Ford Is Ending the All-Electric F-150 Lightning (and Replacing It With an EREV). Here’s What That Really Means.

So, yes — the headlines are basically true: Ford is ending production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning as we know it and plans to bring the “Lightning” name back as a next-generation extended-range EV (EREV), where the truck is still driven by electric motors, but a gas engine acts as an onboard generator to extend range.

A lot of people hear that and immediately jump to: “EVs are dead.” Or “Ford is giving up.” I don’t see it that way — but I do think this is a major inflection point for electric pickup trucks, and it’s worth unpacking what happened and what comes next.

What Ford actually announced

Ford says production of the current F-150 Lightning ends in 2025, and its successor will be a next-gen F-150 Lightning EREV built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. Ford is claiming an estimated 700+ miles of total range thanks to the generator-backed setup, while keeping the “pure EV driving” feel (instant torque, quiet operation) because propulsion remains electric.

At the same time, Ford is pivoting toward a lineup where hybrids and EREVs play a bigger role, while it also works on smaller, more affordable EVs for later launches.

Why the Lightning struggled: the uncomfortable truth about “electric truck reality”

1) The Lightning was an EV built from an ICE truck playbook

One of the Lightning’s biggest strengths was also a constraint: Ford made the Lightning look and feel familiar — essentially an F-150 you already understood. That conservative approach helped early adoption, but it also meant Ford wasn’t starting from a totally clean-sheet EV architecture.

My take: Ford executed extremely well within the box they chose. But the EV truck market is quickly rewarding platforms that were engineered around batteries, charging, and packaging from day one.

2) Early-mover advantage fades fast when competition arrives

When the Lightning landed, it had a big “first mainstream electric full-size pickup” moment. But once more options arrived, the segment got real, fast — and buyers started cross-shopping range, charging performance, towing capability, and price with a much sharper pencil.

3) Towing is still the EV truck stress point

If you never tow, a battery-electric truck can be an incredible daily driver. But towing and long-distance hauling are where the current EV equation gets painful: high consumption, more charging stops, and longer overall time to reach your destination.

Ford’s own messaging suggests the EREV concept is aimed squarely at eliminating the need to stop and charge during long-distance towing scenarios.

The business side: why Ford is making this move now

Ford’s strategy shift isn’t just product philosophy — it’s financial. EV programs are expensive, and for many automakers profitability has been the hardest part of the transition.

In other words: Ford appears to be choosing a path it believes can scale profitably in the pickup space, even if that means stepping away from a “pure BEV Lightning” for now.

Is an EREV the future, or a detour?

For heavy-duty and commercial use, EREV makes a ton of sense

In the real world, fleets care about uptime and predictability. EREV can offer:

• EV driving and electric torque for day-to-day work
• Home/base charging when it’s convenient
• ICE Generator-backed flexibility when routes, towing loads, weather, or infrastructure make BEV-only a problem

And importantly, an EREV is not the same thing as a traditional hybrid drivetrain. In the EREV approach, the truck is still electric at the wheels — the gas engine’s job is power generation only.

But here’s my concern: Ford risks falling behind on BEV truck learning curves

Even if EREV is the right product for a big chunk of truck buyers today, full BEV tech keeps improving — batteries, charging curves, thermal systems, efficiency under load, and charging infrastructure.

If you don’t keep a strong BEV program alive in trucks, you risk losing years of real-world data and iteration. Competitors that keep refining BEV platforms could widen awareness, confidence, and capability gaps over time.

What I wish Ford would do (and what I’ll be watching next)

If I could design Ford’s “best of both worlds” roadmap, it’d look like this:

1. Keep a true, ground-up BEV half-ton truck program alive
   The half-ton use case (commuting, local work, weekend hauling, light-to-moderate towing) is where BEV shines.
2. Offer an EREV option as the “towing and long-haul "solution"
   Let buyers choose the tool that matches their reality — without forcing everyone into the same compromise.
3. Go EREV first in Super Duty (the real opportunity)
   A Super Duty EREV could be an industry disruptor: electric worksite power plus EV driving benefits plus long-range towing practicality. It’s the logical bridge product while infrastructure and megawatt-class charging mature.

Ford hasn’t shared full timing, engine details, or full technical specs for the Lightning EREV yet — those specifics will matter a lot.

Bottom line

I’m disappointed to see the all-electric Lightning end.  I do have concerns about Ford's ability to compete on full BEV trucks long term because of this pivot.

What Ford is doing now looks less like surrender though and more like a bet:

“EV driving, but with towing-ready freedom — and with better margins.”

Is Ford trading long term success with EV trucks for short term profits?  Only time will tell if Ford's bet will payoff or leave them at a competitive disadvantage long term.

Your turn

• What do you think the electrified truck market looks like in 10 years?
• Do you think EREV becomes the default for full-size trucks?
• Or do you think battery and charging infrastructure catches up fast enough that EREV is just a temporary bridge?
• If you tow frequently: would you rather manage charging stops, or carry a generator engine you might only need sometimes?

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