Rumor mill: If Ford cancels the Lightning, it would mark the first major exit of a mainstream electric truck from the US market. For an industry that once viewed battery pickups as the most straightforward path to electrified profitability, the reversal underscores a deeper reality: heavy vehicles remain the toughest test case for the EV revolution.
Ford is debating whether to discontinue the all-electric version of its bestselling F-150 pickup – a move that would mark a sharp reversal in the US electric vehicle market. People familiar with internal discussions told The Wall Street Journal that executives are assessing whether the F-150 Lightning still fits in the company's long-term lineup, following steep losses and sluggish sales.
The decision would be momentous. When Ford CEO Jim Farley unveiled the Lightning five years ago, he framed it as a transformation on the scale of the Model T. The truck combines high performance with battery power capable of running a house through its 240-volt ports. It was built for heavy-duty tasks but promised zero tailpipe emissions and up to 320 miles of range per charge under ideal conditions.
Despite early enthusiasm, the truck failed to win over traditional pickup buyers. The Lightning's sticker price climbed far beyond early projections, starting closer to $50,000 than the advertised $40,000 baseline and stretching toward $90,000 for well-equipped trims. Range anxiety, battery performance in cold weather, and energy drain under towing loads proved persistent deterrents.
Since 2023, Ford has accumulated about $13 billion in losses from its electric-vehicle program. The company's latest data show that in October, after the end of federal EV tax credits, US EV sales dropped 24 percent year over year. Dealers moved roughly 66,000 gasoline F-Series pickups but only about 1,500 Lightnings – the lowest monthly total of any F-Series variant.
The downturn has broader implications. Ford temporarily halted Lightning production last month, citing an aluminum shortage, and is considering keeping the Michigan facility idle while redirecting resources toward smaller, more affordable models. Farley recently acknowledged that the US EV market appears strongest for compact city cars and commuter vehicles, not heavy trucks with one-ton battery packs.
Ford's deliberations mirror a broader industry pullback. Earlier this year, Stellantis canceled its planned electric Ram 1500, while General Motors executives privately discussed trimming their EV truck lineup. GM's electric offerings, including three versions of the Chevrolet Silverado EV, sold only about 1,800 units in October. The company has idled production at its Detroit assembly plant through late November and stopped manufacturing its BrightDrop electric cargo van.
Tesla's stainless-steel Cybertruck, once hailed as a disruptive design experiment, has seen sales collapse, while Rivian, maker of the electric R1T pickup, has repeatedly cut staff to preserve cash reserves. Scaling EV production – typically a $10 billion to $15 billion investment per model line, including battery and supply chain infrastructure – has proven unsustainable without strong sales or regulatory support.
Consultants say the math no longer favors big EVs. Lenny LaRocca, who leads the auto sector practice at KPMG, notes that electric platforms require substantial upfront investment to achieve manufacturing efficiency and optimize battery costs. Additionally, US adoption rates are not at a scale sufficient for profitability.
"The volumes are not hitting where people would have expected when they made these investments," he told The Wall Street Journal.
The Lightning's 98-kWh and 131-kWh battery packs are among the most expensive in the industry, and each vehicle weighs roughly 1,600 pounds more than its gas counterpart. That weight limits payload capacity and increases energy consumption, particularly under load, making EPA-rated range figures difficult to sustain in daily use.
These engineering constraints have collided with cooling demand and policy changes. As subsidies expire, consumers are increasingly gravitating toward hybrid powertrains, which combine electric torque with range security. Farley has echoed those sentiments, noting that full-size trucks will likely rely on hybrid or traditional powertrains for the foreseeable future.
Image credit: The Wall Street Journal
Ford might kill the F-150 Lightning, the EV that was supposed to change everything
