MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Ford Motor Company on Wednesday rolled into downtown Memphis to show off its new F-150 Lightning pickup truck, which will soon be built in West Tennessee.
Just outside of the Edge Motor Museum on Marshall Avenue, Ford’s past in the form of an antique Ford Model T, met the future of the company’s electric vehicles, which will be built in West Tennessee.
WREG had a chance to get into the driver’s seat and hit the road to experience the near-instant torque, technology, and connectivity. Starting price is around $40,000.
It’s a smooth and powerful ride, but the F-150 Lightning also can be used as a home generator.
“In the event of power outages or a disaster where you lose power, you can plug it into the F-150 Lightning and have your home running for three days,” said Lisa Hartman, Ford’s field zone manager.
The F-150 Lightning comes with a mega-powered “frunk,” or front trunk space, complete with electrical outlets, USB charging ports and its cooler feature for drinks.
“Fill it up with drinks, perfect for tailgating,” Hartman said.
Ford is investing $5.6 billion dollars into Blue Oval City, which will manufacture the all-electric trucks and their batteries, in Haywood County.
The facility will build the next generation of Ford vehicles, and create more than 6,000 new jobs.
“There will be manufacturing jobs, supplier opportunities, and we’ll be working with suppliers from all over, so, really, a variety of job opportunities that will come up in the area,” Hartman said.
Ford is investing $50 billion dollars globally through 2026 to electrify its most iconic vehicles.
