Ford Considers Throwing in the Towel on Electric F-150 Infamously Touted by Biden: Report
The article discusses the disappointing sales performance of Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck, highlighting that American consumers have not embraced electric vehicles (EVs) as enthusiastically as manufacturers and political leaders had hoped.Despite high-profile endorsements, including from President Joe Biden, the Lightning is struggling with low demand, making it the lowest-selling vehicle in Ford’s lineup with about 1,500 units sold. Factors contributing to poor sales include high prices-starting around $40,000 but often closer to $50,000 or more-and supply issues such as an aluminum shortage halting production.
Ford has incurred substantial losses, around $13 billion in electric vehicle efforts over the past two years, and overall EV sales have declined compared to last year. Other major manufacturers like Stellantis, General Motors, Ram, and Tesla are also reconsidering or scaling back their electric truck plans. The article argues that government mandates, such as Biden’s executive order calling for EVs to comprise half the market by 2030, have not driven consumer adoption and that market demand, not political pressure, should guide the future of vehicle manufacturing. Ultimately, it suggests that automakers need to listen to consumers rather than politicians to succeed in the evolving automotive market.
As it turns out, Americans aren’t ready to embrace electric vehicles with the kind of energy manufacturers and Democrats had hoped they would.
Ford Motor Company’s electric F-150 Lightning is not selling. As a matter of fact, the demand is so low, Ford has considered getting rid of it altogether.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a final decision has not been made, but the situation is not hopeful. Ford has accumulated $13 billion in electric vehicle losses in the last two years. EV sales for October were down 24 percent compared to last year’s numbers.
The Lightning is the lowest-selling vehicle of any series at 1,500.
Affordability was not on the menu as the Journal notes Ford pitched the Lightning at $40,000, but standard models were closer to $50,000, and the higher-end versions went as high as $90,000.
An aluminum shortage caused production to stop, but the company isn’t sure if they’re going to keep trudging on with this electric pick-up or focus their efforts on smaller EVs.
Mind you, this is a vehicle once touted for its performance by former President Joe Biden.
In 2021, Biden drove the EV for reporters in Dearborn, Michigan, when he seemed to enthusiastically take off, telling them, “This suckers’ quick!”
A reporter that day asked him, “Would you buy one of these?” to which Biden simply said, “I would.”
The general public clearly isn’t feeling the same way.
Owner of Lester Glenn Auto Group in New Jersey, Adam Kraushaar, put it bluntly when he said, “The demand is just not there.
“We don’t order a lot of them because we don’t sell them.”
Government coercion won’t change the market. Biden pushed for electric vehicles to make up half the market by 2030 via executive order in 2021.
This is something Car and Driver reported President Donald Trump reversed on his first day back in office.
Per the Journal, manufacturers Stellantis, General Motors, Ram, and Tesla are all walking back or in talks to walk back electric trucks as well.
It’s time to let the market decide the future of the vehicles based on demand.
If electric vehicles are the future, the consumer will make it so. Biden, nor any other president or government official, can bear down on car buyers or manufacturers as this experience has shown.
Hopefully, car manufacturers will start listening to buyers and not politicians.
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