The Ford F-150 Lightning and one of its chief rivals, the Tesla Cybertruck, have experienced a similar demand trajectory since they were unleashed on the North American market. Things started out strong as enthusiastic EV buyers scrambled to get theirs, but demand for both electric pickups has since tapered off as consumers look elsewhere for their pickup needs. In fact, in hopes of moving more Cybertruck units off the lot, Tesla has slashed the price of its electric pickup with the goal of attracting more buyers.
According to a report from CNBC, Tesla knocked $1,600 off the asking price of the Tesla Cybertruck – depending on configuration – while demo versions of the electric pickup have been cut by up to $2,600. While the Cybertruck was initially marketed as a relatively affordable vehicle at around $40,000 when it was revealed in 2019, its actual sticker price sits around $80,000, potentially turning buyers away.
Production of the Cybertruck, which occurs in Texas, has also been ratcheted back as the automaker instead focuses on its highly popular Tesla Model Y. Additionally, some workers were told that Tesla Cybertruck production was being scaled down, noting that the company planned to built fewer parts for the electric pickup in Q1 2025.
It’s worth noting that the Tesla Cybertruck actually outsold the Ford F-150 Lightning throughout the 2024 calendar year, although its exact numbers were not disclosed as Tesla doesn’t report individual model sales figures. For reference, the Ford F-150 Lightning moved 33,510 units last year, up 38 percent when compared to 2023, indicating that demand for the electric pickup is steady, but still not anywhere near the 100,000+ annual sales figure Ford originally projected when it launched the EV pickup.
In fact, just like the Cybertruck, The Blue Oval is also scaling back production of the F-150 Lightning. Operations at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan, where the F-150 Lightning is built, were idled in mid November and only recently restarted in early January as Ford prioritized the assembly of the gasoline F-150 pickup.
Comment
Hey Ford, make your Cybertruck with ICE, Hybrid or maybe, hydrogen and you’ll sell plenty.
Electric power, ehhhh!