It's TINY! Ford's new $30k EV truck spotted (in camo) next to an Expedition for scale

[RickLightning]

I found my 2001 Ranger 4.0L met my needs - I could pull my 21ft boat with ease, the 6ft bed was great for hauling wood and my HD 883 Sportster, low enough to the ground that I could use a short ramp for the bike and easily put things like the 10 crates full of pottery my wife made for shows in and out of the bed, the cab rear seat was not a full supercab size, but I could squeeze a couple adults in there for short trips to the boat ramp (where I disconnected the trailer lights per the trailer instructions, lol), it was low enough that I didn't have to worry much about parking garages....more maneuverable than the Lightning too.

The only problem with it was the crappy gas mileage 18 city 20 hwy. It was a LEV (low emissions vehicle) but still a polluter.

I bought a 2012 Nissan Leaf in Dec 2011. If there had been an EV PU to buy, that would have been my choice.

I am not disliking the F-150 Lightning, but I could have been happy with a "smaller" Ranger sized truck...my wife once in a while drove the Ranger, the Lightning scares her a bit...I can just imagine her flooring it and running amok, lol.

Since I bought my 2023 Pro for about $45k (after up front tax credit) I am not planning on replacing it with the new smaller Ford EV PU, unless I win the lottery. It was the only available EV PU in the price range that I considered 'reasonable' at the time I bought (Jan 2024).

Ford will be competing with the Slate which will go for $30k from what the ads say.

I can see the reasoning that went into making an EV version of Ford's best selling PU, the F-150 at the time. I don't think abandoning it was a smart move, esp now that another middle-east war is going on which might have been predicted given the people involved.

The new Ford PU may be smaller, but...compare it to the Lightning...

more aerodynamic and lighter so 300mi range easily attainable
less expensive to make with less copper wire used for example
cheaper to repair, fewer parts
LFP batteries
expected MSRP $30k
NACS charge port (will they make an adapter for us FCSP owners?)
no legacy problem (we hope) like the things that plagues the ICE 150's
AND...
it is going to include integrated C-V2X capabilities, so they say!

Time will tell.

PS: sometimes the best things come in 'small' packages?

I can't imagine it will have a 300 mile range.

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[JRDM2]

Hopefully this solid state battery technology that's being touted lately will soon do away with the need for the EREV. I am very hopeful about these lighter, quick charging, cheaper to build batteries will be in EVs in the near future, providing 500 600 miles and more miles of range!

I can't wait!

I'm excited for the possibilities too.

 

[chl]

I can't imagine it will have a 300 mile range.

It's an estimate I have seen posted around.

It's possible though...drag and weight (causing friction) are reduced in the truck.

The Slate with a 65kWh battery is est to have a 205 mile range, and actually they price it at $25k, and it doesn't seem to tout aerodynamics.

https://fordauthority.com/2026/06/midsize-ford-ev-pickup-targeted-range-revealed/

 

[chl]

As I recall the entry level '27 Ford UEV PU will have a smallish 50kWh LFP battery and have around a 200 mile range.

Also read that Ford will offer an extended range version with a larger battery, maybe the NMC type though.

"Our strategy is to meet the expectation of some customers of around 300 miles of range. Instead of using larger, more expensive batteries to achieve this, we are focusing on extreme vehicle efficiency through aerodynamics, weight reduction, and energy management to achieve a similar range with a smaller, lower-cost battery." Mentioning that "some" customers are expecting about 300 miles of range certainly suggests that the midsize Ford EV pickup may not feature a total range figure near 300 for the standard range model. Instead, it seems like the company will also offer an optional nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, confirming previous reports...."

https://fordauthority.com/2026/06/midsize-ford-ev-pickup-targeted-range-revealed/

 

[flypony53]

Ford seems to be taking a Goldilocks approach to product development. The F-150 was probably too big to electrify (as a first electric truck) and the UEV is probably going to be too small. If they ever get around to doing an electric Ranger/Bronco it will probably be just right. Of course if they had asked me 6 or 7 years ago I could have told them that and saved them a lot of time and money .

I would be all in on a Bronco EV. For me, we loved our Rivian R1S, but I am a big guy and the front seat in the shoulder area was too narrow for me. The only other "SUVs" out there are all more of a cross over than SUV (Model Y, Mach E, Gravity, Model X, etc. The Hummer SUV EV is another real SUV, but it is entirely too big and inefficient.

 

[DavidS]

It's an electric Lobo Maverick

I don’t think you’re far off. Functionally it looks like they lifted the cab and bed to fit a battery underneath and made some aero improvements made possible by not having an engine in front. Of course structurally underneath it’s really a next generation vehicle using castings which are the modern version of frame on rail.
I don’t think many people with a depreciated Lightning are going to buy this new vehicle. At least not right away.
Finally, in coastal California cities, the F150 is definitely too big for everyday driving, but in the Midwest and other rural states, you pretty much need to own a pickup or have access to one to haul stuff to the dump or get to work in the winter.

 

[DemandingJay]

"Too big" is subjective. We like big trucks in the U.S., hell we like big EVERYTHING lol especially in Texas.

I'll likely test drive one when they come out to see what ride quality is like, I'm not optimistic of a plush ride in any kind of small vehicle, my old worn out back wouldn't stand much time in the seat of anything smaller as far as trucks go.

Fellow Texan here.

Hell, I wish I could get an F250 Lightning.

 

[dorbi]

So you just decided to hang around here and needle actual owners with no Internet on actually owning the product. Strange but ok. Some might label you a troll for that sort of thing.

Not at all. I was talking about paying more for a Flash specced Lightning vs an XLT that I was going for.

 

[Oldschoolofhardknox]

Fellow Texan here.

Hell, I wish I could get an F250 Lightning.

Exactly. I don't see the downside of a 580 HP full size truck that gets the equivalent of 70 mpg and uses no gas. I love it.

 

[dorbi]

I just wish it had a long bed, and was perhaps a single cab. As is, it seems like a compromise, but I understand one chassis configuration was the best approach at the time

 

[oldman_74]

The whole franchise laws in different states is the problem with this. Ford will claim to do this, but the dealers will file suit and stop it from happening. Asking where the scout ev/erev is? It was supposed to be direct to consumer and the Volkswagen dealers had a malfunction about it and here we are.

You can still buy it from the manufacturer and have it delivered but don’t think for a second ford won’t allow the dealers to charge delivery, prep and other fees that are bogus to make up the delta.

My uncle used to drive to Detroit and buy direct (Chrysler), maybe that would be the work around?

 

[K6CCC]

Here's my take on pickup size and 2nd row. First my truck history.
Dec. 85 - Bought a Toyota 4x4 "mini" truck with the extended cab. At the time I was single, had no prospects of getting married, and the single row seating was fine. I liked having the space behind the seat to carry stuff.. I put a ca high shell on it so stuff in the bed was fairly weather protected, and moderately secured. Took the shell off for one reason or another a couple times a year for short durations.
July 03 - When the Toyota died I now had a wife and two boys and I could not carry both boys in my truck. So a 2 row truck was the only option. I keep vehicles till they die, so although the boys were young and small, they grow up, so part of my selection criteria was to adjust the drivers seat to what I wanted and then get in the back seat. If I did not fit, the truck was not large enough. That ruled out anything that was not a true full size truck - so Silverado, Dodge Ram, and Ford full size truck. I wanted the 3/4 ton to get the beefier frame mainly because I really do carry large amounts of stuff up crappy mountain roads. So 2500 or F250. Settled on the Dodge and was very happy with it. BTW, the largest load I ever had in the bed was about 3,500 pounds (a pallet of 595 bricks).
Feb. 25 - Replaced the Dodge with the Lightning. I regularly carry more than one passenger so the rear seat is a requirement, and I usually have at least some stuff on the seat or floor. I grumble about the shorter bed, but so far I have been able to deal with it.
So my summary, I am glad to have a full size pickup with two rows of seating. Downgrading to something the size of a Maveric would be quite limiting.

 

[22legit2quit]

My uncle used to drive to Detroit and buy direct (Chrysler), maybe that would be the work around?

Unfortunately that sounds to me like the movie equivalent of driving to Hollywood to see a movie at the studio. It’s a nice thought and while many would be up for it, I’d bet you couldn’t drive one off the plant parking lot without it driving to a dealer first for “prep” and whatever their legal justification is.

When’s the last time any of us bought something directly from where it was made much less assembled? Maybe produce? Like an Apple or an orange. They’re getting parts from china, assembling some or most in Mexico or Canada then shipping to the US and from there to dealers. If I’m wrong on this someone please provide a build sheet that says something else. On the American made cars index there is no car that is 100% made and/or assembled in the USA, to include Tesla.

They (dealers and manufacturers) rigged this harness so they’ll ride it to the end. Vehicle sales in the current state is second level retail. Much like parts stores, beauty supply stores and even clothing. I mean second level because none of those industries provide anything that is needed right this second. First level is like food, pharmaceuticals, even building supplies, which is anything that’s needed now or they haven’t figured out how to distribute in a cost-efficient way to a normal consumer. Literally everything can be provided by Amazon or some sort of delivery service (carvana) at a fixed price with little to no nonsense. They’ve even gotten to where you can go on Amazon and buy a car from a local dealer, and I’m assuming that you might qualify for prime same day delivery at no charge.

 

[oldman_74]

Unfortunately that sounds to me like the movie equivalent of driving to Hollywood to see a movie at the studio. It’s a nice thought and while many would be up for it, I’d bet you couldn’t drive one off the plant parking lot without it driving to a dealer first for “prep” and whatever their legal justification is.

When’s the last time any of us bought something directly from where it was made much less assembled? Maybe produce? Like an Apple or an orange. They’re getting parts from china, assembling some or most in Mexico or Canada then shipping to the US and from there to dealers. If I’m wrong on this someone please provide a build sheet that says something else. On the American made cars index there is no car that is 100% made and/or assembled in the USA, to include Tesla.

They (dealers and manufacturers) rigged this harness so they’ll ride it to the end. Vehicle sales in the current state is second level retail. Much like parts stores, beauty supply stores and even clothing. I mean second level because none of those industries provide anything that is needed right this second. First level is like food, pharmaceuticals, even building supplies, which is anything that’s needed now or they haven’t figured out how to distribute in a cost-efficient way to a normal consumer. Literally everything can be provided by Amazon or some sort of delivery service (carvana) at a fixed price with little to no nonsense. They’ve even gotten to where you can go on Amazon and buy a car from a local dealer, and I’m assuming that you might qualify for prime same day delivery at no charge.

Nothing like a big dose of negativity to get you though the day. Borrowing problems before they are a problem is a good way to get ulcers. I know one lady personally that bought direct from VW and picked up her ID4 at her local dealer with no added $$$.

 

[EV Engineer]

It's too small for what i need it to do.

I'll say it again... I'm confident that Ford will bring the F-150 Lightning back into production one day. The truck is a success, at least to us that bought them... hell, it won truck of the year!

It looks like Ford got caught up in a political/bureaucratic "agreement" like other giant corporations did and I'm sure they are going to rethink their choices. Maybe with some redesign, but I see the BEV Lightning coming back in the future because it was a bit overpriced, but still a really great truck.

I pray it comes back. I will not get rid of mine until it's just too cumbersome to own.

I would argue the F150 Flash Lightning EV is probably the most swiss army knife vehicle you could own in today's market.


It will come back.

The real Achilles heel was the lack of infrastructure which (slowly) is getting better. The more long trips I take my truck on the more I am convinced the F150 Lightning is just such a capable vehicle for 95% of use cases.

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