Came across this video posted a few days ago. The Lightning is not built in the traditional manner like all the rest of the trucks where the frame is built, the painted cab and bed are dropped on and then the rest put int down the line. Nope, Quite interesting, the cab is fully assembled on mobile carts, the frame is assemble and is different from the normal F150 frame to accommodate the battery pack, then the two are joined together as a unit. Pretty fascinating video.

Enjoy, OR lose 40 minutes you will never get back, your choice!

 

Neat! Drone footage at about 7 minutes in... that's a good pilot! Also the last bit from the 80's assembly, bonus.

 

Your description of how the standard ICE F150 is built is completely wrong. It's no different than what you just described for the Lightning.

The cab and bed are separated when they comes out of paint. The cab goes one direction and the bed goes in another direction. The cab is nearly completely assembled (inside) before it meets back up with the bed, which is also mostly assembled. Both the cab and the bed are then dropped on top of the frame at the same time. The frame has the engine and drivetrain already built on it.

That's exactly how the standard F150 is built.

Here are some pics from when my 2015 F150 Platinum was built. I walked the assembly line with the cab, then watched it and the bed come together and get mated to the assembled frame.

Here is the front cab, nearly fully assembled, without a bed and not on the frame:



And another:




This is a still shot from a video where the front cab & bed are mated to the frame (which has the engine and drivetrain installed). Not a great pic, but you can see how the cab and bed are being lowered onto the frame.



This was right before the above pic, which was right after the cab and bed met each other again (after each was assembled) and right before they were mated to the frame. As you can see, no frame under the truck in this pic. In fact, the bed is like 2 foot higher than it will be once on the frame.

 

I just knew someone would argue this. The standard F150 is on a LINE, the Lightning is on powered CARTS! Sorry I didn't go into such Great detail! The F150 is still built the standard way, the Lightning is not, they are using the latest in technology, like BMW and some of the other luxury brands now use. Also the cab is only partially assembled, glass, dash and center console before being dropped on the frame, then everything else is added on the line, the Lightning cab is nearly fully assembled. It's all in that video. There is even a section showing the full body on frame with no doors or seats in it.

 

That's because "someone" walked the line with his truck as it was built.

While there are some differences, the vast majority of the assembly is done the same for the standard F150 as for the Lightning.

Cab, bed and frame largely assembled independent of one another, then mated later. To what degree of completion ICE vs EV before mating can most certainly be argued, but it's still pretty much the same processes.

FYI: Yes, the EV "mobile" trams are on wheels and don't need a rail, but the trams for the ICE F150 are moved independent of one another at times, too. They are not connected to one another:



Pretty much the only things missing at that point are four doors and the seats. Most everything else is in the cab.