Can’t ride the Lightning: Electric Ford F-150 sales come to an end

News

The F-150 Lightning was once the best-selling truck in the US, but it failed to turn a profit for the Blue Oval.

GE

George East

15 September 2026 · 3 min read

The Ford F-150 Lightning is no longer available in the United States, as Dearborn gears up to introduce its all-electric Fathom in 2027.

The Blue Oval announced in December last year that it would discontinue the F-150 in favour of the Fathom, and while the former was available until recently, it’s no longer available to purchase via Ford’s US website.

Named after a high-performance version of the internal combustion-engined F-150 Lightning truck of the early 1990s, the second-generation F-150 Lightning arrived in April 2022 as one of Ford’s first-generation EVs. It was created to show US buyers that an all-electric powertrain could handle the stresses pickup trucks are used to and usher electrification into the mainstream, as the brand eyed an electric-only line-up by the end of the decade.

For a while, it appeared Ford’s plan had worked, as the Lightning became the best-selling pickup in the US. However, a slow rollout of public charging infrastructure and flip-flopping EV policy by the US Government were major factors in its cancellation.

A second reason was its relatively high starting price of $52,000 (around £36,000), with the $84,995 (£63,000) range-topping Platinum-trim models often exceeding the $100k (£74,000) mark factoring in options and delivery fees. Ultimately, Ford didn’t turn a profit on a vehicle that was expensive and could only manage from 230 miles to 300 miles on a single charge using the US EPA efficiency cycle.

When it arrives early next year, the Fathom will be the first in a tranche of Ford EVs to run on the brand’s new Universal Electric Vehicle platform, developed to underpin a line-up of affordable electric-only models.

The double-cab Fathom, which is expected to be around the size of a Euro-spec Ford Ranger, will go on sale for $28,350 (around £21,000) for the standard range model and be built at Ford’s Louisville plant in Kentucky. Even with the $1,500 (£1,110) delivery fee, the Fathom is still expected to come in at under $30,000 (£22,300).

In addition to promising more cabin space than a Toyota RAV4, it will be the first Ford model to integrate Apple Maps directly into its navigation system.

Other vehicles to follow the Fathom with the UEV platform include a five-seat, C-segment SUV, a large seven-seat SUV, a family hatchback, and a cargo van. Ford has yet to communicate whether any of these models will make it to Europe.

Ford will not replace the F-150 Lightning with another all-electric model. Earlier this year, brand chief, Jim Farley, said an extended-range model with an internal combustion engine paired with an electric motor would be a better solution. He promised the vehicle will achieve “700 miles on a tank of gas,” and that “for 90% of the time, is all-electric.”

Despite axing the F-150 Lightning, Ford will continue to support owners with ongoing software updates, service and repairs, plus live support.