When I say proving expensive, I'm refering to some manufacturers in this instance. In particular Ford and the F-150 Lightning. If the name Lightning implied that would be selling fast, then that would be a misnomer.
Sales were suggested to be in the 150,000 region per annum. They peaked at 33,500 in 2024 and over the four years it's been on sale, barely got past a combined total of 100,000. The scrapping of federal EV tax credits may have been the final nail in the coffin, but maybe it was doomed regardless.
The amazing thing is it was the best selling BEV truck in the US. Mind you, the Cybertruck wasn't exactly competition, just a little opposition. Still there are others out there and they were beaten too. Despite that, Ford has decided to end the Lighning.
So this u-turn is costing the company billions of dollars, according to Ford. From the outset, I never saw BEVs as an ideal mass market vehicle, more likely to carve out a niche. Surely, fuel cell or synthetic fuels have potential for broader mass appeal.
Some markets see it differently and are pushing BEVs to become the future of mobility, for now at least. At least they are providing some stability by not flip flopping. What it shows is that predicting the future is as difficult as it has ever been. Those that are putting a great deal of money into BEVs are taking a risk and a already a few have been burned. Electric vehicles sure can be expensive.
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