Ford to halt production of electric F-150 Lightning until 2025

Sales of the F-150 Lightning are up 86% this year, but the company loses money on the vehicle and has been subsidizing sales. That includes a reported program offering dealers up to $1,500 for each 2024 F-150 Lightning they order from one of the automakers new regional electric vehicle distribution centers.

Ford on Monday said its Model e EV operations are expected to lose about $5 billion this year.

Ford executives have said the automaker‘s next-generation of EVs will be less costly than its current generation, and that it won’t launch a product unless it can be profitable within a year.

The production slowdown represents a fall from grace for the F-150 Lightning. Ford executives such as CEO Jim Farley once touted the vehicle as having the same importance as the Model T, but the company has moved to slashing planned output of the pickup in half to begin this year.

Ford‘s overall days’ supply of new vehicles was 112 days as of the end of September, according to Cox Automotive. The F-150, including electric and traditional models, was at 100 days. Fords other EV models — Mustang Mach-E crossover and E-Transit van — were even higher at 128 days and 112 days, respectively, Cox reports.