The F-150 Lightning might not be with us for much longer. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ford is considering ending production of its flagship electric truck, making the model in some ways the first major victim of electrification's loss of momentum in the U.S.
Production already suspended since October
Production of the F-150 Lightning has been on pause since mid-October, following a fire at aluminum supplier Novelis. Ford then announced it wanted to concentrate its efforts on the gasoline and hybrid versions of the F-150, the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for decades. The automaker plans to transfer all employees from the Lightning plant to the Dearborn Truck Plant, adjacent to the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC), by early 2026 to compensate for production delays.
Ford remains vague on the future
During the presentation of the third-quarter results, Ford COO Kumar Galhotra did not confirm if the current pause was definitive, in fact he repeated that “as soon as we are ready, we will restart production at the REVC.”
However, according to a memo obtained by Automotive News, Ford reportedly informed its suppliers to reduce the pace to about 280 units per week starting in February, down from 950 before the production stop — a major decrease.
No final decision yet
The Wall Street Journal specifies that no official decision has been made yet. In a statement on November 6, Ford made a point of reiterating the strong market position of the model:
“The F-150 Lightning remains the best-selling electric truck in the United States, despite competition from the Cybertruck, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, the GMC Hummer, and the Rivian R1T. We are concentrating our efforts on producing the gasoline and hybrid versions of the F-150, while we recover from the fire at Novelis. We have good inventory and will restart the REVC at the appropriate time.”
- Ford statement
A new electric truck to come
According to Automotive News, Ford is already planning the end of the Lightning by 2028, when production of a new full-size electric truck is set to begin at the BlueOval City plant in Tennessee. This future model, nicknamed T3 internally, was initially supposed to be the second generation of the Lightning, but with a completely redesigned architecture and design.
A symbol losing energy
When it launched in 2022, the F-150 Lightning represented the spearhead of Ford's electric strategy. The automaker had even tripled the capacity of the Rouge EV Center to reach an annual production of 150,000 units. But as early as 2024, Ford had to reduce the plant's workforce by two-thirds, due to sluggish demand.
If the end of the Lightning is confirmed, it would be a major setback for the electrification of the American pickup, and a sign that the market is not yet ready to abandon traditional engines.