The Ford F-150 Lightning has generated a lot of excitement. Within a few weeks, preorders have already topped 100,000. This comes just weeks after Ford unveiled its smaller hybrid sibling, the Maverick. Will the smaller truck make a name for itself in the U.S. market, or will it be drowned out by the storm?

Move over Maverick

The announcement of the Ford Maverick was met with excitement and curiosity. The world’s first hybrid compact pickup truck is worth getting excited about. More than being a token trailblazer, the Maverick is a solid pickup.

The Maverick will see an impressive 40 mpg city and 500 miles of range with a full fuel tank. The larger electric Lightening gets an EPA estimated 230 miles of range on a full charge. The extended range battery is hoped to net closer to 300.

For twice the price of the Maverick, Lightning buyers get more than twice the towing power. Will the bigger, more powerful, and more expensive Lightening overshadow its hybrid sibling? Or is this wave of interest just a flash in the pan?

F-150 Lightning preorders soar

According to the annual Vehicle Landscape Report from Sema, more than 16 million F series pickup trucks are on the road in the U.S. Last year Ford sold 787,000 of these popular pickups last year. With sales figures like that, it’s no surprise that the highly-anticipated all-electric F-150 Lightning has seen such high preorders.

Within three weeks of opening, preorders for the Ford F-150 Lightning have already topped 100,000. Demand for this electric truck and its competitors is high. Tesla’s Cybertruck sold an incredible 250,000 preorders within 5 days of opening. Hours after GMG opened sales for the Hummer EV, all 10,000 early edition preorders were sold out.

Truck buyers are sending a clear message to the industry. They’re ready and eager for all-electric options. Early adopters are always taking a risk. After an initial surge of excitement, the early half of first-generation EV buyers returned to ICE vehicles for their next purchase. Could another backflow of buyers hit the EV truck segment?

Is the Ford F-150 Lightning worth the hype?

Electric pickup trucks have seen so much interest that manufacturers have taken notice. It seems a new model is announced weekly. With all of the hype surrounding the F-150 Lightning, it can be hard to hear the truth over the buzz.

Projected F-150 Lightning could push the F series sales over the 1 million mark. Buyers have proven that high prices are not a deterrent to EV sales. As the price of EVs continues to rise, so do sales in this segment. It’s unlikely that the Maverick’s smaller price tag will be enough to coax pickup shoppers.

This wave of interest in the all-electric F-150 Lightning may seem like it’s overshadowing the blossoming hype for its sibling, but the Maverick has a card to play. There is a wide segment of buyers who like the idea of driving an electric vehicle but aren’t ready to commit fully. The hybrid fills a valid gap in the pickup truck market and will likely see success because of it.