said it would invest $250 million and add 450 jobs to support the increased production for the F-150 Lightning. According to the report, Ford currently has over 150,000 reservations for the Lightning, which will be released next spring.

Ford had initially targeted producing 40,000 F-150 Lightning trucks per year, but demand for the EV convinced the manufacturer to double that figure. If the government’s proposed plan to increase EV tax credits by an additional $4,500 for vehicles manufactured in the U.S. goes through, the demand for the F-150 Lightning could increase even more.