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Ford Ends F-150 Lightning Production, Starts Battery Storage Business (arstechnica.com) 131

Posted by BeauHD from the market-has-spoken dept.
Ford has effectively pulled the plug on the all-electric F-150 Lightning, pivoting away from full-size BEV pickups toward hybrids, range-extended EVs (EREVs), and even data-center battery storage. Ars Technica reports: Ford's announcements today can't be said to have come out of the blue. Rumors of the F-150's demise have been circulating for more than a month, and last week SK On ended its joint venture with Ford that was building a pair of EV battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee. We learned then that Ford would keep the Kentucky plant and SK On gets the one in Tennessee, which would focus on the energy storage business instead. Now, we know that something similar will happen at the Kentucky plant -- Ford says it's spending $2 billion to convert the factory to make prismatic lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells.

Those aren't destined for EVs, but they are the preferred cell format for data centers, Ford says. The company says that it will bring the factory online in the next 18 months, reaching an annual output of 20 GWh. Other Ford plants are also being repurposed. With no full-size BEV pickup in the product plans, the assembly plant in Tennessee that was to produce it -- the one near the battery factory that SK On is keeping -- will instead build new gas-powered trucks, although not for another four years. Around that same time, its Ohio assembly plant will begin building new commercial vehicles.

All of this will impact Ford's bottom line, to the tune of $19.5 billion over the next few years, $5.5 billion of which will be in cash. Most of that will hit in the final quarter of 2025, but will extend until 2027, Ford said.
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Ford Ends F-150 Lightning Production, Starts Battery Storage Business More

Ford Ends F-150 Lightning Production, Starts Battery Storage Business

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  • ...the AI (power) biz? If that ain't PROOF it's a friggen bubble, then put me in a basket and call me Toto.

    • Reminds you of wartime economy a bit doesn't it?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by kackle ( 910159 )

      put me in a basket and call me Toto

      My day just started, and I already know that this is the best thing I will hear today, thank you. I plan on using that phrase some day; now I just have wait the long time it will take for me to be pleasantly surprised at something.

  • Wrong approach (Score:2, Insightful)

    by ichthus ( 72442 )
    The Silverado EV is a far superior product. The Rivian is also far superior to the Lighning. Honestly, so is the Cybertruck. All three took the approach of engineering a new vehicle, from the ground up. The Lightning is basically an F-150 conversion, and it's a piece of garbage.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Do you own an F150 Lightning? Ever driven one? It is an excellent vehicle, all around great. Yes, Ford started with the most popular truck in America (go figure). Besides, with the Frunk, batteries, and motors, it is a major redesign, not just batteries slapped on an F150.

      I'm sorry, the Cybertruck is actual garbage. Mostly glued together, and most of the frame is cast. Those cast frames are brittle and unrepairable when they break. Do the parts even fit together on that thing? Kinda sorta.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by DaHat ( 247651 )

        It is an excellent vehicle, all around great.

        And owning and driving one is enough to convince someone of that?

        I'll admit, I've never owned or driven one, though last year when shopping for a new pickup I saw one parked on a Ford dealership I was looking at. It was new so out of my price range, so I got chatting with the salesman (and didn't say my limits) about if it was any good. Turns out it was being driven by the manager, who mostly hated it. Max range he said, in winter was 100-150 miles. Maybe for cit

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by quall ( 1441799 )

          Compared to other EV trucks, yeah it's pretty good. But they're replacing the lightning with a Hybrid. Toyota's hybrid pickup can get nearly 700 miles on its Eco mode.

          • Toyota has also been having a lot of issues with the V6 on the hybrid pickups. There is a push to just throw in the towel and go back to the tried and true V8s, or maybe make a hybrid V8.

            The Ford F-150 PowerBoost isn't a bad vehicle, but it isn't a plug in hybrid. I am considering one of those, especially with the 7000 watt generator package, but it would be nice if it were made into a plug in hybrid like the Jeep 4xe, or a series hybrid like the RAM REV. This way, the engine can be a small V6, or even a

            • I want a 4xe with only had a 21 mile electric only mode. Under ideal conditions. Most Americans drive 30-40 miles a day. Given range fluctuations due to conditions, 40-45 miles is the bare minimum for that feature to be useful for most people. If it had that I probably would have bought one.

              We have a PHEV sedan that gets about 45 miles on electric only and we only end up using gas when we drive anywhere longer than about an hour away. A range 45 miles easily gets us to downtown and back with plenty of ran

              • I nearly bought a 4xe for the same reason. My work is fairly close and the limited EV distance would be good enough, as I have 240 volts, 50 amps for a charger. I also was thinking of a RAMCharger, but that sort of died. I wonder how the RAM REV will be, if it has the promise of the RAMCharger of being an EV that you don't have to think about being an EV, like the Chevy Volt or BMW i3. Bonus points if it can provide power from the battery.

                I remember Ford patenting a toolbox-like object for the Lightning

                • I remember Ford patenting a toolbox-like object for the Lightning which would be the range extender, but that was about 3-5 years ago.

                  They got a patent for a battery pack for their EV Pickup truck?

    • Re: Wrong approach (Score:3, Informative)

      by drinkypoo ( 153816 )

      The cybertruck is pure shit. It is the least reliable Tesla by a wide margin, and Tesla was recently named the least reliable vehicle in America.

      The lightning might be a vehicle without a business case, but it's a major revision from the normal f-series, down to having independent rear suspension. The f150 is also the most popular vehicle on the planet. While Ford has had some massive failures in it like the 3 valve 5.4, you're still barking up the wrong tree here

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by ichthus ( 72442 )

        The cybertruck is pure shit. It is the least reliable Tesla by a wide margin

        Maybe so, or maybe that's a subjective assertion. Tesla went full-on experimental with the CT, and I think the drive-by-wire steering and 48V system are pretty cool.

        Tesla was recently named the least reliable vehicle in America.

        I wasn't sure about this, so I had to look it up.

        The first two results seem to place them somewhere [jdpower.com] in the middle. [consumerreports.org] Anecdotally, I'm on my second Model 3, (sold my 2020 and bought a 2025) and they're the b

        • Ford is a real mixed bag, I'm not a superfan by any means, or even a fan frankly. I've bought two Ford pickups and regretted them both. But I also got frankly some of the worst examples, one of them was supposed to have been worked on and it turned out it was rebuilt incorrectly and the other was a 7.3 IDI with a turbo and I didn't know about their weak blocks at the time. But I also had a V6 Aero Bird which was a shockingly good car, and have only respect for the 80s F150 with the 300ci straight six even t

      • The cybertruck is pure shit.

        Correct, you understood the parent's insult.

      • The f150 is also the most popular vehicle on the planet.

        The ICE F150 is the most popular vehicle on the planet, sure, but not the F150 Lightning EV - if it was then Ford wouldn't cease production of the Lightning F150... right?

    • Re:Wrong approach (Score:5, Insightful)

      by serviscope_minor ( 664417 ) on Monday December 15, 2025 @06:32PM (#65860403) Journal

      Funnily enough though Ford managed to adapt the Transit to the e-transit and by all account it's a very good van.

      Vans unfortunately don't have the lifestyle connotations of trucks, however.

      • Funnily enough though Ford managed to adapt the Transit to the e-transit and by all account it's a very good van.

        Not just good, it's an outright roaring success, at least in Europe. There are many logistics fleets that are migrating to it. It also seems to be one of the few "cars" Ford is able to reliably sell internationally.

        • Can confirm, Ford Transit and Mercedes Sprint are very, very popular models of vans in Western Europe. Companies love both brands/models as they are reliable and versatile.

    • It was Ford's approach that *attracted* me to the Lightning. I didn't want something that screams "I'm electric!" I just want a truck that is functional, and *is* electric.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by quall ( 1441799 )

      Such a dumb comment because both the Rivians and the Cybertrucks are selling incredibly poor when compared to the Ford Lightning. Rivian sold like 1/5th as many electric pickups as Ford. Cybertruck sold 40% less than the Ford Lightning. I'm referring to sales over the last year, so very recent stuff. So what exactly makes those other brands superior? And why is it terrible to model it after the F-150 when it's the highest selling truck in the US, their primary market?

      Chevy literally only moved 3k more truck

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by skam240 ( 789197 )

        Nobody who needs a pickup is going to pay a min of $60k for one that can only tow for 100 miles before recharging.

        Towing shouldn't be the make or break issues you're suggesting given that something like 2/3rds of the big trucks around me don't have trailer hitches. In suburbia and urban areas these vehicles are often used exactly like cars, there's no reason an electric wouldn't work just as well for these people.

        • Something like 20% of all car sales are trucks.

          The implication of course being that a substantial fraction on the entire country, after their weekly 9-5 grind and school run lines to kick back, have a few beers and haul trailers all weekend!

          Though I think that's why a lot of people buy trucks, it's the idea that you might be the kind of rugged person who needs a truck, or at least the kind of rugged person for whom a truck is better than a car (even if a van would be superior).

          And rugged men haul things (tr

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by skam240 ( 789197 )

            They make up a lot more than 20% https://www.bts.gov/content/ne... [bts.gov] but I get your point

            • I thought light tricks also included SUVs. My figure was supposed to be pickups only, but take it work a huge pinch of salt because I didn't spend very long searching. But yeah either way the point stands :)

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by skam240 ( 789197 )

                Ah, I get it. It's tricky because sometimes people will say "trucks" to mean all light trucks and other times they say it just to mean pickups. Not at all a big deal either way though.

          • I've been consider a truck simply because I do need to pull a trailer about 2-3 weekends a month and my SUV has been subpar because I'm close to the tow and max weight limit.

            Otherwise I'd never consider a truck.

  • Stalling tactic? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by leonbev ( 111395 )

    It sounds like Ford is trying to keep their new battery plants busy until we get a new administration in 2029 that's going to try to force everyone to start buying EV trucks.Which is probably a smart move.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by 0123456 ( 636235 )

      The next admin won't be able to force manufacturers to make EVs because the AI data centres will be sucking up all the available electricity.
      They're more likely to ban EVs to free up electricity.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by leonbev ( 111395 )

        Hey... maybe that one prolific pro-nuclear poster on Slashdot will finally get their wish, and we'll be drowning in cheap power by 2029.

        I doubt it, but dare to dream?

      • The next admin won't be able to force manufacturers to make EVs because the AI data centres will be sucking up all the available electricity. They're more likely to ban EVs to free up electricity.

        Well, that's certainly the Goldilocks version.

        AI Greed will have data center managers requiring their employees to buy an EV and bring it to work fully charged. To help power the fucking data center.

        Don't worry. They'll leave you just enough juice to roll up to their privately owned charging station 20 feet away. At 3x current charging rates.

      • The next admin won't be able to force manufacturers to make EVs because the AI data centres will be sucking up all the available electricity.

        The last administration was paying utilities to shutdown coal-fired power plants before replacement generating capacity could be built... don't assume anyone considers logic when pandering to the eco-warriors!

        The previous administration decided to have a White House summit promoting EVs, but either 'forgot' or simply choose not to invite the top-selling EV manufacturer in the U.S. because 'politics'. (The eco-warriors also burned and vandalized cars Tesla sold to private buyers because they hated the maker

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sinij ( 911942 )

      until we get a new administration in 2029 that's going to try to force everyone to start buying EV trucks

      Exactly this. People are not buying these large EVs without mandates or subsidies. EV is an ideal around town car for rich urban people.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by shilly ( 142940 )

        A used Leaf costs well under 5k and works fine for the around-town use case. In what sense is that a rich person’s car?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by sinij ( 911942 )
          In a sense that it is your second car, in addition to a traditional ICE or hybrid.

          • Re: (Score:3)

            by shilly ( 142940 )

            Depends where in the world you live. For the hundreds of millions of people living in Europe or countries like Singapore or Malaysia, there’s no need for a second car. People take the train for longer journeys. I was 43, married, with two kids aged 9 and 11, before I got a first car ten years ago - and it only had a range of 90 miles. I live in north London, and we just didn’t have much need for a car up to that point. When we went to see my parents in Manchester, it was easier to get the train.

        • A used Leaf costs well under 5k and works fine for the around-town use case. In what sense is that a rich person's car?

          A few reasons. First, depending on the age and use of the battery of the Leaf, it may well be due for a new one. A quick Google search shows that those things are between $5,000 and $15,000 depending on model; I'm not saying $20,000 puts the vehicle in 'rich person' territory, but it DOES put it in the realm of off-lease ICE vehicles.

          But the real reason your scenario is a "rich person's car", is the first half - "around town". A car with 100-200 miles of range on a single charge assumes that there is a seco

      • Re:Stalling tactic? (Score:4, Funny)

        by Dragonslicer ( 991472 ) on Monday December 15, 2025 @07:06PM (#65860463)

        EV is an ideal around town car for rich urban people.

        So the same average use case as pickup trucks?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by skam240 ( 789197 )

        It feels like you're operating with electric car stats from a decade ago. There are tons of electrics nowadays that do 300 miles+ https://www.bloomberg.com/news... [bloomberg.com] . They work fine for primary vehicles and I've seen a number of people using them as such.

    • It sounds like Ford is trying to keep their new battery plants busy until we get a new administration in 2029 that's going to try to force everyone to start buying EV trucks.Which is probably a smart move.

      Force?

      That's not just an unaffordable problem. It's a fucking unaffordable problem.

      No. You're not going to convince the masses to adopt with a .gov 10% off coupon either. Not when the damn thing is still priced 20% higher than 90% can afford. And that's before you get screwed by the auto insurance companies smoking the same strain of unchecked greed.

      Don't even get me started on EV depreciation. Rolling over negative equity will all but guarantee it remains fucking unaffordable.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by leonbev ( 111395 )

        I think that the original plan under the Biden admin was to make EPA fuel mileage and emission guidelines so strict that by 2031 only plug-in hybrid and EV pickups could meet them. That way, you don't have to "worry" about EV pickups being more expensive than their gas counterparts when the gas versions can no longer be built or sold new. I guess that you could still get a used one, but those older trucks aren't going to last forever.

    • This is more about the obsolete SK-On NMC batteries than the eF-150. Dumping NMC for LFP is a necessary move for Ford. It was a costly mistake to invest in NMC in the first place, but that decision was made before Maga crushed new battery plants in the USA. The decision was made because it was hard to believe Maga would make a comeback and cause mass destruction. Selling NMC batteries to data centers is just a way to recoup some of the losses. We didn't see the data center craze coming back then either
  • The Cybertruck out assholed the F-150 for EVs, and non asshole EV buyers want cheap cars with good range, not hybrids or vestigial gas tanks, as pure EVs outsell both already. If Ford either can't or won't do that their competitors will.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sinij ( 911942 )
      Deranged take. While plenty of people buy trucks to just commute, most of trucks are still work/tow vehicles and EV trucks are not practical or cheap enough to be that. That why they are not selling.

      • Probably depends on your surroundings. Most pickup trucks in my area are always spotless, have lifts and low profile tires. They've seen less off road and have hauled less load than my nephews corolla.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by skam240 ( 789197 )

        While plenty of people buy trucks to just commute, most of trucks are still work/tow vehicles and EV trucks are not practical or cheap enough to be that.

        You've got some weird ideas about how vehicles are used. Most of these trucks are not used for any kind of real work https://www.powernationtv.com/... [powernationtv.com] and even when they are another large block of them are used for such things once a year at most.

        Sure, as a work truck EVs aren't great but trucks are so stupid popular nowadays most owners just don't have a use for long range towing or hauling.

    • They picked a product category with a significant share of user base being explicitly against any woke ideas like environmental protection. EBay alone is accused of facilitating sale of over quarter million rolling coal devices.

    • The Cybertruck out assholed the F-150 for EVs..

      Just curious, are we measuring this by sales or sphincter size here?

      Hey don't look at me, this drunk guy at the end of the bar was asking. Keeps rambling on about his "goatse" days, whatever the hell that means.

      (Narrator) "It was at this point our search-curious fellow had no idea of the rabbit hole he was circling.."

      (20th Century Internet Vet) "I'll take Shit We Wish We Could Unsee for $500, Alex."

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

        Just curious, are we measuring this by sales or sphincter size here?

        I would think pressure would be the appropriate metric. Since it's Ford, I guess that would be PSI.

  • At this point, Ford is so behind Tesla, Rivian and the Chinese, I doubt it will even exist in its current form in 5 years. We are at the bottom of two S curves, one is EV's and the other is self driving cars and Ford is nowhere to be seen in either of those markets. For people that think I'm wrong, ask yourself if you were one of those people who said... Nobody wants a phone that doesn't have keys when the iPhone came out and everyone had Blackberrys.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dgatwood ( 11270 )

      For people that think I'm wrong, ask yourself if you were one of those people who said... Nobody wants a phone that doesn't have keys when the iPhone came out and everyone had Blackberrys.

      I think you're wrong. I think the U.S. government has too much incentive to bail them out again no matter how badly they tank.

      But you're not wrong about Ford being the least likely to survive the next ten years without massive government bailouts. IMO, Ford has never made good cars by any reasonable standard, giving rise to jokes all the way back in the late 1980s of Ford standing for "Found On the Road Dead" or "Fell Off the Road Dead", and I've seen no evidence that they have gotten much better since.

    • You are thinking cars, but Ford is primarily a truck company. EV capacity for long haul and towing is simply not there yet. Yes I know most trucks are just used as a daily driver, even for that the truck form is just not cost efficient.

    • At this point, Ford is so behind Tesla, Rivian and the Chinese, I doubt it will even exist in its current form in 5 years..

      This is literally what was has been said about Apple. Multiple times. Ford is the one US Car Manufacturer that hasn't been bailed out in recent memory. They have a long history of managing their business and their cash flow, and arguably the largest manufacturing base in the country. I suspect they'll be fine.

  • Following the fad of the day (Score:4, Informative)

    by MpVpRb ( 1423381 ) on Monday December 15, 2025 @06:39PM (#65860413)

    It seems that they were never serious about being an EV company, they just followed the fad of the day.
    This does not inspire customer confidence or trust.
    I drive a Tesla. They are committed to EVs

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Seen this sort of thing happen before. They will wait a few years and then release a new truck, that is a rebadged Chinese model.

    • It seems that they were never serious about being an EV company, they just followed the fad of the day.
      This does not inspire customer confidence or trust.
      I drive a Tesla. They are committed to EVs

      Not really. They are only cancelling a single product that didn't have a sane market segment placement. Ford still very much make several electric vehicles, in fact their e-Transit is neck in neck with the eSprinter one of the best selling EV vans on the planet. They are still selling Mustang e-tech (despite those being objectively shit cars, at least someone is buying them). Ford have EVs in every market segment in Europe, from small all the way to performance.

      You drive a Tesla? Cybertruck by chance? If no

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by skam240 ( 789197 )

        Is it because oversized electric pickups are fucking stupid?

        For most people oversized pickups are stupid regardless of whether they're electric or not. Why are the electric ones any different?

    • I'm not convinced Tesla is even committed to cars at this point... seems like all they care about is AI and robots.

  • I wonder what will happen with their other BEV. By most accounts, it's a competent vehicle, and from my research, it's currently the most affordable used non-Tesla BEV. You can pick one up for around $25k Canadian. Not cheap, but half price? Will they keep it just to keep their toe in the water?

    • Guessing they will keep moving forward. They are still committed to the Universal EV Platform platform, with the first vehicle coming out in 2027.

  • Misleading Title (Score:5, Informative)

    by SlashbotAgent ( 6477336 ) on Monday December 15, 2025 @07:06PM (#65860465)

    The misleading title wold have you believe that Ford is discontinuing production of electric F-150s.

    The reality is that they are changing the F-150 lightning to a Extended Range Electric Vehicle(EREV). An EREV is a hybrid electric. It is an electric vehicle that uses an engine to run a generator when the battery gets too low.

    Ford's current plan is to continue producing an electric F-150, but add an engine to extend its range. Range that has been laughable from the start. Most especially laughable when towing anything. Apparently they didn't anticipate the need for a pickup to tow stuff very far.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dbialac ( 320955 )
      What you're describing is the same concept that the Fisker Karma and the Chevy Volt use. I love the concept. It's effectively a hybrid, but it works quite differently than a conventional hybrid. Now you've got me wondering how much a Karma costs, and wow are they cheap. Good luck finding parts for it, though.

    • The reality is that they are changing the F-150 lightning to a Extended Range Electric Vehicle(EREV). An EREV is a hybrid electric. It is an electric vehicle that uses an engine to run a generator when the battery gets too low.

      I thought that was a "serial hybrid." The fact that they keep the "Electric Vehicle" in the name tells me that maybe all this "EVs Bad!" talk is just that.

      • It will be ironic to see them sell a bunch of EREVs to people who figure out later that they didn't need 700 miles of range. Most of the range anxiety goes away once you see how effective overnight charging is.

        • Most of the range anxiety goes away once you see how effective overnight charging is.

          Pickups are bought by two kinds of people: those who will tow, and those who think they will. For the first group, range anxiety is real. For the second, they will only imagine it will affect them, but it would if they actually tried to tow.

          To be clear there are lots of little trailers out there that don't affect range much, but there are also lots of TTs which absolutely do.

        • But many will not keep that truck far beyond warranty and will appreciate the higher resale value of something with 700 miles of range. Same reason most trucks are configured as 4x4, future what-a-bouts and future resale.

  • Pretty clear that Ford is reading the room with respect to the USG’s incentives and policy framework, plus market forces (quelle surprise, the truck buying segment has a low propensity to buy EVs) but this just cements how the US OEMs are faced with a strategically painful choice on whether to focus on home market success at the expense of global scale. And of course, they’ve chosen to focus on home market. I can’t see it working for them long term, though: the diseconomies of scale will b

  • a lot of batteries which would go to waste, so they're repurposing them.

  • by now they should have been ruling the EV business given their alleged manufacturing capability and a century of experience.
    instead, despite Elon Musk managing to shoot himself in the foot, punch himself in the mouth and kick himself in the nuts all at the same time, they're almost all flailing & failing.

    the F-150 Lightning was the 1st EV i wanted to buy for practical reasons. at this rate it seems i'll have to wait for a Chinese EV pickup to become available where I can buy.

  • Too bad, they're good cotractor/fleet vehicles (Score:3)

    by Strider- ( 39683 ) on Tuesday December 16, 2025 @12:18AM (#65860923)

    I have a number of friends who are general contractors and absolutely love their F150 lightnings. They're pretty much the perfect vehicle for a contractor. Aside from being relatively cheap to operate, they are the perfect tool crib. Charge the vehicle overnight, drive to the jobsite in the morning, use it as a tool crib to recharge/power your tools, drive it home, plug in, rinse, repeat.

    • They'd be perfect if you could get a tradesman model with the big battery, but you can only get the upper trim levels with it, so you're paying extra for upholstery you're going to fuck up when you get in the truck with concrete on your pants or what have you. Maybe they're ideal for someone who only does cabinetry and trim, though.

  • So how long do they keep parts around for those that bought F-150 Lightning ?? Must also mean sales were down badly.

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