Ford Shifts Gears: F-150 Lightning Replaced by 700-Mile Hybrid, Enters Battery Storage Market

Daily Car

17/12/2025

Ford is making a significant strategic pivot, discontinuing the all-electric F-150 Lightning as currently known and replacing it with an extended-range hybrid (EREV) model. This move, which mirrors Ram's approach with the Ramcharger, aims to address market demands for greater range and affordability. The automaker is also venturing into the battery storage business to leverage its manufacturing capabilities and capitalize on growing energy sector needs.

Key Takeaways

The current all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning is being discontinued.
Its replacement will be an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) hybrid, offering over 700 miles of range.
Ford is entering the battery storage business, utilizing its LFP battery plants.
The company plans to introduce more affordable EVs starting in 2027, with a small pickup as the first model.

A Hybrid Future for the F-150

Ford has ceased production of the pure electric F-150 Lightning, repurposing its Rouge plant for internal combustion engine F-Series trucks. The future of the Lightning will be an EREV, where a gasoline engine acts solely as a generator to power the electric drivetrain. This strategy is a direct response to what Ford describes as customer-driven demand for affordable vehicles with extended range, a sentiment echoed by the market's lukewarm reception to fully electric trucks like the Lightning.

This shift represents a substantial financial undertaking for Ford, with an estimated $19.5 billion impact. The company anticipates that by 2030, hybrids, EREVs, and EVs will constitute half of its global sales volume, up from the current 17 percent, with a focus on profitability.

Entering the Battery Storage Arena

In an effort to maximize its investments, Ford will utilize its joint-venture battery plants in Kentucky and Michigan for energy storage solutions. Instead of producing batteries solely for future electric vehicles like the now-canceled T3 program, these facilities will manufacture LFP batteries for grid customers and data centers. This move will involve workforce adjustments, with initial layoffs followed by hiring for the new energy storage operations, set to begin shipping systems in 2027.

Expanded Product Lineup

Beyond the F-150 EREV, Ford is planning a broader range of vehicles. This includes adding jobs at its Ohio plant for commercial vans and introducing new gas and hybrid van models. Furthermore, production of gas-powered F-Series trucks will continue and expand at plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, with new, more affordable pickup trucks also slated for introduction starting in 2027.

2025-11-04

New Drop-In Battery Aims to Boost EV Range