Ford bids farewell to the F-150 Lightning as new Fathom and EREV pickups near — SkimNews
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- Ford discontinued the F-150 Lightning in December, removing it from its website; the truck had been America's best-selling electric pickup.
- Ford revealed the Fathom, an all-electric midsize pickup starting at $28,350 ($29,945 with delivery), going on sale early 2027 as the first vehicle on its Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform.
- Ford said the Fathom will offer more interior space than a Toyota RAV4 and will be the first vehicle with Apple Maps directly integrated into its navigation system.
- Ford confirmed Fathom production begins at its Louisville Assembly plant in early 2027, with CEO Jim Farley offering a public sneak peek earlier this month.
- Ford is also developing an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) pickup using a gas generator that delivers over 700 miles of total driving range.
- Jim Farley told CNBC in December that "very high-end EVs, the $50K, 70K, $80,000 vehicles, they just weren't selling" and called the EREV a "better solution" than a premium battery truck.
- Ford pledged to keep supporting current F-150 Lightning owners with software updates, service and repair, and live support.
Why it matters: Ford is conceding in its CEO's own words that $50,000-plus EVs aren't selling and is pivoting to a sub-$30,000 electric pickup plus a gas-extended EREV. Existing F-150 Lightning buyers get a software/service support commitment but no direct successor, while truck shoppers gain two distinct options targeting 700-mile range and Toyota RAV4-class interior space by early 2027.
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