The Ford F-150 Lightning just got more expensive. The Blue Oval increased the price of its electric pickup truck due to a rising cost of battery materials. Electric vehicle battery materials will only become more scarce as demand for new EVs increases. The Lightning’s price hike could be some major foreshadowing for the entire electric vehicle space. Is the Ford F-150 Lightning XLT worth the money after the price hike, or is the electric pickup overpriced?

How much does the Ford F-150 Lightning XLT cost?

The Ford F-150 Lightning XLT is the second F-150 Lightning trim level. Car and Driver claims that the Lightning XLT will now cost $61,269. That’s a price increase of about $6,500.

The F-150 Lightning is much more expensive than when it initially debuted. Part of the electric pickup truck’s appeal was its affordability. Now that the F-150 Lightning is more expensive, its value proposition is being questioned by consumers.

The Blue Oval will reopen F-150 Lightning order books, but will Americans be as quick to buy the electric truck as they were when it first became available?

The F-150 Lightning XLT comes standard with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, fade-to-off interior lighting, and push-button start. It also features a 12.0-inch digital productivity screen, cruise control, and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. The F-150 Lightning comes with plenty of creature comforts and great standard features, but is it worth buying over the affordable Pro base model?

The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro offers plenty of value for its price

The Ford F-150 Lightning Pro base model now starts at $48,769. It once started at $41,769. The base model’s price increased by $7K, but it still offers decent value for the money.

The F-150 Lightning Pro has the same 230-mile driving range as the XLT trim. Both models also come standard with Pro Power Onboard. Pro Power Onboard allows the electric pickup truck to use exportable energy to power multiple devices and accessories at once via 120-volt outlets.

The base model Lightning features most of the same safety and driver assistance features as the XLT. If you can forego the leather steering wheel and forward sensing system, heated side mirrors, and the EV’s signature front lighting LED lighting design, then the base model is the better buy.

Has the Ford F-150 Lightning become too expensive?

Electric vehicle affordability is often tricky to gauge became many nameplates benefit from the federal electric vehicle tax incentive. The incentive was created to make it easier for automakers to sell EVs and easier for the American public to purchase them.

According to Electrek, the incentive has a criteria that excludes many electric vehicles. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduced a revised incentive that benefits electric vehicles made in America that mainly use parts sourced in America. So, if the F-150 Lightning Pro is eligible for the new incentive, it will become much more affordable.

If the Blue Oval’s electric pickup truck isn’t eligible for the $7,500 tax credit, then the decision to purchase the EV becomes much more complicated. The F-150 Lightning hasn’t become expensive enough for consumers to dismiss it completely, but its new price will be too high for many Americans to afford.

Read more about the F-150 Lightning in the next article below.