Ford F-150 Lightning future uncertain, may be discontinued?

Video : Introducing the 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck.

Ford executives are reportedly in “active discussions” about the fate of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, amid a slowdown in the electric vehicle (EV) segment and a serious supply disruption. If the decision is made to discontinue production, the F-150 Lightning would become the first electric truck in the segment to be discontinued. The move is not surprising, as sales of this model have been consistently lower than expected.

The future of the F-150 Lightning has been uncertain since Ford halted production of the vehicle on October 23 at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center plant. The cause was a fire that destroyed part of the Novelis aluminum plant in New York, a major aluminum supplier for Ford's pickup trucks and SUVs. The incident was so serious that Ford warned it might have to halt production of the gasoline-powered F-150 as well.

Ford F-150 Lightning sales are poor, may be considered for discontinuation?

When asked if the F-150 Lightning production halt might be permanent, CEO Kumar Galhotra was vague, saying the company is focused entirely on the F-150 (gasoline version) and will “restore the F-150 Lightning when conditions allow.” However, according to the Wall Street Journal, the fate of the F-150 Lightning is being discussed internally, although no final decision has been made.

While Ford spokesman Dave Tovar stressed that the F-150 Lightning remains the best-selling electric pickup in the United States, the numbers paint a worrying picture. Ford sold 10,005 units in the third quarter of 2025, up 39.7% from the same period last year, but the growth is believed to have come largely from buyers taking advantage of a $7,500 federal tax credit before it expired at the end of September.

According to Cox Automotive, from the beginning of the year to the end of the third quarter of 2025, Ford only sold a total of 23,034 F-150 Lightnings, an increase of only 1% compared to the same period in 2024.

Looking at the entire process, the picture becomes less bright. According to Cox Automotive, from the beginning of the year through the third quarter of 2025, Ford sold a total of 23,034 F-150 Lightnings, up just 1% from the same period in 2024. By comparison, during the same period, GM sold 3,940 Silverado EVs and Tesla sold about 5,385 Cybertrucks.

The problem appears to be far from unique to Ford. The WSJ also reports that General Motors (GM) is considering discontinuing some electric truck models due to weak sales, although a GM spokesperson has denied this. Meanwhile, Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, canceled plans to produce an electric version of its full-size Ram pickup earlier this year.

If the decision to kill the F-150 Lightning is approved, it will be a major turning point in Ford's electric vehicle strategy.

It was expected that automakers would start phasing out some electric vehicles, especially after federal tax incentives ended, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. He said the F-150 Lightning is a “typical candidate” for being killed off because it doesn’t share parts with any other Ford, which drives up production costs and makes it difficult to achieve economies of scale.

Total EV sales in the US in October 2025 reached only 74,897 vehicles, down sharply from 98,289 vehicles in September. If the decision to discontinue the F-150 Lightning is approved, this will be a major turning point in Ford's electric vehicle strategy, and at the same time reflect the adjustment of the entire industry in the face of the fact that demand for electric vehicles is slowing significantly in the US market.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/ford-f-150-lightning-tuong-lai-bat-dinh-co-the-bi-khai-tu-post2149067348.html