F-150 Lightning EV canceled. To be replaced with EREV Lightning (700+ miles range)

[Acoustic71]

Honestly, seems like a good move for the demographic that buys traditional F150 trucks. This will drive like an EV and get them used to that, but keep the owners happy with the ability to stop at gas stations . Hopefully Ford can make money on them.

If you take away their gas station stops, you take away their social life.

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[FloridaMan655321]

Current Lightning owner here. I certainly don’t like this news. I wanted to buy a Rivian but they still do not have a 240v output in the bed. It really is the only reason I went with the Lightning.

I will say though, I am very happy with the Lightning and will be keeping it for a long time. I will certainly look at trading once (if ever) the R1T has a 240v output as I also use this to backup my house in hurricane-land.

 

[mkhuffman]

It is pretty insane that CATL has packs that will charge at 12C now. That's almost 8 times faster than Rivian.

I am very skeptical of their claims. Can they really do that for more than two seconds? Can they really do that without seriously damaging the battery? Can they do that safely, without risk of blowing something up? Maybe the answer to all those questions is "yes", but I doubt it. They lie about everything.

 

[mkhuffman]

Scout uses an NA 4 cylinder. Had they used their corporate 2.0 turbo, it likely would solve power issues.
https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...I-amp-2-0T-FSI-DYNO-GRAPHS-Comparisons-Inside!

AI thinks the approximate horsepower required for towing a 10000lbs trailer with bad aero is below. The NA 4 cylinder would have to rev too high and risk imploding.
65 mph

Rolling resistance: ~26 hp
Aerodynamic drag: ~80–95 hp
Total at wheels: 105–120 hp
At engine: 125–140 hp

75 mph (not recommended, but common)

Rolling resistance: ~30 hp
Aerodynamic drag: ~135–160 hp
Total at wheels: 165–190 hp
At engine: 195–225 hp

I am sure that the added weight of engine was also a factor for Scout. Weight can be overcome, but it will make ride worse, increase tire+wheel weight, will increase costs etc.

IMO when towing, the range extending engine will need to run most of the time while towing. When not towing, I bet many people will rarely need the engine. When towing, I bet it starts when the battery is at 90-95% SoC.

 

[savethemanual]

Current Lightning owner here. I certainly don’t like this news. I wanted to buy a Rivian but they still do not have a 240v output in the bed. It really is the only reason I went with the Lightning.

I will say though, I am very happy with the Lightning and will be keeping it for a long time. I will certainly look at trading once (if ever) the R1T has a 240v output as I also use this to backup my house in hurricane-land.

Well, with the upcoming EREV, you can just add gas to the tank when the truck battery runs low during an extended outage.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

Well, with the upcoming EREV, you can just add gas to the tank when the truck battery runs low during an extended outage.

Yeah….I’m hoping to stay with a full EV truck. I plan on keeping the current truck for at least another 8 or so years, so there is still time Rivian!

 

[savethemanual]

Pretty sure V2H is coming with Rivian.

 

[Jonger1150]

Pretty sure V2H is coming with Rivian.

Existing Rivians. Not some carrot dangled to force us to upgrade.

It all goes through the charge port.

An update on this would be nice. It will require DC to AC inverters.

 

[DuoRivians]

IMO, the biggest cause for Ford’s pivot is that there simply aren’t enough customers for full size electric pickups. Even Rivian isn’t doing great with R1T sales

 

[Fmc]

IMO, the biggest cause for Ford’s pivot is that there simply aren’t enough customers for full size electric pickups. Even Rivian isn’t doing great with R1T sales

I always thought the lightning would be good for plumbing and HVAC companies that service less than 100 miles/day. No oil changes, don’t have to give out gas cards, etc..but I was wrong so who knows what market exists for full-size EV trucks.

 

[DuoRivians]

I always thought the lightning would be good for plumbing and HVAC companies that service less than 100 miles/day. No oil changes, don’t have to give out gas cards, etc..but I was wrong so who knows what market exists for full-size EV trucks.

An ICE F150 is just a lot cheaper msrp wise. And it’s hard to convince people to think of total lifetime cost versus what you pay now

 

[mkhuffman]

I started my BEV journey as a MME owner. So I spent a lot of time on the sister MME forum. And I still go over there from time to time, because I really enjoyed that community. Anyway, a post from Ford seems very relevant to this discussion.
https://www.macheforum.com/site/thr...ev-roadmap-no-impact-to-mustang-mach-e.51620/

In case you don't want to go over to that forum, here is what Brian from Ford posted:
---

Hi Mustang Mach-E owners,

You may see headlines today, or perhaps you’ve been lurking over in the F-150 Lightning forum where the news just went live. I’m coming to you today to share an update on our product roadmap.

There is a lot of news flying around, so I want to give you the facts straight from Ford, explain what is changing for our electric trucks. There is no impact to Mustang Mach-E. Mustang Mach-E is a great success story and is now available in almost 60 markets across the globe. It continues to be a standout electric SUV and plays an important role in the Ford portfolio.

The News: A Shift for F-150 Lightning
With the F-150 Lightning, we proved an electric truck could be a hit, and it has remained the best-selling electric pickup. Let’s be real about what we’ve learned from you, the owners, and the market over the last few years. You love the electric performance, smoothness, and the tech, but for those that drive long distances, take frequent trips or tow heavy loads across state lines often, an F-150 Lightning might not be the truck for them. And we want it to be.

To solve that, we are shifting the next-generation F-150 Lightning to an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) architecture. For those who aren’t familiar with EREVs, this isn't a traditional plug-in hybrid. This is an electric vehicle with an on-board generator. It’s designed to give you the electric capability you enjoy around town, but with range and towing confidence. It will be assembled right here in Dearborn at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center.

To be transparent, that means that we will end production of the current generation F-150 Lightning at the end of this year. We will prioritize multi-energy powertrains for our large SUVs, trucks and vans, and have also made the decision to no longer produce the next-generation full-size electric truck, also known as “T3”.

"Okay Brian, but what about my Mustang Mach-E?"
I know seeing "production ending" for the Lightning might cause some swirl here. I want to be clear: This strategic shift is specific to F-150 Lightning and “T3” truck. The Mustang Mach-E continues to be a successful product for Ford, competing to attract new customers to the brand in the growing two-row electric SUV segment. Mach-E also has the highest conquest / loyalty rate in the Ford showroom. We know that for this segment (performance SUVs, commuters, and daily drivers) pure battery electric is fantastic.

At the same time, we are still investing in pure EVs. We are doubling down on the technology that powers them, including multi-energy powertrains.

• The Universal EV Platform: We are deep in development of our new Universal EV Platform (UEV) platform. This flexible architecture will underpin a new family of smaller, more affordable, and cost-efficient vehicles—starting with a midsize pickup in 2027. We believe the future of the EV market is affordable, high-volume vehicles, and that is exactly what this platform is engineered for. The UEV platform is more important than ever for Ford.
• Battery Tech: We are repurposing our Kentucky plant for grid storage and focusing our Michigan plant on LFP cells (which many of you already have in your newer Mach-Es).

No one could have predicted how the EV landscape would change in the U.S., which has impacted the industry. We took a bet, produced amazing products that so many people love, and now we must make some hard decisions in response to evolving market realities, consumer preferences, and the regulatory environment. Regardless, we are so proud of the current F-150 Lightning.

For the BEV purists, I know the EREV truck news might be tough to hear. We have a huge opportunity to get more people driving electric – whether that be plug-in hybrid, extended-range electric or pure electric vehicles, and our plans set us up to succeed in this mission.

You can read the press release on this news here. I’ll be in the comments later to answer what I can.

Brian from Ford

 

[COdogman]

I always thought the lightning would be good for plumbing and HVAC companies that service less than 100 miles/day. No oil changes, don’t have to give out gas cards, etc..but I was wrong so who knows what market exists for full-size EV trucks.

The Electric Co-op I work for has a Lightning, a Silverado EV, and a few Bolts in our fleet that anyone can grab when they need a company vehicle. They get used a ton and for the most part your assessment is correct. They barely require any maintenance at all. The biggest pain is keeping the interiors clean after people take them out in the field.

 

[Ralph]

I always thought the lightning would be good for plumbing and HVAC companies that service less than 100 miles/day. No oil changes, don’t have to give out gas cards, etc..but I was wrong so who knows what market exists for full-size EV trucks.

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