Ford paused production of the F-150 Lightning last month due to aluminum shortages. General Motors The Wall Street Journal reported this month about internal deliberations at Ford Motor Company to scrap the F-150 Lightning, the company’s money-losing electric vehicle (EV). The Journal reports that Ford has suffered $13 billion in EV losses since 2023, which is expected to worsen with an “absence of government support.” The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) repealed the Clean Vehicle Tax Credit, which provided consumers with $7,500 for purchasing a new EV. Buyers of used EVs used to qualify for $4,000 tax credits and $40,000 for commercial EVs, respectively. The tax credits expired September 30, 2025, with a temporary 30% increase year-over-year in EV sales as consumers moved to lock in tax credits. Sales are expected in the final months of 2025 to drop to about 5% of total U.S. In October, Ford’s overall U.S. EV sales fell 24% from the prior year. A 2023 study by the Texas Public Policy Foundation suggested that EVs would cost almost $50,000 more to own over ten years than internal combustion vehicles if not for subsidies, regulations, and other hidden costs. EVs are out of reach for many consumers without tax credits. According to Spectrum News, the average transaction price for an EV is $57,245—compared with $48,179 for an average internal combustion vehicle. Basic models of the F-150 Lightning have gone to $50,000 and higher-end models approach $90,000.
Ford paused production of the F-150 Lightning last month due to aluminum shortages. The Journal reports that Ford has suffered $13 billion in EV losses since 2023, which is expected to worsen with an “absence of government support.” The tax credits expired September 30, 2025, with a temporary 30% increase year-over-year in EV sales as consumers moved to lock in tax credits.
Key data points include: a drop in Ford’s U.S. EV sales by 24% in October year over year, the repeal of the Clean Vehicle Tax Credit under OBBA, and the high price points for EVs relative to internal combustion vehicles.
Author’s summary: The article portrays mounting EV losses at Ford amid tax-credit policy changes and high EV prices, signaling challenges for the sector despite ongoing demand shifts.