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Zorro

(18,346 posts) Mon Dec 15, 2025, 07:22 PM Dec 15

Ford takes $19.5B charge in hybrid pivot, cancels F-150 Lightning EV, launches new battery storage business

Source: Yahoo Finance

Ford (F) announced a series of moves in its EV business, pivoting to a hybrid and extended-range EV (EREV) strategy instead of full EVs. The company will take a whopping $19.5 billion in charges related to the move. Ford canceled the Lightning EV pickup in its existing form, and the company said it would shift battery production to other areas.

“The operating reality has changed, and we are redeploying capital into higher-return growth opportunities: Ford Pro, our market-leading trucks and vans, hybrids, and high-margin opportunities like our new battery energy storage business,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement.

Ford will concentrate its North American EV development on its new, low-cost, flexible Universal EV Platform used for smaller, more efficient EVs designed to tap into a broader range of customers. The first vehicle from the Universal EV Platform will be the fully connected midsize pickup truck assembled at its Louisville Assembly Plant starting in 2027.

As part of this plan, the next iteration of the F-150 Lightning will shift to an EREV architecture and be assembled at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. EREVs are essentially EVs that use an onboard gas engine as a generator to charge the vehicle's batteries.

Ford said production of the current generation F-150 Lightning has concluded, as the company redeploys employees to the Dearborn Truck Plant to support a third crew for F-150 gas and hybrid truck production. The Novelis aluminum plant fires impacted gas-powered F-150 production, prompting the shift.

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-takes-195b-charge-in-hybrid-pivot-cancels-f-150-lightning-ev-launches-new-battery-storage-business-210713166.html

I had hoped the F-150 Lightning EV would be more successful, but looks like that just wasn't in the cards...

5 replies

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Highlight:

Ford takes $19.5B charge in hybrid pivot, cancels F-150 Lightning EV, launches new battery storage business (Original Post) Zorro Dec 15 OP

I think they made the right decision... for now. kysrsoze Dec 15 #1

The market for class-6 electric trucks is more attractive Bluetus Dec 16 #4

Tesla's albatross of an EV 'truck' proves that EV isn't for everything for now. cstanleytech Dec 15 #2

they start @ 65,000 dollars Nigrum Cattus Dec 15 #3

See this thread as well Bayard Dec 16 #5

kysrsoze

(6,411 posts)

1. I think they made the right decision... for now.

Reply to Zorro (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2025, 07:35 PM

Dec 15

They haven’t altogether abandoned EV’s, and a midsize pickup is easier for the public to swallow, pricewise. Most people don’t need full-sized pickups and SUV’s, and you’re only going to sell so many $90K EV pickups, especially given how far below stated range real-world range of the Lightning turned out to be. This shitty administration has made things that much more difficult.

I think the EREV strategy (think Chevy Volt) is still very good in the near-term. Stellantis and Scout (VW) ares going that route as well.

I’d still love to grab a Rivian pickup or SUV. I think they are here to stay.

Bluetus

(2,308 posts)

4. The market for class-6 electric trucks is more attractive

Reply to kysrsoze (Reply #1)

Tue Dec 16, 2025, 12:29 AM

Dec 16

Pick-ups are often used in highly varied duty. Maybe 25 miles one day, but then 500 miles the next, and then pulling a trailer later in the week. That's not the best profile for an EV. Most class-6 (medium duty) trucks operate locally, many on fairly predictable routes. If you need to do 100-150 miles a day and rarely over 200, EV is perfect, and many medium-duty trucks do exactly that.

Unfortunately for Ford, companies like Daimler and BYD figured that out a long time ago and are way ahead. And Kia and Rivian figured out that there was a much better market for a really robust electric SUV than a pick-up. Rivian makes both, but far more SUVs than pick-ups. Kia doesn't mess with trucks at all in the US.