Ford considers ending F-150 Lightning

[BSEE SPARKY]

Just saw on CNBC, FORD is talking about not restarting Lightning production.

If they would have marketed it with commercials instead of just having in the background. It would have sold. I never saw one tv commercial talking about power, range, and other. They decided to let the myths be the truth in buyers minds.

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[COrocket]

If anyone at Ford reads this…there’s no way I’d ever go back to a gas F-150 or any other gas vehicle for that matter. If I ever had to replace my Lightning and I couldn’t buy another new Lightning, I’d probably switch brands or buy a used Lightning.

 

[The Weatherman]

That report came from the Wall Street Journal , if I’m not mistaking, not Ford directly. It still be true , but I’m holding off on judgement until it is confirmed.

If true, it would be crushing to me. I am an absolute fan boy of the F150 Lightning.

 

[Quibbs]

What a big mistake if true.

Seems Ford expected too much up front and apparently expected a payback sooner than it was going to materialize.

I am sure their dealer network didn't help much either.

Great truck, better than any of their gas versions as far as I am concerned.

No sweat off my back, I will not go back to gas or hybrid.

I'll just scratch this itch somewhere else if I have to.

 

[Athrun88]

I sing praises when people ask me about my truck. Highlight the advantages and disadvantages compared to the competition and most will agree that the Lightning is the best value/experience/capacity/capability. It would be sad if Fairley crumbled to the bean counters and discontinued their most capable vehicle, in my opinion, because they didn't invest in both R&D *and* marketing resulting in less then stellar sales figures.

 

[Maquis]

The economic viability depends too much on CAFE and emissions standards, carbon credits, and tax incentives. All of these have been or are in the process of being eased/eliminated/rolled back.

Given my age, my Lightning is likely my last pickup truck, so discontinuation won’t affect me directly.

 

[RLXXI]

None of the news sources cited have any legitimacy. Ford will listen to the bottom line, what ever sells.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Right now, we’re focused on producing F-150 ICE and Hybrid as we recover from the fire at Novelis. We will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center back up at the right time, but don’t have an exact date at this time.

 

[Vulnox]

Yeah it seems like a lot of the source for this is someone at a dealership and they are just running with it because negative EV news gets clicks.

That said, Farley has made no secret that while he sees that EVs are needed and essential, even if it's a growing pain right now for the market, that the ultra large battery pack vehicles like large SUVs and trucks aren't moving the needle for enough people.

While I could argue until I was blue in the face that a good 60% of F-150 owners, at least, don't even need an F-150 let alone a gas one and the Lightning would at least make the ownership experience a bit less costly on the fuel side, there isn't much Ford can do to overcome the headwinds right now aside from cutting the price a good 10-15% across the board and making the EV Lightning a slightly better cost proposition than the ICE model.

I wish they would at least try something like that for a year before making any drastic decisions. Nobody ever likes to do price cuts, but even Ford execs know people are getting more shy about the ever increasing transaction costs, and rebates aren't enough to get people in the door right away.

Also, I don't see going back to a gas F-150 either. I went 3.5 Eco to 2.7L, another 2.7L, then Powerboost and Powerboost before the Lightning. I really like the F-150 platform, but I was always looking for more from the actual drivetrain. The Lightning was the answer and I can't see going back to spending $100 every two weeks on gas and the sluggishness. I have been a Ford die-hard for a while, but I would have to consider another brand at least for our truck/larger vehicle needs for whoever is selling an EV when it comes time for the Lightning to go.

Hopefully whatever Ford has coming for the low cost new platform it's at least a decent size vehicle with good second row legroom, as the Maverick and Ranger are too cramped.

 

[BSEE SPARKY]

Right now, we’re focused on producing F-150 ICE and Hybrid as we recover from the fire at Novelis. We will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center back up at the right time, but don’t have an exact date at this time.

Thanks for responding.

 

[fvineyard]

Right now, we’re focused on producing F-150 ICE and Hybrid as we recover from the fire at Novelis. We will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center back up at the right time, but don’t have an exact date at this time.

Ditto. Thanks for responding!

 

[RSMLightning25]

Right now, we’re focused on producing F-150 ICE and Hybrid as we recover from the fire at Novelis. We will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center back up at the right time, but don’t have an exact date at this time.

This is not an answer nor confirmation of anything around cancellation. It's well known that Ford will prioritize ICE and Hybrid in the near term to get back to production capacity.

Question is will we see actual comms from Ford killing the next gen lightning. Time will tell.

 

[Rice_classic]

Another way of saying it: "We're going to wait until the headwinds at the federal level are less dynamic and adversarial."

 

[Ford Motor Company]

This is not an answer nor confirmation of anything around cancellation. It's well known that Ford will prioritize ICE and Hybrid in the near term to get back to production capacity.

Question is will we see actual comms from Ford killing the next gen lightning. Time will tell.

No change to the plan for next-gen vehicles.

 

[Stang68]

I blame the dealers. They’re not incentivized at all to sell EVs, they want people coming back for service appointments. If they put in even a little effort, they could explain that an EV is better for most buyers.

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