Ford’s F-150 Lightning is shedding floor within the US with new electrical pickups just like the Tesla Cybertruck and Chevy Silverado EV now accessible. Though Ford plans to launch smaller, extra inexpensive EVs, together with an SUV and pickup, they gained’t arrive for (a minimum of) one other two years. With new threats, together with a wave of lower-cost EVs and Trump threatening to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico, will Ford’s growing old lineup set it additional behind?
Ford Lightning falls behind in growing old EV lineup
It’s been nearly three years for the reason that first F-150 Lightning fashions rolled out of Ford’s Rouge Electrical Automobile Heart in Dearborn, Michigan.
Other than the Rivian R1T, the Lightning was among the many first electrical pickups accessible within the US. Rivian delivered the primary R1T fashions in October 2021. The primary Lightning clients acquired their automobiles in Might 2022.
Regardless of setting a new January EV gross sales report, Ford bought fewer Lightning fashions than final yr. Final month, gross sales slipped 15.5% to simply 1,907, in comparison with 2,258 in January 2024.
The Mustang Mach-E was the first motive behind Ford’s greater EV gross sales final month. Ford bought 3,529 Mach-Es in January, up 172% from the 1,295 bought final yr.
After falling behind GM within the US electrical car market final yr, Ford launched important incentives towards the top of the yr to spice up gross sales. In October, Ford launched its “Energy Promise” program, giving all EV consumers a free Degree 2 residence charger price $2,000. It prolonged the promotion final month after gross sales jumped 16% in This fall.
In line with Edmunds (by way of Bloomberg), Mach-E fashions sat on the lot for a median of over three months earlier than the inducement, practically 20% longer than the common EV.
New threats rising
Ford’s growing old Lightning and Mach-E are already falling behind new EV rivals just like the Tesla Cybertruck and Honda Prologue.
In line with Cox Automotive’s 2024 EV gross sales report, Tesla bought 38,965 Cybertrucks within the US final yr, beating out the Lightning at 33,510. Even the brand new electrical Chevy Silverado is catching up.
After the lower-priced LT trim started arriving at dealerships in October, GM bought 2,176 Silverado EVs within the last three months of 2024, for a complete of seven,428. Later this yr, Ram will launch its first electrical pickup, the Ram 1500 REV.
Ford is betting on a brand new low-cost EV platform because it seems to be to maintain tempo with international leaders like Tesla and BYD. The brand new platform, below growth by a staff of former Tesla, Lucid, Rivian, and Apple execs in California, will underpin a sequence of smaller, extra inexpensive EVs.
The primary fashions are anticipated to be a smaller electrical crossover SUV and pickup, beginning at below $30,000. Nonetheless, the brand new EVs should not anticipated to reach till a minimum of 2027.
By then, Ford will face stiff competitors with Rivian launching its smaller R2, Volkswagen’s Scout model arriving, and so forth.
With Trump threatening a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico, the place the Mustang Mach-E is constructed, Ford may face extra headwinds this yr.
Electrek’s Take
Ford has already pushed again a number of important electrical car fashions and different tasks. Final yr, it dropped plans to construct a three-row electrical SUV, which CEO Jim Farley as soon as described as a “private bullet practice.”
The bigger SUV was anticipated to launch this yr, however as an alternative, rivals like Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, and Volvo are taking benefit with new three-row electrical SUVs (IONIQ 9, EV90, Gravity, and EX90) arriving within the US this yr.
After delivering the primary fashions final March, Honda’s Prologue already outsold the Ford Mustang Mach-E final month.
Ford’s Mannequin e electrical car unit misplaced round $5 billion final yr and is anticipated to proceed racking up the losses in 2025. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas forecasts related losses at round $4.8 million this yr.
We’ll study extra tomorrow when Ford experiences its fourth-quarter earnings. Examine again for a breakdown of the report.
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