Sales of the legendary Ford F-150 Lightning drop by 15% and the rates do not help to get out of the hole

Sales of the Ford F-150 Lightning have experienced a notable decline, recording a 15% decrease in February with only 2,199 units sold.

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Throughout the month of March, sales continued to decline, showing a decrease of 15% compared to the previous year. This situation is exacerbated in a context where Ford’s total sales in the U.S. decreased by 9%, mainly affected by the drop in demand for its combustion vehicles, which account for more than 85% of the company’s deliveries.

While electrified vehicles, which include both electric and hybrid models, have shown double-digit growth, with a 15% increase in electric sales (7,326 units) and a notable 27.5% growth in hybrids (15,357 units), Ford’s electric pickup line faces a discouraging outlook.

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Competition in the market intensifies with models like the Tesla Cybertruck, the Chevy Silverado EV, and the GMC Sierra EV, which are quickly gaining ground.

The Tesla Cybertruck, for example, surpassed the Lightning to become the fifth best-selling electric vehicle in the U.S. last year, with nearly 39,000 units sold, while the F-150 Lightning came in sixth place with just over 33,500.

To tackle this growing challenge, Ford has expanded its “Power Promise” promotion, which offers incentives such as level 2 chargers for new EV buyers; however, this has not managed to reverse the negative trend in Lightning sales.

Additionally, Ford has reduced the production of the Lightning at its Rouge electric vehicle plant due to lower-than-expected demand, and has canceled a pilot program aimed at improving EV distribution after failing to meet expectations.

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Although the company plans to launch a smaller electric pickup, it will not be available for another two years, which could leave Ford in a vulnerable position against the growing competition in the sector.