Ford News: Ford F-150 Lightning Goes EREV with 700+ Mile Range and Locomotive-Like Towing

[G. David Felt]

Doug Field, Ford's chief EV, digital and design officer had this to say; "The F-150 Lightning is a groundbreaking product that demonstrated an EV pickup can still be a great F-Series. Our next-generation F-150 Lightning EREV will be every bit as revolutionary. It delivers everything Lightning customers love — near instantaneous torque and pure electric driving. But with a high-power generator enabling an estimated range of 700+ miles, it tows like a locomotive. Heavy-duty towing and cross-country travel will be as effortless as the daily commute."

The Ford F-150 Lightning EREV is unlike any traditional hybrid. The new EREV powered by the 100% pure electric motor system that people love in regard to rapid acceleration and quiet operation but eliminating the need to stop and charge during long-distance towing.

Ford states that the F-150 Lightning has been a driving force for U.S. EV sales growth and that the next generation is Ford listening to their customers who have asked for a expansion of the F-150 Lightning's capabilities. This EREV will continue the legacy of innovation as the next generation F-150 Lightning EREV replaces the F-150 Lightning EV production at Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn.

Ford says they will release full details at a later launch date.

Interestingly, Ford not only ended F-150 Lightning production early but will have the plant closed down for several months with a statement that the employees would be laid off and then called back some time in Q1 of the 2026 calendar year. The changeover includes support for building EREV but also includes needed maintenance at the plant.

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[smk4565]

So the Lightning was too expensive and the solution is to add an ICE motor and more complexity on top of that.  Can't wait to see the $99,995  F-150 XLT EREV.

[ccap41]

Yeah, I don't love the idea of axing the full BEV Lightning. I thoroughly believe it will only be temporarily anyway but still feels wrong to get rid of it now. 

I understand the whole "extended range" thing is a steppingstone into a full BEV... but it feels unnecessary. Just make an EV with the proper technology to get 300 miles for the small battery and 400-450 miles with a larger battery. Be it battery chemistry (or all of the technology that goes into various things such as the elements and solid-state technology), battery size and/or aerodynamics, but that's what needs to take a leap forward. Maybe more importantly, price. They need to keep prices in check. Only so many people can afford near-100k vehicles regardless of how good the vehicle is. 

[G. David Felt]

On 12/26/2025 at 12:54 PM, ccap41 said:

Yeah, I don't love the idea of axing the full BEV Lightning. I thoroughly believe it will only be temporarily anyway but still feels wrong to get rid of it now. 

I understand the whole "extended range" thing is a steppingstone into a full BEV... but it feels unnecessary. Just make an EV with the proper technology to get 300 miles for the small battery and 400-450 miles with a larger battery. Be it battery chemistry (or all of the technology that goes into various things such as the elements and solid-state technology), battery size and/or aerodynamics, but that's what needs to take a leap forward. Maybe more importantly, price. They need to keep prices in check. Only so many people can afford near-100k vehicles regardless of how good the vehicle is. 

Sadly the Ford CEO clearly made his feeling known when on national TV he told Trump that Biden Forced them to build EVs that the world does not need. Idiot!!!

I agree that Ford is making ANOTHER MISTAKE in axing the EV only Lighting, they clearly have not been in vesting in battery technology as Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai, Genesis and more have all been investing in battery technology such as Factorial Solid State tech and Mercedes just finished initial testing of the 110 kW battery pack that gave them 745 mile range.

Solid-state EV battery maker is going public after a 745+ mile test

Mercedes Needed A Solid-State Battery To Match Lucid’s EV Range Record | Carscoops

I reported about the startup back in 2023 as the potential is huge and real.

Next year, Mercedes is supposed to bring out their first solid state EV and the other companies that invested will follow within 12 to 18 months. Mercedes was the first investor with Kia, Hyundai, Genesis and others following.

[smk4565]

1 hour ago, G. David Felt said:

Sadly the Ford CEO clearly made his feeling known when on national TV he told Trump that Biden Forced them to build EVs that the world does not need. Idiot!!!

I agree that Ford is making ANOTHER MISTAKE in axing the EV only Lighting, they clearly have not been in vesting in battery technology as Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai, Genesis and more have all been investing in battery technology such as Factorial Solid State tech and Mercedes just finished initial testing of the 110 kW battery pack that gave them 745 mile range.

Solid-state EV battery maker is going public after a 745+ mile test

Mercedes Needed A Solid-State Battery To Match Lucid’s EV Range Record | Carscoops

I reported about the startup back in 2023 as the potential is huge and real.

Next year, Mercedes is supposed to bring out their first solid state EV and the other companies that invested will follow within 12 to 18 months. Mercedes was the first investor with Kia, Hyundai, Genesis and others following.

Ford (and everyone else) went into EV's because they saw Tesla's $1.5 trillion market cap, and the investors were like "what the hell Jim, why does Ford have a $50 billion market cap while this start up that sells 1 million cars a year is worth 30 times more?  We want return on our investment!"

Ford could see F150 sales double and my guess is their market cap would move from $53 billion to $55 billion.  If you aren't on the cutting edge of technology it will be too easy for others to just eliminate you.  Ford gave up on sedans because they couldn't compete with the Asians, gave up on the Ecosport, the Escape ended production this month also, because they admit they can't compete in those segments.

Ford is going to be pickups, commercial vans, and Bronco.  Would be really easy to the Chinese to copy pickups and vans and come in at a much lower price and wipe out those pick up and van sales.  

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Ford (and everyone else) went into EV's because they saw Tesla's $1.5 trillion market cap, and the investors were like "what the hell Jim, why does Ford have a $50 billion market cap while this start up that sells 1 million cars a year is worth 30 times more?  We want return on our investment!"

Ford could see F150 sales double and my guess is their market cap would move from $53 billion to $55 billion.  If you aren't on the cutting edge of technology it will be too easy for others to just eliminate you.  Ford gave up on sedans because they couldn't compete with the Asians, gave up on the Ecosport, the Escape ended production this month also, because they admit they can't compete in those segments.

Ford is going to be pickups, commercial vans, and Bronco.  Would be really easy to the Chinese to copy pickups and vans and come in at a much lower price and wipe out those pick up and van sales.  

Yes, Ford pathetic quality control and small thinking has hurt the company, not helped it. Rather than step up their game to compete, they want easy money with minimal effort. At this point, Ford has done nothing over the last 5 to 6 decades that makes me care anymore.

GM will not support AA/CP and would rather take your personal data and sell it for profit to 3rd party companies.

As such, GM and Ford might just end up being out of business by 2050 if China gets into the U.S. market.

[smk4565]

4 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

Yes, Ford pathetic quality control and small thinking has hurt the company, not helped it. Rather than step up their game to compete, they want easy money with minimal effort. At this point, Ford has done nothing over the last 5 to 6 decades that makes me care anymore.

GM will not support AA/CP and would rather take your personal data and sell it for profit to 3rd party companies.

As such, GM and Ford might just end up being out of business by 2050 if China gets into the U.S. market.

If there was no tariff on Chinese cars, I think by 2050 GM and Ford would be done.  It would take the Chinese companies 10 years to build factories and dealer network, but once they had that and cars were flowing in, the domestics would be screwed.  GM has a few winners at least like the Trax and the Yukon/Suburban that are segment leaders, a decent EV line up.  But not offering car play, having some hit or miss quality vehicles, some lackluster stuff like the Equinox and Blazer, etc, there is enough for the Chinese to exploit.  Ford would be easy to put away, they rely on fleet and commercial sales, if Chinese come in with low prices, business buyers who care about the bottom line will buy them.

[oldshurst442]

On 12/28/2025 at 9:51 PM, smk4565 said:

If there was no tariff on Chinese cars, I think by 2050 GM and Ford would be done.  It would take the Chinese companies 10 years to build factories and dealer network, but once they had that and cars were flowing in, the domestics would be screwed.  GM has a few winners at least like the Trax and the Yukon/Suburban that are segment leaders, a decent EV line up.  But not offering car play, having some hit or miss quality vehicles, some lackluster stuff like the Equinox and Blazer, etc, there is enough for the Chinese to exploit.  Ford would be easy to put away, they rely on fleet and commercial sales, if Chinese come in with low prices, business buyers who care about the bottom line will buy them.

Ford would be done faster than that.  Proof would be in Europe as Volkswagen Group is actually suffering economically as Chinese EVs have been dumped in that market.  

Analysts here and in Europe with biases against EVs continue to falsely blame a lack of interest for EVs and that VAG and Ford and everyone else that fails in selling EVs its because too much effort was made to sell EVs and there are no buyers for them.

I say its because Ford, VAG and all others' EV technology is lackluster and hence nobody TRUSTS VAG and Ford EVs enough to buy them.  

GM is mid pack when it comes to EV technology and hence mid pack when it comes to EV sales.  If GM is to survive a Chinese EV onslaught of dumping EVs in the North American market, GM NEEDS to ACCELERATE EV offerings not reduce them like Ford is doing.  

Chevrolet needs a family of Bolt EVs to do battle with the cheap Chinese stuff.  An idea that GM has tossed around. I am not sure if Mary Barra is continuing on with that path though. 

Chevrolet does offer 2 EV family SUVs as of now. Might be enough.  

The Buick EVs WILL have to make it from China to here. With the tariffs, Buick might have to build them back in the usa.  That would be a win win for the usa. Just as trump intended. 

Ford is doomed if they do not follow through with their recent EV platform strategy.  In less than 20 years with tariffs on and less than a decade with no tariffs... 

EVs are the future whether americans want to admit it or not.  I really do not care if americans believe that to be true or not.  

Doom and gloom is around the corner for americans on many levels.  How much doom and gloom?  It all depends on how much more bullshyte americans are willing to ignore and live with.  It all depends also with how much bullshyte trump and his enablers are willing to impose on the usa. 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, oldshurst442 said:

Ford would be done faster than that.  Proof would be in Europe as Volkswagen Group is actually suffering economically as Chinese EVs have been dumped in that market.  

Analysts here and in Europe with biases against EVs continue to falsely blame a lack of interest for EVs and that VAG and Ford and everyone else that fails in selling EVs its because too much effort was made to sell EVs and there are no buyers for them.

I say its because Ford, VAG and all others' EV technology is lackluster and hence nobody TRUSTS VAG and Ford EVs enough to buy them.  

GM is mid pack when it comes to EV technology and hence mid pack when it comes to EV sales.  If GM is to survive a Chinese EV onslaught of dumping EVs in the North American market, GM NEEDS to ACCELERATE EV offerings not reduce them like Ford is doing.  

Chevrolet needs a family of Bolt EVs to do battle with the cheap Chinese stuff.  An idea that GM has tossed around. I am not sure if Mary Barra is continuing on with that path though. 

Chevrolet does offer 2 EV family SUVs as of now. Might be enough.  

The Buick EVs WILL have to make it from China to here. With the tariffs, Buick might have to build them back in the usa.  That would be a win win for the usa. Just as trump intended. 

Ford is doomed if they do not follow through with their recent EV platform strategy.  In less than 20 years with tariffs on and less than a decade with no tariffs... 

EVs are the future whether americans want to admit it or not.  I really do not care if americans believe that to be true or not.  

Doom and gloom is around the corner for americans on many levels.  How much doom and gloom?  It all depends on how much more bullshyte americans are willing to ignore and live with.  It all depends also with how much bullshyte trump and his enablers are willing to impose on the usa. 

One MAJOR point that everyone ignores is that American Auto Companies are not only behind the technology, but they for the most part also only produced a few to compete with Tesla and Tesla is OLD TECH!!!

Any Auto Company that is still 400V only is out of date. 800V is becoming old now that Chinese is pushing 1000V and 1,200V EV platforms to push for the 5 min recharge to 80%.

Korea is the only auto company out of China that seems to be competing, but even then, I wonder. By 2030 we will see who really will survive in the 21st century and American Auto companies I do not have much hope for.