Ford is significantly restructuring its electric vehicle (EV) strategy, announcing Monday the cessation of production for its fully-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck. In a major pivot, the automaker will instead offer an "extended range electric vehicle" version of the F-150, which incorporates a gas generator designed to recharge the battery pack, enabling the truck to power its motors for over 700 miles.
This strategic shift also means the cancellation of Ford's next-generation all-electric truck, internally codenamed "T3," which was envisioned as a clean-sheet design. The current F-150 Lightning, by contrast, integrated EV technology into an existing gas vehicle platform. Ford has also confirmed to TechCrunch that it is abandoning plans for a next-generation commercial van, though the current E-Transit model will continue production.
The company did not disclose pricing or a release date for the new F-150 Lightning variant. Ford anticipates recording a $19.5 billion charge in special items, primarily in the fourth quarter, due to the widespread impact of this pivot on numerous vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities.
"Ford no longer plans to produce select larger electric vehicles where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes," the company stated in a press release.
Despite these changes, Ford remains committed to its EV future, confirming plans to release a mid-sized all-electric pickup truck in 2027. This vehicle will be built on a new platform developed through a "skunkworks" program led by former Tesla executives Doug Field and Alan Clarke, a platform expected to underpin other future Ford vehicles.
"Rather than spending billions more on large EVs that now have no path to profitability, we are allocating that money into higher returning areas, more trucks and van hybrids, extended range electric vehicles, affordable EVs and entirely new opportunities like energy storage," said Ford President Andrew Frick during a call with reporters.
The F-150 Lightning was first unveiled in 2021, two years after Ford announced its all-electric Mustang Mach-E. Marketed with an initial price tag of $40,000, the Lightning was intended as a flagship product in Ford's $22 billion investment into electric vehicles. However, that base price was primarily aimed at fleet customers, and the promised affordability largely failed to materialize for most buyers.
Like many large electric trucks, the F-150 Lightning has faced significant challenges in the U.S. market. Ford sold approximately 7,000 Lightnings per quarter over the past two years, with sales peaking at nearly 11,000 in a recent quarter. The broader EV market has also encountered headwinds, including a dramatic price war initiated by Tesla to counter falling sales, which has squeezed the already thin (or negative) margins of traditional automakers. Furthermore, shifts in the political landscape have led to a reversal of some Biden-era policies designed to incentivize EV sales, adding to market uncertainty.
