Following a bit of early success, the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning has fallen from grace somewhat, but remains a top seller in the EV truck space. Regardless, we’ve known for some time that the Lightning was merely the automaker’s first attempt at an all-electric variant of its wildly popular Ford F-150, and that a second-generation model is in the works that promises many improvements in virtually every area. However, one of the biggest changes set to take place between the Lightning and the second-generation Ford F-150 EV may come from its name, as John Lawler, Ford CFO, revealed during the recent 2024 Bank of America Automotive Summit when talking about production costs associated with next-gen EVs.
“Although the group in California is designing the platform separate from the larger vehicle platform, remember Doug’s in charge of both,” Lawler said. “Doug is leading both of those and he’s bringing as much back into our larger platform that the next Lightning pickup truck will be on, or pickup truck will be on. I don’t know that it’s going to be called Lightning. Now I’m getting out of my comfort there. So no one say I said it’s the next Lightning. It’s the next pickup truck.”
This is an interesting revelation indeed, and adds to what we already know about the next-generation Ford F-150 EV. Nicknamed “Project T3” (for Trust the Truck), this next-generation model is slated to be built at the under-construction BlueOval City complex in Tennessee starting in 2025, and perhaps also the Dearborn Truck plant and Rogue Electric Vehicle Center. Ford CEO Jim Farley previously described its styling as something like the Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars franchise “with a porch attached,” and also added that it will be a superior offering compared to the Tesla Cybertruck.
However, this isn’t the only potentially large philosophical EV shift from Ford that lurks on the horizon. The automaker recently shifted its focus from larger, more expensive EVs to cheaper, smaller ones, with the first being a crossover developed by a skunkworks team that’s set to launch in 2026 with a price tag of around $25k.
We’ll have more on the second-generation Ford F-150 EV soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, F-150 Lightning news, and comprehensive Ford news coverage.
Comments
E-150, lightning for performance model
I’d guess they want to distance the new truck from the current one, being the existing Lightening is a true disappointment for most Pick Up owners, in that it can’t haul or tow like a Pick Up needs to. Less than 100 miles towing a trailer just doesn’t cut it.