The Ford F-150 Lightning at risk: production halts due to lack of sales

Ford is very hopeful about its next generation of electric vehicles, but the current models are not receiving the reception it expected. Sales of its largest electric model, the Ford F-150 Lightning, have dropped so sharply that the American brand has considered interrupting production, even if only for a few months.

Sales of electric vehicles from Ford have fallen by 8.3% compared with October 2023. But the worst result has been for the F-150 Lightning, whose sales have fallen by 49.8%. This is what has led the brand to propose a pause from late November until early 2025, with no dates set for the moment.

However, the brand’s other electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E, saw its sales grow by 21.3%, with a total of 3,313 units. These rising sales may continue upward in the coming months, since the price of the version to be sold in 2025 is expected to drop by around 3,500 dollars, which would bring its price down to 36,495 euros.

Another of the electric models is the Ford E-Transit. In percentage terms, sales have increased by 181.1%. But there is a catch: the number of units sold was only 1,088 units. Too few units to celebrate a triumph, although the increase is indeed quite spectacular.

All of this data refers to the month of October and to the US market. Looking at the annual figures, total sales have indeed increased: up to October 31, 2024, 73,953 electric vehicles have been sold, compared with 53,502 units in the same period last year. In total, 1,658,010 units were sold in this 2023 period, and this year 1,720,928 units. Very positive results, despite everything.

Hybrid vehicles are also posting positive numbers. Sales have increased by 38.1% compared with the first 10 months of 2023. In total, 158,568 hybrid vehicles have been sold in 2024, compared with 109,669 units sold in 2023. Combustion-engine cars show a slight decline on an annual basis, while in October they went from 129,952 in 2023 to 148,268 units in 2024.

Despite these good figures, the F-150 Lightning does not have enough sales volume to sustain the production pace. So the pick-up electric will have to be provisionally discontinued while the market changes. Hybrid models are gaining ground over electric ones in the United States as well. Will this be another sign that something is not being done right?