The Ford F-150 Lightning is no longer for sale. Ford ended production of the truck in December 2025 and, as of this week, has removed it from its website, closing the book on what was once America's best-selling electric pickup. Ford says current owners will keep getting software updates, service and live support.
Why Ford pulled the plug
CEO Jim Farley has been blunt about the reason: high-end EVs did not sell. In his words, the "$50K, 70K, $80,000 vehicles, they just weren't selling." With the federal $7,500 EV tax credit gone since September 2025 and new EV sales down sharply in the first quarter of 2026 before stabilizing near a 6% share, Ford is rebuilding its electric truck plan around price and range instead of prestige.
The Fathom: a cheap, small electric pickup
The first replacement is the Fathom, a midsize electric pickup on Ford's new Universal Electric Vehicle platform. Key details:
- Starting price of $28,350, or just under $30,000 with the $1,595 delivery fee
- On sale in early 2027, built at Ford's Louisville Assembly plant
- More interior space than a Toyota RAV4, despite the compact footprint
- The first vehicle with Apple Maps built directly into the navigation system
The real Lightning successor
The Fathom is not a like-for-like replacement for a full-size truck. That job goes to a next-generation F-150 Lightning built as an extended-range EV: it drives on battery power, with an onboard gas generator that recharges the pack on the move. Ford is targeting more than 700 miles of combined range and says owners would drive all-electric about 90% of the time. Farley calls it "a better solution" for American truck buyers, which is a notable admission from the company that launched the Lightning as a pure EV just a few years ago.
Source: Electrek, Ford Authority
Photo: Electrek (source)
