As Ford celebrates the launch of the much-anticipated F-150 Lightning, employees recently gathered to show how they are treating customers like family. More than 20 customers and their guests were invited to the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center for a behind-the-scenes look at the production home of the all-electric F-150 Lightning and a front-row seat to the kick-off event.

Sergio Rodriguez, of St. Mary’s, Georgia, an early Mustang Mach-E customer, was also among the first to put in an order for an Agate Black F-150 Lightning Lariat. He never expected to be included in such a momentous occasion. “Ford’s customer service has been above and beyond since I first reserved my Mach-E,” he said. “You can feel you’re included in all of what’s going on and that you’re valued.”

Rodriguez got to meet with Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, who, along with President and CEO Jim Farley, greeted customers and employees at the event. “It was surreal,” said Rodriguez. “Meeting a member of the Ford family at the Rouge plant, it’s a historic event. My mind is still trying to process all of this right now.”

The F-150 Lightning will ease travel for Rodriguez, an Army veteran and Department of Defense contractor who travels with a mobility scooter he often uses due to a disability he incurred in a severe auto accident. He plans to make use of the Lightning’s towing capacity with a travel trailer he owns. “Mobility-wise, having the ability to put my scooter into the back of the pickup truck is much easier than putting it in the back of a hatchback or in a trunk,” he said. “And I can charge it while it’s in there.”

Christopher Pennini, from Calvert County in Maryland, has owned multiple F-150 SVT Lightnings, including a 2001 model. While initially caught off-guard by use of the Lightning name for an electric truck, by the end of last year’s reveal he was on board and immediately placed a reservation. He intends to use his Atlas Blue F-150 Lightning XLT, expected to be built this month, as his daily driver, for transporting his three children to school and to activities such as baseball, where he serves as a coach for his son’s team.

The visit to Dearborn included a trip to the test track for a ride-and-drive experience with vehicle dynamics engineers. “The truck is just so incredible,” said Pennini, who took his first ride in an electric vehicle. “It’s so smooth and powerful, and it stays planted to the ground. Even in a quarter-inch of rain, it handled flawlessly. It plants you to the ground with that low center of gravity and handles like a sports car.”

Pennini really appreciated getting a firsthand education about the F-150 Lightning. “Seeing the batteries assembled and what the motors look like on the axles has given me an in-depth understanding of what I’m buying and how I’m going to use the truck,” he said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Lifelong Ford fans Jace Craft and Justin Koenig made the trip from Cleveland. Road trips to northern Michigan in his Mustang Mach-E to visit family have helped prepare Craft to manage range anxiety, while the versatility of his hybrid-powered F-150 PowerBoost reinforced his decision to buy an F-150 Lightning. He hopes to have his Star White Lariat truck by the end of the year. “We never planned on going electric as soon as we did, but we fell in love with the Mustang Mach-E and the story behind it,” said Craft. “It was a blast. That experience helped reinforce our decision to buy an all-electric truck.”

Koenig, general manager for a roofing company, was excited about the mega power frunk in the electric F-150, which offers dry, lockable storage for up to 14.1 cubic feet of cargo and 2.4 kilowatts of power. He foresees a day when his technicians can use the feature to store and recharge their tools between jobs, reducing downtime. The additional cargo space will give him more room up front, including for passengers.

He also noted that the 5.5-foot bed of the F-150 Lightning lends itself well to hauling materials for roofing jobs, such as ladders and shingles. “I’ve seen some photos and videos of the truck, but actually being here and seeing it in the massive scale – state-of-the-art is all I can think of looking at every little detail,” said Koenig.

Craft credits Ford for its quick innovation on the SYNC 4A system he first used in his Mustang Mach-E and will soon experience as part of the F-150 Lightning. “It’s so intuitive and useful,” he said. “Everything we saw shows that Ford is innovating very quickly on little things like refresh rates, snappiness of software – that was a really impressive update, even from our Mach-E. In one year’s time, what Ford has done with that software is very impressive.”