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 after it had been America's best-selling electric pickup, and the model's website now reads "F-150 Lightning is Transforming" with no purchase option available.
- Ford's new Fathom EV pickup will start at $28,350 (plus a $1,595 delivery fee) and go on sale in early 2027, making it the first vehicle on Ford's new Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform with production set for the Louisville Assembly plant.
- The Fathom will be the first vehicle with Apple Maps directly integrated into its navigation system and promises more interior space than a Toyota RAV4, according to Ford.
- Ford is also building an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) F-150 pickup using a gas generator that delivers over 700 miles of total driving range, which CEO Jim Farley called a "better solution" than high-end EVs.
- Farley told CNBC in December that "the very high-end EVs, the $50K, 70K, $80,000 vehicles, they just weren't selling," and said the EREV will operate all-electric "90% of the time."
- Ford says it will keep supporting current F-150 Lightning owners with ongoing software updates, service, repair, and live support.
Why it matters: Ford is essentially conceding that premium-priced electric pickups like the $50K–$80K F-150 Lightning lost at retail, and is pivoting to a sub-$30,000 midsize EV plus a gas-extended EREV — a hedge that acknowledges battery-only trucks haven't found a mass-market price point, even as the company promises existing Lightning owners continued support.
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