The Electric Ford F-150 Lightning Is Getting A Gas Engine And There’s A New Mystery Truck On The Way
Ford has announced the discontinuation of the all-electric F-150 Lightning, but it will be bringing the model name back on a new truck.
Ford suspended F-150 Lightning production in October when it was hit by an aluminum shortage affecting the entire F-Series lineup and shifted its focus to building the more profitable internal combustion engine models.
The second-generation F-150 Lightning is now being designed as an extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV, that will combine a smaller battery pack and electric drive with a gas motor that works as a generator on long trips.
Vehicle specifics were not announced, but Ford said the new F-150 Lightning “tows like a locomotive,” has a range of 700 miles and can accelerate to 60 mph in less than five seconds, just like the current F-150 Lightning. Ram is scheduled to launch an extended-range electric Ram 1500 REV pickup next year. Ford didn’t say when the new F-150 Lightning will debut, but it will once again be built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan.
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Ford has also shelved plans for a radical new electric pickup codenamed T3 that was set to be built at the Blue OvalCity electric vehicle plant currently under construction in Tennessee. The factory is getting its name changed from Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center to Tennessee Truck Plant and will be retooled to assemble “new affordable gas-powered trucks will broaden Ford’s truck family and extend its market leadership” starting in 2029. Information about the model will be provided at a later date.
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A small, Kentucky-built electric pickup with a target price of $30,000 that is slated for 2027 remains on track and Ford reconfirmed plans to offer a family of vehicles using its Universal EV platform. Ford will also launch a new Ohio-built commercial van with gas and hybrid powertrains options in 2029.
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