Ford closes the current Lightning chapter
The current Ford F-150 Lightning is no longer available on the manufacturer’s US website. Production had already ended in December, with remaining vehicles sold for several months afterward.
This means one of North America’s best-known electric pickups is disappearing from the market for now. However, Ford is not withdrawing from the segment. Instead, it will divide the Lightning’s previous roles between two different models.
An affordable electric pickup is intended to generate sales volume, while a larger EREV pickup will appeal to customers who need long-distance capability and towing performance.
Owners of the current F-150 Lightning will continue to receive software updates, servicing, repairs, and customer support. The end of production therefore does not mean that Ford is abandoning the existing fleet from a technical standpoint.
Fathom and EREV pickup compared
| Model | Powertrain | Positioning | Market launch | Known specifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Fathom | Fully electric | Affordable midsize pickup | Planned for early 2027 | From $28,350 plus destination charge |
| New Ford EREV pickup | Electric drive with gasoline generator | Large pickup for long distances and demanding use | Planned from 2027 | More than 1,125 km of announced total range |
The Fathom will not directly replace the F-150 Lightning. It will be smaller and is intended to be significantly more efficient and less expensive to manufacture thanks to a new platform. In the long term, the EREV model is instead expected to take the place of the large Lightning.
Ford Fathom to start below $30,000
Ford has announced a price of $28,350 for the base version of the Fathom. A $1,595 destination charge brings the pickup’s pre-tax price to $29,945. Details about the battery, output, charging speed, and electric range have yet to be released.
The Fathom is scheduled to enter production at Ford’s Louisville plant in early 2027. It will be the first model to use the new Universal Electric Vehicle platform, or UEV. Ford promises major improvements in energy efficiency and profitability, but it still needs to substantiate these claims with technical specifications and production vehicles.
Despite its compact pickup positioning, the interior is expected to offer more space than a Toyota RAV4. Ford has also announced direct integration of Apple Maps into the navigation system. This could enable closer coordination between routes, charging stops, and vehicle data, although the precise range of functions is not yet known.
The large pickup gets a range extender
For the second model, Ford is opting for an Extended Range Electric Vehicle, or EREV. The vehicle itself is driven electrically, while a gasoline generator produces additional energy when needed. Ford has not yet provided definitive details about the size of the battery and fuel tank or whether the combustion engine will operate solely as a generator.
The announced range of more than 1,125 km refers to the total range using both the battery and fuel. It is explicitly not an all-electric range figure. Ford expects that, with regular charging, the vehicle can nevertheless operate electrically for most everyday journeys.
The concept is similar to other new range-extender vehicles such as the Xiaomi SkyNomad. An EREV differs from the Nissan Qashqai e-Power primarily through its larger, externally rechargeable battery, provided Ford adopts the design typically used for this class of vehicle.
Why Ford is splitting its pickup strategy
Large electric pickups face challenges including heavy batteries, correspondingly high costs, and sharply rising energy consumption when towing. An EREV can mitigate these drawbacks on long journeys, but it also reintroduces fuel consumption, exhaust emissions, and additional maintenance components.
The Fathom takes the opposite approach: smaller, lighter, and fully electric. Ford is therefore targeting customers who want a practical pickup but do not need the size or towing capacity of an F-150.
No market launch has yet been announced for Germany, Austria, or Switzerland. Nor can the US price be transferred directly to the DACH region—the German-speaking markets of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland—because of taxes, vehicle approval requirements, and potential import costs. Nevertheless, the strategic split is noteworthy, as Ford is no longer trying to meet every pickup requirement with a single electric vehicle.
