In May of 2021, to great fanfare, the F-150 Lightning pickup truck was revealed in Dearborn, Michigan, to a large gathered crowd, and an even larger streaming audience. Ford’s third all-electric vehicle, the Lightning was an exciting addition to the American carmaker’s lineup, and seeming proof that the battery-powered-vehicle movement was more than just hype.
Ford Kills the F-150 Lightning
Promising EV
While the Lightning followed the electric Mustang Mach-E small crossover and E-Transit commercial van to market, its launch was special, as it was the EV variant of the best-selling vehicle in North America, the F-150 pickup, Ford’s crown jewel.
The excitement seemed genuine. And, within 48 hours of the event, Ford CEO Jim Farley reported that the carmaker had received more than 40,000 $100 deposits for the Lightning.
By December, Ford reported having taken deposits from more than 200,000 “hand raisers.”
There was a lot for truck and EV enthusiasts to like about the F-150 Lighting, including an incredible base price of just $40,000, and an estimated range in excess of 300 miles when equipped with the optional high-capacity battery.
Consumer Objections
We may never know exactly when interested in the Lightning petered out, but peter it did. Because of COVID-19 related supply-chain issues, early supplies to the electric F-150 were constrained. However, when inventory opened up, buyers were nowhere to be found.
Ford sold just 15,617 Lightnings in 2022, its first year on the market. There are a number of reasons why sales of the electric pickup stumbled, here are a few:
- The base price of the Lighting came in at $41,000, $1000 higher than promised. Additionally, by October of 2022, Ford had raised the entry point to $47,000, citing rising materials costs, primarily related to the manufacturing of the vehicle’s battery.
- Ford would change Lightning prices often, and significantly. This uncertainty likely spooked shoppers worried that they might be buying at an inopportune time given the frequent sticker-price fluctuations.
- Well-equipped examples of the Lighting listed for more than the $80,000, the federal tax-credit qualification cap. Trucks and utilities with transaction prices under $80,000 generally qualified for the $7500 credit, a huge incentive for shoppers considering the purchase of an electric vehicle.
- Lightning battery range was reportedly significantly reduced when towing. Numerous media outlets, and actual users, reported range dropping by as much as 50 percent when towing as little as 5000 pounds. This was a huge disappointment to buyers looking for the full utility of a half-ton pickup truck.
- Finally, it seems, for a number of a social and political reasons, pickup-truck buyers are less likely to embrace ownership of an electric vehicle than consumers in the market for a small or midsize SUV.
Discontinued EV Pickups
The demand for electric pickup trucks has proven so weak, that Ram recently announced the cancellation of its already delayed Ram REV (Ram Electric Vehicle). Ram will, however, be moving forward with the production of an extended-range electric version of its pickup, which will operate like an electric vehicle, but include a gas-powered engine for extended range.
Likewise, General Motors has postponed the reopening of its Orion Township, Michigan, assembly facility to produced electric trucks. The maker is currently producing a number of vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, GMC Hummer, and Cadillac Escalade IQ, in limited volumes at GM’s Factory Zero (formerly Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly).
F-150 Lighting Sales
While F-150 Lightning sales have been disappointing, they have not been terrible. Presented here are sales by year of the electric pickup truck:
2022: 15,617 (2.4%)
2023: 24,165 (3.2%)
2024: 33,570 (4.4%)
2025: 25,583 (3.7%) (through November)
What is disappointing is the percent of Lightning sales relative to all Ford F-Series sales of the same year, as noted above in parenthesis.
End of Production
Production of the F-150 Lightning was paused back in October, presumably to allow supplies of the truck to level off relative to demand. That pause became permanent this month, with Ford’s formal announcement of the vehicle’s demise.
F-150 Lightning Reviews
Consumer Guide found the F-150 Lightning to be an impressive vehicle, though we did not put our test example through its work-truck paces. We did not, for example, tow a heavy load, or haul anything of substance with the Lightning. But as a daily driver, we found it very impressive. You can read our full review here.
What’s Next
Ford has already announced plans for a sort-of replacement for the F-150 Lightning. Expected in 2027 as a 2028 model, the F-150 EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) will combine gasoline and electric power sources for greater range than a traditional EV, and likely greater pulling power.
Similar to the aforementioned Ram REV, the F-150 EREV will operate on gasoline power once the plug-in rechargeable battery is depleted, eliminating “range anxiety” concerns.
The EREV will be built on new truck architecture which is reportedly sufficiently flexible to host multiple powertrain types, meaning that should market conditions change, we might again see an electric version of the F-150. This, should the EV movement—once again–prove to me more than just hype.
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Ford F-150 Lightning Pictures
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