The Ford F-150 Lightning.You cannot order one. The name is coming back.

The current one is finished; the name is not. Ford’s press release of Dec. 15, 2025 says production of the current generation F-150 Lightning has concluded, and that the next-generation Lightning will shift to an extended-range electric vehicle architecture built at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. ford.com’s own FAQ puts it as: the Lightning will no longer be available to order in its current form. You cannot order a new one today, and Ford has announced no date for the replacement.

Ford’s stated reason is a specific one. The press release says production concluded “as Ford redeploys employees to Dearborn Truck Plant to support a third crew for F-150 gas and hybrid truck production as a result of the Novelis fires” – a fire at an aluminum supplier that constrained the whole F-Series line. The same release sets out the wider plan: extended-range electric options on larger trucks and SUVs, and a Universal EV platform whose first vehicle is a midsize electric pickup from Louisville Assembly Plant starting in 2027.

Ford has not said. Its own answer is: “While we are not yet prepared to announce specific availability dates, we can assure you our teams are hard at work bringing this innovative vehicle to life.” What Ford has published is a description – 100% electric power delivery, sub-5-second acceleration, an estimated 700-plus mile range with a high-power generator, and towing that Doug Field described as towing “like a locomotive.” There is no price, no specification sheet and no launch window. Anybody quoting you one is guessing.

Yes, and it is worth knowing about. Ford published a full 2026 F-150 Lightning order guide on Nov. 3, 2025, and NHTSA holds 2026 records and crash-rates the truck five stars overall. Confusingly, the EPA’s 2026 Ford list contains no Lightning at all, so there is no official 2026 range figure – the EPA’s most recent numbers are the 2025 ones. The 2026 matters because Ford deleted the 98 kWh standard-range battery for that year, so every 2026 Lightning has the long-range pack.

On the EPA’s 2025 ratings, the last it published: 240 miles with the standard-range battery, 300 to 320 miles with extended range depending on the configuration, and 300 miles on the Platinum. The 2026 order guide prints TBD against every range row and the EPA never rated a 2026, so those 2025 figures are the honest answer for the whole late run. Cold weather, a trailer and a loaded bed all reduce it, and a Huntley January reduces it noticeably.

Three things, in order. The battery: on a 2022 to 2025 truck the standard-range pack is roughly 240 EPA miles against roughly 320 for extended range, and you cannot tell from the outside. The recall list, against the VIN, today: thirteen campaigns ran across this truck’s life and three of them exist only to redo an earlier repair that was performed incorrectly, so a history report showing recalls completed is not the same as the list being clear. And where it will charge, because the EPA’s running-cost figures assume home charging at an average electricity price.

Thirteen campaigns across the 2022 to 2026 run, and which apply depends entirely on the year and the VIN. The most serious is 25V131000, covering 2022 to 2024 trucks for a high-voltage battery cell defect that can cause an internal short circuit and a fire – Ford told owners to charge to no more than 80% until the repair was done. 25V863000 covers 2022 to 2026 for a park module that may fail to lock into park. There are two separate control-arm ball joint campaigns and two battery busbar campaigns. All remedies are free. Give us a VIN and we will check it.

NHTSA gives it five stars overall in every model year it tested – 2024, 2025 and 2026 – with four stars for the frontal crash test, five for side crash, five for the side pole test and four for rollover at a 12.7% risk. That rollover figure is the lowest of any truck we have written up, and it is a direct consequence of the battery sitting under the floor. The IIHS does not publish crashworthiness ratings for the Lightning, so there is nothing from the institute either way.

Yes, and Ford says so plainly: support for existing owners remains fully unchanged. The electric vehicle components including the high-voltage battery are covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles, and that coverage includes battery capacity dropping below 70% of original within the period. Powertrain is 5 years or 60,000 miles, bumper-to-bumper 3 years or 36,000 miles. Ford confirms over-the-air software updates and connected services continue, and that replacement parts will continue to be available.

No. The IRS states that the New Clean Vehicle Credit is not available for vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025, under Public Law 119-21, and the commercial credit ended on the same terms. Neither a new nor a used Lightning carries a federal credit today. A lot of websites have not caught up. We are not tax advisers, so confirm your own position with your accountant, but do not plan a budget around it.

On the EPA’s own estimated annual fuel cost, on identical assumptions: $1,050 to $1,150 a year for a Lightning against $2,950 to $3,250 for a gas F-150 and $2,650 for the PowerBoost hybrid. That is about $2,100 a year between the Lightning and a 5.0L V8. The EPA assumes 15,000 miles a year at a national average electricity price, which in practice means charging at home – public DC fast charging is a great deal more expensive and can erase the difference.

Tools, yes, and it is documented. Ford’s 2026 order guide gives Pro Power Onboard at 2.4 kW as standard and 9.6 kW as an option, and the 9.6 kW setup brings ten 120V outlets, six USB outlets and a 240V outlet in the bed – one 2.4 kW circuit for the frunk and cab and two 3.6 kW circuits for the bed. Note that Ford’s ordering rules tie the 9.6 kW generator and the Max Trailer Tow Package together, so a truck with one has the other. Powering a house is a separate question that depends on home equipment – ask us and we will find out what a specific truck needs.