"The American consumer is speaking clearly and they want the benefits of electrification like instant torque and mobile power. But they also demand affordability."
Just four years after it was launched, the Ford Motor Company has pulled the plug on its electric F-150 Lightning truck. The company instead will reportedly be focusing on hybrid vehicles and a future lineup of smaller and more affordable electric vehicles.
In a call with reporters on Monday, Andrew Frick, the president of Ford Blue and Ford Model E, the company's commercial and electric divisions, said, "The American consumer is speaking clearly and they want the benefits of electrification like instant torque and mobile power. But they also demand affordability … rather than spending billions more on large EVs that now have no path to profitability, we are allocating that money into higher-returning areas," per NPR.
When the truck was announced in 2021, the company said that it would cost just $40,000. However, once trucks began to roll off the production line, the company was unable to hit this target. For the 2025 model, the price started at around $55,000. Ford also reportedly lost money on every vehicle, despite the higher price point, with electric vehicle sales being lower in recent years than expected, and production costs not coming down.
The truck was marketed toward those who love trucks, with outlets being located across the vehicle to run power tools, appliances, or even a house. And while the truck won multiple awards, including 2023 Truck of the Year from MotorTrend and Kelley Blue Book’s top pick in 2024 for electric trucks, shoppers were unhappy with reliability and limited towing range.
Frick said that "changes in the regulatory environment" were part of the "entire landscape" that resulted in the company ending the vehicle and moving toward an extended-range version in its place. The upcoming version will return to a gasoline engine that will allow the truck to keep driving even if the battery dies.
With the end of the Lightning electric truck, the company will pivot its Kentucky battery production site to build batteries for storage instead of trucks. These batteries could be used for the electric as well as data centers and other industrial customers, the company said.
Powered by The Post Millennial CMS™ Comments
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
Comments