Yeah for sure, it would be a huge surprise if someone is able to order a Lightning without a Reservation.
I read Lightning orders will require a positive ID to verify the person named on the order is a bona fide customer and not a straw purchaser.
The leaked Ford document says dealers can prioritize loyal customers who are reservation holders, which seems to confirm that "no ticky, no shirty"
I think your logic is sound but I can't shake the feeling there's no way Ford is going to leave its dealership network without any options to show anything on the sales floor or sell a unit or few to the lifelong customers who, let's be honest, might not be all too savvy using the internet to reserve an EV truck of all things.
Ford might do the same thing they did with the MME. Dealerships were given demo units shortly after deliveries started, but they were not permitted to sell those vehicles for several months. People could test drive the units but not buy them and take them home.
I ask for a reservation and a verbal agreement is good in the State. I choose to go to my dealer to make sure I had a reservation. When I found out about the reservation I think around September I went to the dealership and said I want a reservation. I think I was the first to ask about getting a reservation when I ask. I let my salesman handle it but most here think I don't have a reservation because I didn't get a number. I got concerned when Ford stopped taking reservations and called to let him know. He said he will hear something in January. I think I was first but that doesn't matter because the dealership only gets so many allotments and I'm SOL if I can't get one they can order for me. What ever options I have I'm a Ford man for life lol.
Dealers can't make reservations for the Lightning. The only way to make a Lightning reservation was online directly through Ford.
I was thinking that exact thing as I read this. Perhaps the dealer set up an account for him and took care of reserving the Lightning in his name, trying to be helpful to a long time customer.
I think he knows how it works and he knows me. When I found out about the all electric Lightning I went to my dealer to order one. I wanted to get on the list so I could order as soon as possible. If my salesman didn't understand the process and is the top salesman in the dealership then something is wrong. At least I brought it to their attention of the internet reservation out there and maybe I went to late to the dealer. I would think a dealer that had a customer with a long history of buying Fords from their dealership (and having them repaired) would have a good chance at driving the best Ford ever built. I have another interest in gas and electric cars and I have hypermiling hobbies to go as far as possible on gas or electric battery power. I want to see how far I can drive on a single battery charge in the Lightning. I have doubled EPA estimates in competition and my '13 C Max Energi only had a lifetime MPG of 912mpg when I sold it. I only used the free tank of gas from when I purchased the Energi. I sold the car to my brother with only 500 miles on the engine and he still drives it today. I went 15,000 miles on one tank of gas lol. I want to break 1000 miles on a single charge of the F-150 to show what is possible and still drive with the flow of traffic. I think I have as good a chance of anyone to get a 2022 Ford Lighting.
