- Ford is reportedly considering killing off the F-150 Lightning.
- Company sold only 23,034 electric trucks through September.
- GM is also rumored to be rethinking its struggling electric trucks.
Last month, Ford announced plans to indefinitely suspend F-150 Lightning production to focus on building gas-powered trucks. As a result, hourly employees at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center were transferred to the nearby Dearborn Truck Plant to join the third shift.
The move came after a supplier fire and the automaker said the change would enable them to focus on trucks that are “more profitable for Ford and use less aluminum.” On top of that, the F-150 Lightning hasn’t been a hit despite being the best-selling electric pickup in America.
More: F-150 Lightning Production Halted Indefinitely As Ford Bets On Gas Trucks
The company only delivered 10,005 Lightnings in the third quarter, which brought year-to-date sales up to 23,034 units. That’s a 1% improvement compared to last year, but it’s still one of Ford’s worst selling vehicles. In particular, the electric truck is being beaten by the Lincoln Nautilus (26,237), E-Series (30,195), and Mustang (32,818).
Those are terrible numbers and a new report suggests Ford is thinking about throwing in the towel. According to the Wall Street Journal, “executives are in active discussions” about scrapping the truck.
GM’s Electric Trucks Could Also Be On The Chopping Block
No decision has been made, but Ram recently decided to axe their fully electric 1500 REV. GM is also said to be considering killing some of their electric trucks. The company offers an assortment including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC Hummer EV Pickup.
Through the third quarter, Chevrolet has only sold 9,379 Silverado EVs. The Sierra EV has only generated 6,147 sales, while combined GMC Hummer pickup and SUV sales totaled 13,233 units.
To put those numbers into perspective, GM recently pulled the plug on BrightDrop and the vans found 3,976 buyers in the first nine months of the year. That seems to suggest the GMC Sierra EV could be on the chopping block.
However, a GM spokesperson told the publication there are currently no plans to change its product lineup or overall direction. They added the company is making progress in reducing costs associated with producing electric pickups.
Getting back to Ford, the company has reportedly lost $13 billion on electric vehicles since 2023. The company hasn’t been afraid to kill them off either as we’ve already seen them axe a Rivian-based Lincoln EV as well as electric three-row crossovers.
