How Ford's once popular F-150 Lightning lost its luster

In July, Michael Puglia drove home what looked like the coolest vehicle he'd ever owned: a Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup.

It was big enough to carry his kids and all their hockey gear. He never had to refuel again and the ride was exhilarating. “It's incredibly fast and responsive,” says Mr. Puglia, a pediatric anesthesiologist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “The technology is amazing.”

But as cooler weather arrived, the truck's range (or the distance it could travel before needing to be plugged in) decreased significantly. Once, after Mr. Puglia drove 35 miles to an ice skating rink, his range dropped by 75 miles. Another time, a 60-mile jaunt reduced his range by 110 miles.

Several trips to the dealer for software updates didn't solve the problem, leaving Mr. Puglia wondering whether he should keep the $79,000 truck.

“People say 'range anxiety' – it's like it's the driver's fault,” he said. 'But it's not our fault. It's basically that they don't tell us what the real range is. The truck says it's 300 miles. I don't think I ever got that.”

Mr Puglia's short trip from excitement to frustration reflects the recent ups and downs in the electric vehicle sector. Twelve months ago, sales of battery-powered cars in the United States seemed poised for a sustainable take-off. Sales increased by 46 percent last year, surpassing one million vehicles for the first time and accounting for more than 7 percent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in 2023.

But by the last three months of 2023, the sales pace had slowed and automakers' optimism had turned to caution. According to the California New Car Dealers Association, new vehicle registrations of electric vehicles are up in the last three months of the year decreased compared to the previous three months in California – the largest market for battery-powered cars and trucks.

Ford Motor, General Motors and others are now slowing investments in electric vehicles. GM is also delaying sales of some new electric models and making plans to produce plug-in hybrids, which dealers say are attracting more customer interest.

“You had a wave of early adopters, but the mainstream consumer just isn't jumping up and down for electric cars,” said Marc Cannon, an independent consultant who until recently was chief customer experience officer at AutoNation, the country's largest auto retailer. “The manufacturers put products on the market, but the consumer says: 'We don't participate.'”

More than almost any other new battery-powered vehicle, the F-150 Lightning seemed like a big hit when it was introduced in 2022. It was the electric incarnation of the country's best-selling vehicle and could accelerate like a sports car. Ford had 200,000 reservations for the truck at one point. Initially, the company struggled to produce more than a few thousand per month, limiting sales. Last year, consumer enthusiasm was replaced by a more cautious assessment.

Demand for the Lightning decreased and the backlog of reservations virtually disappeared. In 2023, Ford sold 24,000 Lightnings, a 54 percent increase over the previous year but well below the annual production of 150,000 the company once aimed for.

Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer of Ford's electric vehicle division, said sales of the Lightning, while lower than initial expectations, are strong. In the fourth quarter, it was one of the best-selling electric vehicles, behind Tesla's Model Y and Model 3.

And in states where electric vehicle ownership is high, such as California, Oregon and Washington, the Lightning accounts for about 30 percent of the company's F-Series truck sales. “We continue to see the Lightning as a success and a critical part of our portfolio,” said Mr. Gjaja.

Late last year, Ford said it would cut the number of F-150 Lightnings it would produce by about half by 2024, to about 1,600 per week. The company also moved about 1,400 employees who had been making Lightnings to other models, including the gas-powered F-150. In January, Ford sold 2,258 Lightnings, six fewer than the same month last year.

It's not just Ford. Pickups are a particularly disappointing segment of the electric vehicle market. According to Cox Automotive, Rivian sold about 17,700 of its R1T pickup last year, the same as in 2022. Tesla and GM introduced electric pickups last year — the Cybertruck and a Chevrolet Silverado — but have produced very few so far and sold.

A big part of the problem, owners and analysts say, is that electric pickups, despite their great technology and acceleration, have greatly reduced range when drivers use them for the things people buy trucks for: to haul heavy items, tow trailers to pull and drive. with bad weather.

How far an electric vehicle can travel on a charge can vary greatly. Edmunds, the market researcher, tested a Lightning in 81-degree weather and drove the truck 350 miles on a full charge. But cold temperatures can reduce the range of all electric vehicles. During a recent cold spell in the Midwest, some owners of Teslas and other brands saw their range drop by half or more. Owners who don't have chargers at home are more affected because they can't preheat their car while it's plugged in before they leave. Rain, hills, aggressive driving and heavy loads can also reduce range.

Mr Gjaja said some drivers may not yet be aware of all the steps they can take to maximize the truck's range. Programming the truck to warm the battery on cold mornings can reduce range loss. And by using the 'one pedal' driving mode, energy is recovered when the vehicle brakes.

Driving at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour will use less energy than driving at a speed of 120 to 130 kilometers per hour, reducing the need for a charging stop, he said. “If you go slower, you might get there faster.”

Ford recently started equipping Lightnings with energy-saving heat pumps that can help extend driving range.

Tesla, which makes about half of all electric vehicles sold in the United States, was sued last summer by three Californians who claimed their cars failed to achieve the automaker's advertised range. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was based in part on a Reuters report that said the range figures on Tesla's dashboard screens did not take into account weather conditions and other important factors. Reuters also reported that the company had put together a team of employees to prevent customer complaints.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.

Even if cold weather isn't an issue, range can be an issue, especially with large pickups used for work.

Mike Kochav, owner of a construction company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, bought a Lightning in the summer of 2022 for about $90,000. His company already owned six gasoline-powered F-150s. He liked the electric truck's handling and technology, but noticed a rapid drop in range as the pickup truck transported equipment to job sites around the state.

“As soon as you put a trailer on it, the mileage drops,” Mr. Kochav said. Because he sometimes drives 200 to 200 miles a day, he had to stop to charge – which often took 45 minutes, or longer if he had to wait for a charger to become available.

“It was too many delays in my time,” Mr. Kochav explained. Last summer he traded in his Lightning.

According to the Energy Department, public electric vehicle chargers are available at approximately 61,000 stations nationwide; For comparison: there are 145,000 gas stations.

According to a recent Consumer Reports survey, electric vehicles are also more likely to have problems than hybrid or gasoline models. That may be because manufacturers are still learning how to build reliable battery-powered vehicles. GM recently had to tell dealers to stop selling the electric Chevrolet Blazer, a new model, while it fixes software issues that could cause some of the SUV's features to stop working.

Electric vehicles are also more expensive than comparable hybrid and petrol models, even after several price cuts last year. Federal and state tax credits for certain electric cars and trucks help, but don't always close the gap.

Yet the sector is moving forward. Analysts estimate 1.5 million electric vehicles will be sold this year, up from nearly 1.2 million in 2023. The Biden administration is expected to finalize new emissions rules next month. The proposal would essentially require battery-powered cars to make up two-thirds of all light-vehicle sales by 2032, although the details could change before the regulations become official.

Ford and other manufacturers may be able to encourage consumers like Mr. Kochav. Despite his frustrations, he said he was open to giving the Lightning another try in a few years, especially if Ford improved the truck's range and charging stations became more common.

“I really loved it,” he said. “I really think I'll go back there someday.”