Ford's electric F-150 could be the first victim of the recent EV slowdown

By Claudia Assis

Ford executives are reportedly discussing scuppering the F-150 Lightning

Ford sold fewer than 2,000 of its electric F-150 Lightning trucks in October.

Ford Motor Co. executives are considering scrapping the electric version of the carmaker's F-150 pickup truck, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Ford (F) had already halted production of the F-150 Lightning due to a fire at an aluminum supplier's plant, choosing instead to focus on gas-powered and hybrid versions of the truck. The F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for decades.

Ending the F-150 Lightning's run, which started in 2022, would make the truck among the first, and most visible, casualties of an EV slowdown that has hit carmakers this year. EVs are pricier than gas-powered vehicles, and Biden administration tax incentives for them ended in September.

According to the report, the executives are in "active discussions" to scupper the vehicle. No final decision has been made, the Journal said.

A Ford spokesperson said that the company does not comment on "speculation about future product plans."

"Right now, we're focused on producing F-150 [internal-combustion engine] and hybrid [vehicles] as we recover from the fire" at the supplier, the spokesperson said. "We have good inventories of the F-150 Lightning and will bring Rouge Electric Vehicle Center (REVC) back up at the right time, but don't have an exact date at this time."

Ford earlier this month said sales of its electric vehicles dropped 25% in October compared with October 2024. That included a 17% drop for the Lightning. Ford sold nearly 68,000 F-150 Series trucks that month, but fewer than 1,600 of the electric version.

The carmaker last month unveiled a plan to catch up on production of the F-150, its most iconic vehicle, saying it wanted to meet "strong" customer demand for the pickup trucks while making up for production losses stemming from the fire at an aluminum supplier's factory. It paused production of the Lightning, however.

Ford said it planned to increase production of its F-Series vehicles, including gasoline and hybrid models, by more than 50,000 trucks next year.

The carmaker said it was giving priority to gas and hybrid F-Series trucks because they are more profitable and use less aluminum than EVs. As part of the plan, hourly employees at REVC, Ford's EV plant in the Detroit area, will join a third crew at its Dearborn truck plant next door, the company said then.

Ford revamped its EV strategy in August, promising a new four-door, midsize electric pickup truck priced at about $30,000 two years from now. The new vehicle would be built on a new universal EV platform, which Ford said is expected to reduce parts by 20% and assembly time by 15%. A Ford Lightning starts at about $52,000.

See also: Ford is readying a 'compelling EV.' Will that be enough for the stock?

-Claudia Assis

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11-06-25 1554ET