Fast Facts | F-150 Lightning Cancellation Watch
⚡ Status: Ford is actively debating whether to cancel the F-150 Lightning
🔥 Production Pause: Aluminum supplier fire halted assembly at REVC
📉 Sales: Only 33,000 units sold last year vs 150,000 projected
🚚 Capability: Quick 0–60 time but towing drastically reduces range
🏆 Market: Still the best-selling electric pickup in America
Ford Reconsiders the Future of the F-150 Lightning
Ford Motor Company is considering cancelling its excellent F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. However, as of this writing on November 10th, the company has not made a formal decision. According to Ford, the potential cancellation stems from weak sales and the high cost of producing the vehicle.
Lightning Flash
The automaker may decide to shift priority to its more profitable gasoline and hybrid F-150 models. Ford says that a shortage of aluminum due to a fire at an aluminum supplier has currently paused production of the Lightning. According to Ford Authority and other automotive sources, while it is on hold, Ford executives are in active discussions regarding the fate of the Lightning.
Part of the fourteenth generation of full-size F-150 trucks, the Lightning electric pickup was highly anticipated. In fact, Ford took more than 100,000 reservations for the EV by June 11, 2021, just one month after it announced the Lightning. By the end of the year, the company had more than 200,000 reservations.
Early Demand Was Massive
In June 2022, demand for early models was strong and one dealer even offered a used Lightning Platinum at $100,000 over the base price. We tested the Lightning on GreenCars and found it to be an excellent and exciting EV pickup.
Range and Towing Challenges Emerge
The Lightning can take you from zero to 60mph in just 4 seconds, has a payload capacity of 2,235 pounds and can tow up to 10,000 pounds. But owners of the big EV were quick to learn that it has a few flaws.
For instance, while the truck has an EPA estimated range of 240 miles with a standard range battery, in testing by Motor Trend, it could only manage 90 miles of range when towing a 7,200-pound camping trailer.
If you want to understand why towing affects electric truck range so dramatically, here’s a clear breakdown of how EV range works: Understanding EV Range
Sales Fall Short of Ambitious Targets
One of the biggest problems for Ford is that while the Lightning was initially projected to sell up to 150,000 units per year, the automaker only sold 33,000 units last year. It is a vehicle that is very expensive to produce and the 2026 MSRP starts at $54,780 for the Pro trim and goes up to $84,995 for the Platinum trim before destination fees.
The Wall Street Journal recently announced that Ford’s EV sales have declined since the federal EV tax credit went away stating that EV sales dropped by 24 percent in October. It also said that the F-150 Lightning has been known as a costly loss-leader for years.
Why Ford Might Still Keep the Lightning Alive
Will Ford keep the Lightning around? The company may have a number of reasons to keep the big EV on tap. For one thing, Ford still believes that electrification is ultimately the way things are going, just at a slower rate than anticipated. There’s also the fact that Ford, and all automakers, have to hit specific “Fleet Averages” with regards to fuel economy.
If you build and sell a bunch of gas-guzzling vehicles, you also need to sell a certain number of electric vehicles to balance the books in regard to measuring performance and ensuring regulatory compliance for fuel economy, emissions, and usage mileage.
Automakers must ensure their entire fleet of vehicles meets certain standards for fuel economy and emissions. The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck in America for an astounding 48 consecutive years and having an electric version helps to balance the board, so to speak.
Another feather in Lightning’s cap is that, though Ford wishes it sold more of the trucks, the Lightning is still the best-selling electric pickup truck in America, outselling the Tesla Cybertruck, the Chevy Silverado EV, the GMC Sierra EV Denai and Hummer, and the Rivian R1T. In fact, the Lightning delivered record sales in the third quarter of this year.
While Ford execs debate the future of its F-150 Lightning pickup, it has good inventories of the vehicle, can bide its time and continue its plans for a “Universal EV Platform” and a $30,000 electric truck.
At the moment, operations at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC) in Dearborn, Michigan, where the Lightning is produced have been paused following a fire at a key aluminum supplier’s (Novelis) factory. Ford tells us the REVC will be back up and running at the right time.
Will the Lightning strike again? Time will tell. Stay tuned to GreenCars for more information.
⚡ More Ford EV Truck Coverage
- Ford F-150 Lightning Road Test
Our hands-on review of the Lightning, covering real-world performance, range, and capability.
Read More ➜ - Ford Enhances 2024 F-150 Lightning With New Flash Trim
Ford’s latest Lightning updates introduce new features and help reset the truck’s positioning in a cooling EV market.
Read More ➜ - Ford Adds All-Wheel Drive to Maverick Hybrid Pickup
A major update to Ford’s most efficient pickup boosts traction and capability in the growing hybrid truck segment.
Read More ➜
