The Ford F 150 Lightning was never officially released or sold in the UK. Any references to its performance, demand or market impact relate to its launch and sales in the United States and other international markets.
The all-electric F 150 Lightning was launched to huge fanfare, with Ford reporting more than 200,000 reservations and warning of a possible three-year order backlog. First announced in 2019 and revealed in full in 2021, the model entered production in 2022 at Ford’s Dearborn plant in Michigan.
The Lightning name was borrowed from high performance petrol F 150 models of the 1990s and 2000s. It also made history as the first mass produced full size electric pickup from one of America’s big three carmakers. Early demand was so strong that the first model year sold out before customer vehicles had even left the factory.
ince then, however, the electric vehicle market has cooled considerably. Slowing demand in the United States, combined with political shifts that have eased emissions pressure, hit sales hard. Ford halted production in autumn 2024 before deciding to cancel the model entirely.
Ford has now confirmed that production of the current generation F 150 Lightning has ended.
A replacement is planned but it will not be a pure electric vehicle. Instead, Ford is expected to introduce a range extender version that uses a petrol engine to charge the battery, a direction that reflects broader industry trends also relevant to the UK market. Rival brand Ram has taken the same approach, cancelling its fully electric Ram charger pickup to focus on a range extender model instead.
Despite the decision, Ford says it remains committed to electrification. The company still aims for half of its global sales to come from hybrids, range extenders and fully electric vehicles by 2030. It has also announced a new platform for smaller and more affordable electric cars, which are expected to be more suitable for European and UK buyers, as well as a joint venture with Renault to develop two small electric vehicles for Europe.