As it prepares to manufacture prototypes of its all-electric F-150 Lightning truck, Ford Motor Company is boosting recruiting to enhance production capacity.

The Detroit carmaker announced on Thursday that it planned to invest an extra $250 million and create 450 jobs at three Michigan sites, including the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center, which is producing the truck, to expand yearly manufacturing capacity to 80,000 units.

Ford has already committed $950 million on the production of a hybrid F-150 and an electric F-150, which will go on sale next spring with a starting price of around $40,000.

According to Ford, more than 150,000 reservations have been placed for its all-electric F-150 Lightning truck since its launch in May, up from 120,000 at the end of July.

“We knew the F-150 Lightning was special, but the interest from the public has surpassed our highest expectations and changed the conversation around electric vehicles. So we are doubling down, adding jobs and investment to increase production,” Ford Motor executive chairman, Bill Ford, said.

Investors and industry experts are keeping a careful eye on the F-150 Lightning’s production and reservations as a gauge for customer acceptance of electric cars, particularly pickup trucks, which account for the majority of sales in the United States.

Companies utilize pre-production, or prototypes, for testing and validation prior to building cars for certification before real manufacturing for customers.

Ford is only getting started on pre-production vehicles at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. Although just a small number of trucks have been built in the Dearborn, Mich. factory, authorities say that production will increase over time.