Ford Is Saying Goodbye to One of Its Most Ambitious F-150 Pickup Trucks

When Ford announced production of the F-150 Lightning BEV three years ago, it billed the occasion as a “milestone moment in America’s shift to electric vehicles,” drawing comparisons to the iPhone as a means to illustrate the truck’s consumer impact.

While the Blue Oval has since made steady annual progress in its efforts to grow the ambitious pickup’s following, it’s not like the electric truck segment has become a particularly hot market. As such, with the discontinuation of federal tax incentives, Ford, like many automakers, has been forced to reconsider its EV strategy.

Ford

For the time being, it means the end of the F-150 Lightning as we know it. However, in the long run, it brings the possibility that the Blue Oval could deliver a truck that’s even better-suited to buyers’ needs.

Lightning will strike again

Upon the debut of the all-electric Lightning, Ford had targeted a $40,000 base MSRP. However, things obviously didn’t go according to plan— for the 2025 model year, the starting price climbed to $55,000.

Ford

Even still, Ford has supposedly been losing money on every one sold. Considering that buyers have also demonstrated a clear preference for more affordable electric vehicles, the company has announced that it’s willing to take a nearly $20 billion hit in order to right the ship and give buyers what they really want.

It’s to come in the form of a Lightning-based Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), and this time, Ford says it will offer the best of both worlds. Accordingly, along with an electric powertrain driving the wheels, it will also feature an internal combustion generator to recharge the battery.

Ford

On the road, this promises some significant benefits over the current Lightning BEV. Though the EREV hybrid setup maintains the truck’s silent, all-electric power delivery and sub-5-second 0-60 mph acceleration, the Blue Oval claims that it’s good for an estimated range in excess of 700 miles.

What’s more, Ford chief EV, digital and design officer Doug Field says that it “tows like a locomotive” and that “Heavy-duty towing and cross-country travel will be as effortless as the daily commute.” While the company has yet to announce any concrete figures, it promises to remedy a significant issue, as the Lightning’s lack of compelling towing numbers has proven to be a hindrance to its ability to attract potential buyers.

Ford

In any case, as with the current F-150 Lightning, Ford says that the next-gen version will also offer exportable V2H power, useful for job sites, camp sites and even homes during an outage.

Ford isn’t alone in its EV reversal

While the decision to discontinue the current F-150 Lightning may seem surprising given the extent of Ford’s EV investments, the Blue Oval isn’t the first automaker to walk back its all-electric initiatives.

Ford

In the truck segment alone, Ram has also pulled the plug on the development of its forthcoming battery-powered pickup in favor of a hybrid-electric EREV. Though the Ramcharger was once destined to lead the lineup into the EV era, the brand will now field the 1500 REEV as a consolation prize.

Fiat is another brand under the Stellantis umbrella that’s adopted a similar strategy. Having raced ahead with the all-electric 500e, it’s now adding a small internal combustion generator to charge the battery as part of a freshly revised hybrid offering.

Stellantis

Of course, it’s a move that’s not without good reason. When offered the choice, buyers have shown a clear preference for the peace of mind that comes with a hybrid.

Just take Scout, for instance. Though the Volkswagen-revived legacy company is set to offer both all-electric and EREV options, 80 percent of its customers have made reservations for the latter on account of the small onboard generator.

Seeing as Ford’s own hybrids have proven to be consistently hot items in its recent sales reports, an EREV truck is a natural move, especially as “it can be delivered in a capital-efficient way.”

Want to stay up to date on the latest product news and releases? Add Gear Patrol as a preferred source to ensure our independent journalism makes it to the top of your Google search results.

Related Topics