Autobayng News Team
The Ford F-150 Lightning lived a short life. But for many people, it was a lifeline when the going got tough.
When a hurricane took power out at a Florida veterinary clinic last year, the Lightning’s giant battery powered it back up. After an elderly man was stranded in California because his electric wheelchair’s battery ran out, a Lightning made it operational again. And during the devastating Kentucky floods in 2022, Ford deployed two Lightnings as mobile generators to support cleanup efforts.
These are just a few examples of how the Lightning’s high-voltage battery—ranging from 96 kilowatt-hours to 131 kWh, depending on the trim—proved invaluable to homeowners, first responders, people with disabilities and even pets.
Ford F-150 Lightning powers vet clinic during hurricane Helene.
Photo by: InsideEVs
“I was very sad to hear Ford is pivoting on the Lightning,” Dr. Erica Lacher, who runs an emergency veterinary clinic in Florida, told InsideEVs. “I have found the Lightning to be an excellent daily driver and a reliable back-up generator for the clinic on many occasions,” she said.
Dr. Lacher knows that better than most. When Hurricane Helene knocked out power at her veterinary clinic last October, she already knew how she would keep the surgical equipment running: her electric truck. She parked the Lightning next to her clinic, plugged one end of the cable into the power outlet in the truck’s bed and the other end into the generator transfer switch. Just like that, she restored power within minutes.
“It definitely saved lives,” Dr. Lacher told InsideEVs. “Range anxiety is a thing, but once you get used to it, it’s no big deal, ask any EV driver.”
Many new EVs come with bidirectional charging, the capability to power external appliances, homes or offices, or even to send power back to the grid during emergencies using the vehicle’s battery. In official terms, it’s called vehicle-to-load (V2L), vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G). And the Lightning supported this long before it became more common among EVs today.
It’s also hard to find Lightning owners who hated the truck enough to cheer its demise. In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Owners previously interviewed by InsideEVs, along with many active on online forums, say they love Ford’s electric pickup. The Lightning provided backup power that saved animal’s lives during the hurricane. Photo by: InsideEVs
Stories like hers are easy to find online these days. “We lost power at our cabin, where we evacuated to [after Hurricane Milton]. I had charged to 100% when I arrived. We used the truck to power the cabin for 2 days,” one owner wrote. Others described running extension cords to refrigerators and medical devices, or even inviting neighbors over to share power.
With so many examples of the Lightning at its best, Ford’s decision to kill its first electric pickup after just three and a half years feels baffling. This past week, the automaker announced that it was ending production of the truck and scrapped plans to build its next-generation “T3” all-electric model. It would instead add a gas generator to the next Lightning, turning it into an extended-range EV with over 700 miles of range.
The automaker attributed the electric F-150’s demise to “evolving market realities, consumer preferences and the regulatory environment.” The end of the $7,500 federal tax credit and heavily revised fuel economy rules now favor gas cars over EVs. The Lightning was America’s best-selling pickup truck, outselling rivals like the Tesla Cybertruck and the Rivian R1T, but compared to its own gas-powered F-Series brethren, its sales were a drop in the bucket.
The F-150 hybrid sold over twice that of its EV cousin in 2024, with nearly 74,000 units sold over the Lightning’s 33,150. Meanwhile, Ford’s EV business is yet to turn a profit, which means continuing the Lightning’s production would mean Ford would continue to bleed cash. Going forward, the company plans to double down on its highly profitable gas trucks, while shifting its EV strategy toward more affordable models built on its upcoming Universal EV Platform.
That strategy shift hasn’t gone over well with existing Lightning owners. Many had been waiting for the now-cancelled T3, which presumably would have yielded better charging speeds, longer range and more advanced software.
Others worry that an EREV would undermine one of the Lightning’s biggest advantages: minimal maintenance.
Ford F-150 with Pro Power Onboard
“Not interested in an EREV or a smaller truck. I love F-150s, but I have no desire to put gas in a truck again,” one owner commented. “Maintaining the gas engine is the worst part of the [EREV]. The current truck meets my needs now. It just needs a little faster charging,” another owner said. “I didn’t buy the Lightning to have my next truck be a step backwards. This is silly and reactive,” a Lightning Lariat owner added.
Ford says the EREV will retain exportable power like today’s Lightning while delivering “locomotive-like towing capability,” which should address the range and towing concerns many F-150 buyers have. But between the EREV and a smaller electric pickup on the Universal EV Platform, Ford now has to prove that these replacements will be meaningfully better. And that’s going to be a tough sell for current owners who already feel like they have the truck they wanted.
Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com Related Stories We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Insideevs.com? – The InsideEVs team
