Lightning - Is It Dead or Just On Life Support?

[E90alex]

Same old clickbait headlines. There were claims last year the Lightning was dead after Ford stopped production for a couple months end of last year since they had enough 2024 inventory.

The tooling is done already and it doesn’t make sense to discontinue it at this point for this generation.

As for next generation, it’s hard to say if they will keep a BEV version. If they keep it on a body on frame platform to be common with the next gen ICE F150 then it would be harder to increase range to a competitive level with the unibody GM EV trucks because the frame is limiting battery size at the moment. I could see them offer an EREV version of the next gen F150 though.

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[nvabill]

Same old clickbait headlines. There were claims last year the Lightning was dead after Ford stopped production for a couple months end of last year since they had enough 2024 inventory.

The tooling is done already and it doesn’t make sense to discontinue it at this point for this generation.

As for next generation, it’s hard to say if they will keep a BEV version. If they keep it on a body on frame platform to be common with the next gen ICE F150 then it would be harder to increase range to a competitive level with the unibody GM EV trucks because the frame is limiting battery size at the moment. I could see them offer an EREV version of the next gen F150 though.

I guess like everything else, time will tell.

 

[kamorela]

Yeah, that makes sense, didn't realize that there was a second fire in the aluminum plant.

Actually there was a THIRD fire!
https://www.carscoops.com/2025/11/new-york-aluminum-factory-hit-by-another-fire/

 

[phil]

Actually there was a THIRD fire!
https://www.carscoops.com/2025/11/new-york-aluminum-factory-hit-by-another-fire/

They should probably do something about that.

 

[nvabill]

Actually there was a THIRD fire!
https://www.carscoops.com/2025/11/new-york-aluminum-factory-hit-by-another-fire/

That’s just crazy!

 

[Mach T]

Neither. There’s a very serious U.S. produced aluminum shortage in general and it got worse after a fire at the factory in upper state New York that was supplying Ford, and there’s a boatload of aluminum in F-150s.

Now Ford could go buy a bunch more aluminum from a reliable neighbor that can make it cheaper due to their over abundance of cheap electricity, say Canada. Or go overseas to buy it elsewhere. But there’s this little matter of tariffs.

Boatload? Or truckload?

 

[silverelan]

Boatload? Or truckload?

lol. We always said Buttload, but Boatload makes a lot more sense.

 

[bbhaag]

American’s like full sized everything, including trucks.

The Maverick has entered the chat.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

The Maverick has entered the chat.

The Maverick can say something when it sells 460,000+ units per year as the F-150 does (sans Lightning ) all by its lonesome. Until then, junior can keep quiet. Children should be seen and not heard.

 

[dan_meh]

Does Ford lump pro sales of the F series with private sales? And is it all F series, like F-350, F-650, F-950?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Did I read on the past the "TTT" is dead. The skunk works project for the new EV cross over/compact truck is replacing such with more modern details and specifications.

The T3 project (Trust The Truck iirc) is alive and well. It is based on the new platform which is part of the project. The prototypes are rumored (In the press, I have no direct or third hand knowledge) to be slated for sometime in 2027 with production in 2028. That could mean a 2028 model year or a 2029. But that’s all speculation.

That’s pretty much all we “know”, or have heard.

 

[Jimrpa]

The T3 project (Trust The Truck iirc) is alive and well. It is based on the new platform which is part of the project. The prototypes are rumored (In the press, I have no direct or third hand knowledge) to be slated for sometime in 2027 with production in 2028. That could mean a 2028 model year or a 2029. But that’s all speculation.

That’s pretty much all we “know”, or have heard.

I wonder if there are any ‘mules” and, if so, what they’re using?

 

[SpongeBad]

You mean like a Freightliner, Peterbilt or maybe a Kenworth. There's always something bigger.

This is true... saw this in Vegas when I was there in October.

 

[devmach-e]

lol. We always said Buttload, but Boatload makes a lot more sense.

Buttload is an actual type of liquid measurement from old english:
https://wordynerdbird.com/2021/04/15/a-butt-load-of-butts/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butt_(unit)

 

[nvabill]

Buttload is an actual type of liquid measurement from old english:
https://wordynerdbird.com/2021/04/15/a-butt-load-of-butts/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butt_(unit)

And boatload informally is slang for a large amount, I grew up hearing boatload but, probably somewhat dependent or where that was.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/boatload

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