Ford Motor Company has stopped production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning and is shifting its focus to hybrid trucks and a future line of smaller, cheaper electric vehicles. Battery factories originally intended to supply Ford’s electric trucks will be repurposed to produce stationary storage batteries for the electric grid and for industrial customers like data centers.
Ford said the decision reflects customer demand and the financial realities that the all-electric Lightning could not reach profitability. “The American consumer is speaking clearly and they want the benefits of electrification like instant torque and mobile power,” said Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Ford Model e. He added that consumers also demand affordability, so Ford will redirect investment from large EVs with no clear path to profit into higher-return areas.
The company plans an extended-range plug-in hybrid version of the F-150 that includes a gasoline generator to extend driving range when the battery is depleted. In effect, the all-electric Lightning is being retired in favor of an extended-range Lightning that returns a combustion component to the truck.
Introduced with fanfare in 2021 and an advertised starting price near $40,000, the Lightning never sold at that entry price; the 2025 model began around $55,000. The truck emphasized mainstream truck styling and utility, with multiple onboard outlets to power tools, tailgate appliances, or even a home during outages. It earned several accolades — including MotorTrend’s 2023 Truck of the Year and other industry honors — and was the best-selling electric truck in the U.S. in a recent quarter, according to Ford.
Despite those successes, electric pickups overall have underperformed relative to high expectations for performance, range while towing, affordability, and sales. The Lightning faced reliability concerns and complaints about limited towing range, and Ford reportedly lost money on each vehicle produced. EV sales industrywide have been lower than automakers anticipated, and production costs did not fall as quickly as hoped.
Policy changes under the current administration also influenced Ford’s decision. The federal government rolled back EV incentives, including a $7,500 tax credit for some buyers, and loosened emissions and fuel economy standards that had encouraged automakers to produce more EVs. Those regulatory changes reduced incentives for keeping unprofitable EV models in the lineup.
Moving forward, Ford will prioritize smaller, more affordable electric models. The company has announced a midsize electric pickup targeting a roughly $30,000 price point, expected to arrive in about a year. The shift will result in billions of dollars in write-offs and other costs this year, but Ford says it expects profitability gains by replacing money-losing large EVs with more compact, affordable offerings.
Because Ford now has more battery manufacturing capacity than needed for vehicle production, it will convert a Kentucky battery plant to make batteries for stationary storage. Those batteries can help balance the electric grid by charging when supply is abundant and discharging when demand is high, a role already growing in places like California and Texas. Ford will also sell these batteries to industrial customers such as data centers.