Ford announced Monday that it will end production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning as part of a broader review of its electric vehicle plans across the company. Instead, Ford plans to sell what’s known as an “extended range electric vehicle” version of the truck, which adds a gas generator to recharge the battery pack and power the motor for more than 700 miles.
The company did not disclose the release date or price of the new F-150 Lightning.
Pivot will come at a hefty price tag for Ford. The company will take a $19.5 billion hit as it restructures its EV business strategy. Most of these charges, including an $8.5 billion write-down of EV assets, are expected to be recorded in the fourth quarter. Ford announced that it will claim $5.5 billion in cash by 2027.
This disruption will affect many factories and workers. It also means Ford’s next-generation all-electric truck, internally known as the T3, has been phased out. In contrast to the Lightning, which incorporated electric vehicle technology into its gas-powered design, the T3 was supposed to be a clean-sheet design. Ford confirmed to TechCrunch that it is also abandoning plans for its next-generation commercial van. The current model, E-Transit, will continue.
“Ford no longer plans to produce some large electric vehicles whose business case has been undermined by lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes,” the company said in a statement.
The company said Monday that it plans to launch a midsize all-electric pickup truck in 2027. The platform powering that truck, born out of the Skunk Works program led by former Tesla executives Doug Field and Alan Clark, will also underpin other future Ford vehicles. Ford said it plans to begin producing inexpensive lithium iron phosphate batteries in 2026. These LFP batteries will be manufactured at the Blue Oval Battery Park in Marshall, Michigan, using technology licensed from China’s CATL, and will be used in medium-duty trucks.
“Instead of spending billions more on large electric vehicles that are no longer profitable, we’re redirecting them to higher-yield areas and completely new opportunities like more hybrid trucks and vans, longer-range electric vehicles, affordable EVs and energy storage,” Ford President Andrew Frick said on a call with reporters.
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Ford unveiled the F-150 Lightning in 2021, two years after first announcing plans for the all-electric Mach-E Mustang. Ford has hinted at a price tag of $40,000 for the Lightning, which was to be the flagship product of the company’s $22 billion electric vehicle push.
But like most heavy-duty electric trucks, the F-150 Lightning struggled in the U.S. market. Part of the reason is that its base trim was specifically targeted at fleet customers, so the $40,000 price tag was out of reach for most buyers. Ford has sold about 7,000 Lightnings per quarter over the past two years, reaching nearly 11,000 units in the fourth quarter of 2024.
EVs have faced significant headwinds since the F-150 Lightning was first introduced. Tesla launched a dramatic price war to combat declining sales, which ate into traditional automakers’ thin (or negative) profits. Donald Trump’s re-election and Republican control of Congress have led to the reversal of many Biden-era policies aimed at promoting electric vehicle sales.
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