Important Update: Ford EV Roadmap & Future of F-150 Lightning (EREV Next Gen Model) - ⛔️ ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS

[RickLightning]

So much doom and gloom in this thread…

I get it. I’m disappointed too. But look at the sales figures. Ford is a publicly traded company and can only lose money for so long before they have to do something. It wasn’t as popular as they’d hoped. We’re the vocal minority here on the forum.

I take solace in the fact that the Lightning will continue to live on as an EV. Yes, an EREV is still an EV - not a plug-in hybrid.

Plus, Ford isn’t abandoning EVs… a new BEV truck is coming and the MachE lives on.

We don’t know all the details about what the 2027? 2028? Lightning will be so maybe we should reserve judgement until we have the details?

No, an EREV is not an EV. ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

People can wordsmith all they want. ELECTRIC VEHICLE doesn't include GASOLINE.

A PHEV is a misnomer also. It's a Plug-in HYBRID. If you want to call a HYBRID an ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THEN YOU HAVE TO ALSO CALL IT A GAS VEHICLE...

Bunch of BS garbage they're using.

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[The Weatherman]

kia/hyundai don't make pickup trucks. PU's are unique in demands for towing and hauling requiring which reduced efficiency and impacts range significantly. I understand and agree with their decision. My Lightning will meet my needs for at least the next 10 -15 years.

 

[VTbuckeye]

13 year Volt owner, so I can speak from firsthand experience about EREV maintenance. Engines do not like to sit unused. So the Volt required you to run the engine up to a minimum temperature every 40 something days. So you were burning maybe a tenth of a gallon that you didn't actually need to burn. And if you only let it run that maintenance cycle and no more (no real load), there'd be issues with carbon build up near the EGR, oil didn't truly get all the water out of it, plugs didn't get really cleaned up, etc. Stale gas even with a pressurized and no vent gasoline tank, which means every start in cold conditions means you car reeks of paint thinner type smells until the cat is good and hot.

In the last year I had it (and also a MYLR), I had to think _more_ about maintenance with that car that with any pure ICE. Sure, oil changes were still 2 years apart, but I did more mental gymnastics about when to run the engine to accomplish real heating/loading of all the components.

EREVs are the best of both worlds and the worst of both worlds. We don't need the "best" in terms of longer range any more. For the costs Ford is putting into pivoting back to an EREV they should have had a decade ago, we could fill in the gaps in the charging network how many times over? And the tiny percentage of people who do need high towing capacity _and_ range simultaneously are better off with a diesel F250 or higher anyway.

This, combined with the timing of Farley headed to kneel before Conalld Rump, absolutely stinks of fossil fuel market manipulation / corruption. Guess I know how many Fords I will own in my lifetime (1).

I didn't have my volt that long, but my experience with the volt and Volvo phev is that my use pattern is not good for phev. Great for EV (frequent short drives). I could go 6+months on a 13 gallon tank of gas with a 18 mile electric range phev. This really is not good for it. Then in the winter it would turn on daily for a couple minutes. Not long enough to really warm up the oil/cats, but long enough to allow for more condensation and fuel to get mixed into the oil. Used oil analysis showed 8+percent fuel dilution. The oil looked like a coffee (not black coffee) and smelled like gasoline. The battery also got quite a workout 6C power draw regularly (80 up on a 9.7kWh battery) and cycled from 90 percent to 18 percent regularly (absolute battery percent, not displayed percentages). The volt was better than the XC90 due to a bigger battery, but it still had an ice motor that was infrequently used. At the end of our first summer it had a lifetime mpg of 250+, which fell into the low 200s by the end of its first winter. It stayed at 250+ for its entire life after that. If going with a gasoline powered vehicle I would want it to be conventional, non-hybrid, but I would also probably drive it less than 500 miles per year. Even if I have to charge on the road I'd prefer the driving response of our EVs. I like our lightning, but if I have to replace it I will be looking for another EV that will tow at least 7k pounds (sailboat plus trailer weigh a bit over 6k) safely the 15 miles round trip to the lake and back home in spring/fall.

 

[davehu]

True, the dealers are gonna be happy when you get app reminders to bring in your EREV for its 5,000 mile generator oil change and various other gas engine maintenance

oh no problem, you'll

Thank you for the update.

A big part of my decision to go with the Lightning is mainly staying with a proven legacy automaker, full EV drivetrain to minimize maintenance, and home backup capabilities utilizing the large battery without a noisy engine running.

While I understand the decisions and look forward to what you guys cook up, it does stings a bit.

exactly. I'm 70 years old and cespite this announcement I still expect it to last me 15 years. Sparky will probably be the last vehicle I ever own.

 

[Lightning Rod]

This is deeply concerning. Ford just caves to the anti-EV nuts and now after just a few years, us Lightning owners are all screwed. Farely needs to step down and go away.

I've been an F-150 owner for over 2 decades but like others have said... I'm done with buying Ford products. My girlfriend was looking to buy an Escape or another Ford SUV but now we're looking elsewhere.

Great job, Ford.

 

[davehu]

Exactly. The dealers killed the Lightning by not wanting to sell EVs.

you give dealer sales people wayyy too much credit.

 

[Stang68]

you give dealer sales people wayyy too much credit.

Lol I would never!

 

[MyJoule]

I've waited a few hours to get over my initial shock of this announcement. My take is that it is very short sighted of Ford to look only at the current sales numbers and decide to kill what is likely the best vehicle Ford has ever made. In my use case it meets all of my needs and I do drive it on road trips over 1600 miles 3 times a year. But only after we gained access to an actual working DC fast charging network ( Tesla) I have 2 complaints about my '22 Lightning that now has 37,000 miles on it. 1. It needs better software- which of course will now not happen (Anyone working to port Tesla's software to the Lightning? ) and 2. a new model would be much better with 4 wheel steering to improve the turning radius. I suppose a 3rd complaint is that it doesn't DC charge as fast as a Tesla ( I own a Model S too) so that 1600 mile trip takes a few hours longer than the Model S does. But I've learned to stop and smell the roses from time to time anyway.

I know it won't happen, but Ford should really reconsider the announcement from yesterday and go all in on their original EV plan Screw the dealers and the government. I'm very upset that when I decide to replace the Lightning, I'll have yet one more less choice.

FWIW- I'm equally critical of Tesla's insistence that everyone wants FSD and a RoboTaxi. Both are far from the truth. and don't even get me started on the Cybertruck's blatant ugliness. While it's packed with new tech, and I would have probably bought one had it not looked like a trash can, I picked the Lightning instead for it's practicality I knew going in it wasn't going to tow 300 miles on a charge, Gas F150s don't get 20MPH towing either.

I guess I'll keep my orphan for a few years before deciding what to do .

 

[Maineiac12]

No, an EREV is not an EV. ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

People can wordsmith all they want. ELECTRIC VEHICLE doesn't include GASOLINE.

A PHEV is a misnomer also. It's a Plug-in HYBRID. If you want to call a HYBRID and ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THEN YOU HAVE TO ALSO CALL IT A GAS VEHICLE...

Bunch of BS garbage they're using.

If the truck is propelled only by electric motors it’s an electric vehicle. Same power, torque, etc.

If the gas is only there to charge the battery WHEN NEEDED then I don’t have any issues. Obviously it’ll depend on how they implement the tech but I’m not going to write it off until I see it in action.

 

[davehu]

Disappointing af. My next truck will be a Rivian.

What a disappointment. Kowtowing to the anti-EV fo$$il fuel industry. Never going back to a gas vehicle. Can't wait to buy a Chinese EV truck.

Ford isn't abandoning gas vehicles, they still predict in 2030 50% of their vehicles will be gas. They are just giving different choice from what they have now. Choice is good

 

[TruckOwner1]

This is just a regurgitated 2020 gameplan. Does anyone remember that Ford still holds this patent?
https://insideevs.com/news/446777/ford-f-150-ev-toolbox-disguised-generator/

The reason this is a poor decision, is that Ford is targeting 2029 to release an EREV Lightning replacement. If they want to know if this is something consumers are actually interested in, they could simply fulfill the patent they already have, integrate the necessary facilities into the existing lightning design and start selling by Q2 2026. If sales of the generator+ Lightning strongly outpace the Lightning without the generator, they know they are on to something and the EREV is probably the correct decision. This allows them to implement the product strategy for $Billions less investment. This is what a CEO who knows what they are doing would do.

Instead, Ford only entered the Electric market because Tesla announced the CyberTruck and Ford was shaking in their boots that there was no response to competition to their best selling vehicle. Their lack of early investment in the electric space meant they missed the peak market potential when fuel was $5/gallon.

$5 gas will come back and once again Ford will have missed having highly desired large battery pack EV's ready to roll out the door.

We all understand Ford's real problem. The legacy dealership model. Too many politicians own dealerships and invest heavily in carbon based fuel. Their resistance is insurmountable until fuel prices or impacts from fracking trigger revolt from consumers/voters. The result is the tail wagging the dog. Ford corporate relies upon the dealerships to align in messaging, but instead the independent dealers understand short term profits and have zero interest in changing.

Meanwhile, those stating they are going to move to a Tesla because of this announcement. I would suggest you consider the logic. One of the biggest obstacles to the EV market is the current administration. Musk spent $millions of his own money to put this administration in power to destroy what you currently have. If you really want a 100% EV option, I would suggest you spend your money with companies that share your vision.

 

[davehu]

I hope they have an electric only version. I do not want to have any gas. I have moved on and don’t need two power plants in my vehicle.

from the press release: The first vehicle from the Universal EV Platform will be the fully connected midsize pickup truck assembled at Louisville Assembly Plant starting in 2027.

I guess my next truck will be a Rivian.

from the ford press relase: The first vehicle from the Universal EV Platform will be the fully connected midsize pickup truck assembled at Louisville Assembly Plant starting in 2027.

 

[arod412]

Of course its happening, but the people don't have a choice. You choose, want a "free market" or a "dictated market".

Russia \ Saudi Arabia and the kickbacks from the visits from Kushner kinda works against your statement.

Follow the oil money and you will see that its not the "free market" you are talking about.

 

[Quibbs]

Something to consider, all this is if* the EREV is released. I'm not convinced it's forthcoming. Until there is the YT videos showing it, testing, etc. that companies usually throw out to the online world, it's just vaporware. No if, ands or buts...

The only thing we have now is what Ford is saying. I've read online speculation this is a stall tactic to see which way to pivot depending on political winds and tech. Maybe something to it. Maybe the intent is real. Still, all vaporware until there is something more tangible to see.

Why will a EREV sell so many more than pure EV? Seems to me if you don't want an EV you wont buy it and if you want an EV, you wont buy it. How many people really want a Ford truck EV and are just sitting on the sidelines because of range?

I'm willing to bet it will be closer to a wash in sales than a major win. The only way this makes any sense to me is if Ford ends up losing the ICE only version of the F150. Otherwise what is the business case here?

Where I would disagree with others who argue there is this big market for EREVs my reply is let's wait and see. I'm willing to bet there isn't. Ford went into this thinking they would sell 100k EV truck units a year, instead they sold 100k units in 3 years. How many bought the lighnting because it was only electric? Probably more than half. What happens to those potential lost sales if it gains a motor? lose a good portion of those you now have to make that up in new sales.

Also, what are the chances the new lightning is more expensive than a pure ICE brethren? or pure ev? You just added complexity and weight, and materials. Unless you greatly reduce the battery size. Then whats the point there?

It seems to me that if Ford was really going to do this right they would have gone EREV with the larger truck offerings (F250, etc.). Those are most likely going to be purchased for towing.

Maybe I'm missing something. Just seems like a way for Ford to try and put a good spin on a bad situation.

 

[rembrant]

People who say this is a step forward have never owned a PHEV that's broken down. It's more complicated than an EV and less reliable.

i3 REx was less reliable than the i3.
Volt was less reliable than the Bolt

I've been covering this industry for 20 years, and seriously, it feels like everything we've done in the last 20 years has just been wiped out by [redacted] wanting to [redacted] POTUS.

I agree with you! The United States is going backwards in technology because of the criminal in the White House! They are owned by the oil industry!
I will never buy a ice truck again.

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