Ford Motor Company announced on Monday that it is ending production of the F-150 Lightning truck and pivoting to focus on manufacturing hybrid vehicles and smaller electric vehicles that are more affordable for consumers.
According to NPR, Ford Blue and Ford Model E President Andrew Frick told reporters on Monday that the company has stopped production of the electric F-150 Lightning truck after determining that the truck would never be profitable for the company.
“The American consumer is speaking clearly and they want the benefits of electrification like instant torque and mobile power,” Frick said. “But they also demand affordability … rather than spending billions more on large EVs that now have no path to profitability, we are allocating that money into higher-returning areas.”
NPR reported that Ford initially announced in 2021 that the F-150 Lightning would cost roughly $40,000; however, the electric vehicle was ultimately sold at a significantly higher price than initially advertised. The outlet noted that the 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning had a starting price of approximately $55,000. NPR reported that Ford also lost money on every F-150 Lightning that was sold and that electric vehicle sales have been lower than expected.
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In a Monday press release, Ford explained that it “no longer plans to produce select larger electric vehicles where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes.”
Monday’s press release noted that Ford’s upcoming changes will give consumers expanded powertrain choice that will include hybrid vehicles and will focus electric vehicle production on “smaller, affordable models.”
“This is a customer-driven shift to create a stronger, more resilient and more profitable Ford,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said. “The operating reality has changed, and we are redeploying capital into higher-return growth opportunities: Ford Pro, our market-leading trucks and vans, hybrids and high-margin opportunities like our new battery energy storage business.”
Frick told reporters on Monday that regulation changes were part of the “entire landscape” that has led the company to shift toward a hybrid version of the F-150 and more affordable electric vehicle options. NPR reported that President Donald Trump’s administration has rolled back vehicle regulations implemented by former President Joe Biden’s administration that encouraged the production of electric vehicles and discouraged the production of gas vehicles.
According to Reuters, Ford announced that it expects to take a $19.5 billion writedown with the upcoming changes. The outlet noted that in addition to ending the production of the F-150 Lightning truck, Ford announced that it is canceling plans to manufacture another electric truck and electric vans.