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

[Danface]

My take was in reply to a poster who was suggesting that EVs arent there because they are subsidized while ignoring how many things in this country are.

I am not advocating no government by any means. In fact I believe we need government to try and keep the playing field as level as possible. There are a multitude of reason we need a good robust federal government.

However for a good many the current state of affairs is what happens when that federal system falls into the wrong hands.

Unfettered capitalism is just as dangerous as a maleficent government.

100% agree

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[Shmoe]

100%. The reality is like it or not, is the Chinese government allows for a long-term view of growth and strategy paving the way for businesses to plan accordingly. That being said they are by no means perfect and there is an over abundance of EV’s in China because of over production. But what that has allowed is a huge leap forward in technology.

The same progress can be seen in their energy industry, their navy/military complex, infrastructure, etc. Take for example their recent progress with thorium reactors. Technology, which is the US pioneered back in the 60s, but then just gave up on.

Chinese is kicking everybody’s ass and has been for a long time. We just don’t know it.

We should've taken a page from their book.. "New Energy" is much better than anything we came up with.

 

[Lomilar]

Probably will get buried, but here's a point!

Per this source: One advantage of a series hybrid (EREV in this case) is going to be much more efficient use of fuel in most situations since the engine will be able to maintain optimal load/RPM. Combine with something like an atkinson cycle (which I doubt?) and it'll have advantages over other hybrid models for fuel efficiency.

Edit: Almost forgot the point. That means that the engine can be right sized for the "tow up hill with empty battery" because it won't ever have to consider starting up that hill. We only really have to consider peak HP, so there will be no need for turbos or anything clever. This should arguably help with packaging and maintainability.

I still have massive concerns over the potential growing pains of series hybrids, but it certainly is a much more cautious step in the right direction. Still think it belongs more in the 250/350, but if you pretend the last 8 years didn't happen, this makes a kind of sense.

P.S. This is also what a transmission does, but transmissions don't also store energy.

 

[earlyadopt]

100%. The reality is like it or not, is the Chinese government allows for a long-term view of growth and strategy paving the way for businesses to plan accordingly. That being said they are by no means perfect and there is an over abundance of EV’s in China because of over production. But what that has allowed is a huge leap forward in technology.

The same progress can be seen in their energy industry, their navy/military complex, infrastructure, etc. Take for example their recent progress with thorium reactors. Technology, which is the US pioneered back in the 60s, but then just gave up on.

Chinese is kicking everybody’s ass and has been for a long time. We just don’t know it.

That was a nice way of outlining the facts. This short term thinking and planning is causing long term trouble. The long game that China plays is a good one. When will the West learn and wake up.
US politics will kill the auto industry if it is not already a regional player

 

[Texas Dan]

Get this Ford, I will NEVER buy an EREV. The Lightning isn’t perfect but I will stick with it until either it dies or I die or a much better EV comes out.

I will say this for all the Lightning fans, the Lightning became a classic as soon as it went into production. Someday our Lightnings are going to selling for high dollars at classic auto auctions. Just the power alone puts most of the classic cars of the 1960s to shame.

 

[LifeAsDane]

you can do that even without them killing off the model. lol

This is true

 

[mgmessner89]

I feel like this a weird solution to a complex problem. I own an EV for a plethora of reasons....charging rate at home is pennies, I don't have to deal with unhoused at gas stations, my ride is quieter, I don't have to schedule maintenance. And this might the little liberal in me but I think EVs will eventually be a piece of the puzzle to curb climate issues. Putting a generator in a truck does not serve any needs I have

I take my truck camping, I haul, I do road trips, I drive it as a truck and never had any concerns. Good luck on your EREV Ford, I know my heart and my wants and when my truck kicks the bucket I will buy another BEV or whatever exist at the time. Most EV owners own BEVs because they believe in BEVs

 

[klossfam]

Hi F-150 Lightning owners,

I’m coming to you today with an update on our product roadmap. There has been a lot of speculation recently and we just went live with some news. So, I want to give you the facts straight from Ford, explain what is changing, and more importantly, why.

With the F-150 Lightning, we proved an electric truck could be a hit, and it has remained the best-selling electric pickup. Let’s be real about what we’ve learned from you, the owners, and the market over the last few years. You love the electric performance, smoothness, and the tech, but for those that drive long distances, take frequent trips or tow heavy loads across state lines often, an F-150 Lightning might not be the truck for them. And we want it to be.

We took a bet, produced an amazing product that so many people love, and now we’re making adjustments in response to evolving market realities, consumer preferences, and the regulatory environment. No one could have predicted how the EV landscape would change in the U.S., which has impacted the industry.
That is why our next-generation F-150 Lightning will be an EREV. 100% electric power delivery, sub-5-second acceleration – and adds an estimated 700+ mile range with locomotive-like towing capability. That is a game-changer for our customers. Like the current F-150 Lightning, the next-gen version will also offer exportable electricity that can power everything from work sites to camp sites to homes during a power outage.

For those who aren’t familiar with EREVs, this isn't a traditional plug-in hybrid. This is an electric vehicle with an on-board generator. It’s designed to give you the electric capability you enjoy around town, but with the range and towing confidence of a gas truck when you’re hauling a boat or camper. It will be assembled right here in Dearborn at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.

What this means for the current generation F-150 Lightning and “T3” truck​

Production of the current generation of F-150 Lightning will end this year, and we have also made the decision to no longer produce the next-generation full-size electric truck, also known as “T3”. For those that still wish to purchase a MY25 F-150 Lightning, we have good inventory and interested customers can purchase from dealer stock.

If you have an order in, or were waiting on one, please contact your dealer immediately to see if your vehicle will be built or if they can match you to an existing stock unit.

As for existing Lightning customers who might be coming off lease or looking or a new Lightning, we are looking at the following:

• Assist early adopters to purchase or lease a new 25MY Lightning
• Offering extensions to customers who wish to extend their leases beyond the original term
• Providing dealer support to help match customer with available inventory

What about support for my current F-150 Lightning?​

I know reading "production is ending" can be nerve-wracking for current owners. I want to be clear: We are committed to ensuring ongoing support of your vehicle’s software updates, quality and experience. Like all vehicles, we will maintain parts and service for 10 years. The team is not walking away from the current F-150 Lightning, and I’m not going anywhere.

The Ford Universal EV Platform​

While we shift F-150 Lightning to EREV, we are absolutely maintaining our plans and investment in the next generation of affordable EVs. The new Universal EV (UEV) platform is now more important than ever for Ford. UEV platform development is well underway. This flexible architecture will underpin a new family of smaller, more affordable, and cost-efficient vehicles—starting with a midsize pickup in 2027.

There is no impact to Mustang Mach-E. Mustang Mach-E is a great success story and is now available in almost 60 markets across the globe. It continues to be a standout electric SUV and plays an important role in the portfolio.

Other News: Battery Technology​

We are also making moves to make our business more sustainable. We are repurposing our Kentucky battery plant to build large-scale battery storage systems (for grid and industrial use), and our Michigan plant will be focusing on prismatic LFP cells. The same Michigan plant will be ramping up production in 2026 to power the new midsize electric truck built on our new Universal EV Platform.

Ford has been in manufacturing for over a century. We understand power management, thermal systems, safety engineering, and large-scale manufacturing. Our licensed LFP prismatic technology is proven, and our brand represents long-term accountability critical for 20+ year infrastructure investments.

I know this is a lot of news, and for the BEV purists, this might be tough to hear. We have a huge opportunity to get more people driving electric – whether that be plug-in hybrid, extended-range electric or pure electric vehicles and our plans set us up to succeed in this mission.

You can read the press release on this news here. I’ll be in the comments a later tonight to answer what I can.

Brian from Ford

Brian - As an original 2022 Lightning owner (75k miles) you know what would help the disappointment of Ford bailing on the Lightning? How about a $200/mo lease on a Mach-E for my wife? She drives an Ioniq 5 Ltd now but I'll go ALL Ford EV for the right price. I can be bought. PM me...

 

[VTbuckeye]

I drove a Chevy volt. EREV is just a different type of phev. It is a better type compared to the short range phev cars, but it still has a gas engine with all that entails. Will it use the gas generator for heat? This would be to gear the cabin as well as the battery. It would be foolish not to, however it then begs the question of will it be required to heat the cabin/battery or at what temperature will it turn on for heat.

With the volt the original marketing said electric when you want it, gas when you need it. Apparently when it got down to 14F Chevy thought that I needed it (I actually didn't need it). After a few weeks Chevy thought I needed it to run for engine maintenance. After months it ran for fuel maintenance. None of these fell into when I needed it. I needed it on that one trip to mount Washington. My wife needed it to complete a 70 mile round trip. A bigger battery would take care of the second situation and better infrastructure takes care of the first. We have better infrastructure.

As many have stated the EV fans will not buy an EREV because it isn't an EV, it is a serial hybrid (generally less efficient than a parallel hybrid). People who don't want batteries will pick a conventional/traditional truck. The curious will buy this and before too long will want the full EV version.

 

[Lomilar]

I drove a Chevy volt. EREV is just a different type of phev. It is a better type compared to the short range phev cars, but it still has a gas engine with all that entails. Will it use the gas generator for heat? This would be to gear the cabin as well as the battery. It would be foolish not to, however it then begs the question of will it be required to heat the cabin/battery or at what temperature will it turn on for heat.

With the volt the original marketing said electric when you want it, gas when you need it. Apparently when it got down to 14F Chevy thought that I needed it (I actually didn't need it). After a few weeks Chevy thought I needed it to run for engine maintenance. After months it ran for fuel maintenance. None of these fell into when I needed it. I needed it on that one trip to mount Washington. My wife needed it to complete a 70 mile round trip. A bigger battery would take care of the second situation and better infrastructure takes care of the first. We have better infrastructure.

As many have stated the EV fans will not buy an EREV because it isn't an EV, it is a serial hybrid (generally less efficient than a parallel hybrid). People who don't want batteries will pick a conventional/traditional truck. The curious will buy this and before too long will want the full EV version.

I do think the achilles heel here is that EREV is not enough of either EV nor Fuel to make anyone happy. If it's a 50kwh battery that needs to be charged, and a fuel tank that needs fuel, but also fuel stabilizer because you charge it every night.... but then arguably also have to fill it up... As many people said in this thread early, it's maybe the best of both worlds, but it's also both worlds.

What was your perspective from the Volt side? I see a bit here, but did it all just seem like a lot?

 

[mgmessner89]

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?

> 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.

To me this is Ford failing the consumer. They could have had a much smoother rollout but screwed up so bad with the misinformation on pricing. I have pool guys in my extended family and they were all looking at Lightnings. It's a perfect truck for jobs like that and Ford effed it up so hard. Blue Collar workers very seldom forget being lied to. I had a deposit down on one and laughed when the true price came to fruition. I waited a year or so to buy at 44k OTD. The blue collar guys moved on way before the price became attractive

 

[jeff_h]

With the volt the original marketing said electric when you want it, gas when you need it. Apparently when it got down to 14F Chevy thought that I needed it (I actually didn't need it). After a few weeks Chevy thought I needed it to run for engine maintenance. After months it ran for fuel maintenance. None of these fell into when I needed it. I needed it on that one trip to mount Washington. My wife needed it to complete a 70 mile round trip. A bigger battery would take care of the second situation and better infrastructure takes care of the first. We have better infrastructure.

I also had a Volt, and even though I drove over 100 miles per day I was able to charge at work and the only time the ICE (aka generator, I guess) came on was during the engine mx mode every 6 weeks, or fuel mx mode every year.

Now I have the XLT ER and still drive a lot, 73k miles in 18 months and I always keep my eye open on the market as I get a new car every 3-4 years, just the nature of the long commute. I have no desire to add the complexity and carry around an engine that I'll never use (but if Ford's market research says others will, more power to those customers), so I will get a BEV and it needs to be a pickup (I live rural, no curbside trash pickup so the toter gets loaded into the back). I just hope it doesn't have to be a GM BEV pickup, I use CarPlay everyday and they've removed it so out goes them... oh well, will keep reading these forums and hope to be ready when the time comes.

 

[VTbuckeye]

I do think the achilles heel here is that EREV is not enough of either EV nor Fuel to make anyone happy. If it's a 50kwh battery that needs to be charged, and a fuel tank that needs fuel, but also fuel stabilizer because you charge it every night.... but then arguably also have to fill it up... As many people said in this thread early, it's maybe the best of both worlds, but it's also both worlds.

What was your perspective from the Volt side? I see a bit here, but did it all just seem like a lot?

For the volt is was one more thing to possibly go wrong, though we only owned it for 6 years so not much actually went wrong with it. I'd rather not fuel up a car. I'd rather not have a noisy vibrating contraption under the hood. My wife's first thought when driving one of our ice cars was always "is something wrong with this? Why does it sound/feel like it does.". At highway speed the volt was less bad than city driving. There is nothing quite like sitting at a red light or going 5mph with the generator going 2k RPM. You drive an electric vehicle partially for the peaceful driving experience. A constant rpm generator screaming away 6 feet from you is exactly the opposite of that driving experience. By the end of the first year with the volt I wanted a full EV. It was replaced with a bolt. We are all EV in house at this point (Volvo EX90, Volvo xc40, lightning, mini Cooper SE).

 

[Lightning Rod]

This f150 Lightning is the best and my most favorite vehicle I have ever owned. I was really hoping to replace it with an even more improved version.

This.

I had planned to keep my 23 Lariat for 8 or 12 years and was looking forward to buying a new and improved version in the future. Ford has completely pulled the rug out from under us.

 

[Lomilar]

For the volt is was one more thing to possibly go wrong, though we only owned it for 6 years so not much actually went wrong with it. I'd rather not fuel up a car. I'd rather not have a noisy vibrating contraption under the hood. My wife's first thought when driving one of our ice cars was always "is something wrong with this? Why does it sound/feel like it does.". At highway speed the volt was less bad than city driving. There is nothing quite like sitting at a red light or going 5mph with the generator going 2k RPM. You drive an electric vehicle partially for the peaceful driving experience. A constant rpm generator screaming away 6 feet from you is exactly the opposite of that driving experience. By the end of the first year with the volt I wanted a full EV. It was replaced with a bolt. We are all EV in house at this point (Volvo EX90, Volvo xc40, lightning, mini Cooper SE).

I went from a Ford Fusion + Mazda 2 to a Bolt + Mazda 2, got jealous of my wife because she got to drive the EV and I learned to hate car farts once I experienced a full EV. Went to Bolt + Spark EV, then Bolt + Y, now Lightning + Y. Nothing in my house uses gas except the stove (and I keep eyeing it).

In my head, the problem with EVs isn't the experience of owning an EV, it's 1) getting people into one, and 2) keeping them from getting back out because of no-garage/rental/infrastructure reasons etc.

The driving factor for these decisions isn't the EV ownership experience, it's not being able to sell EVs when people walk in the door.

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