Ford kills some F-150 Lightning trims, raises prices on others

Was Ars premature in calling the electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck the most important electric vehicle of the decade? At launch, it seemed like a no-brainer—an all-electric version of the nation's most popular four-wheel vehicle that rode better than any other F-150 and a starting price of just $40,000 sure sounded compelling. In practice, things haven't worked out quite that well. Today, we learned that F-150 Lighting prices are increasing for some trims, and others are being retired altogether.

When Ford first announced Lightning pricing in 2021, the range started at $39,974 for a Lightning Pro—the trim aimed at commercial customers—with the standard range battery, or $49,974 for the Lightning Pro with a larger battery capable of 300 miles of range. The F-150 Lightning XLT was the entry-level model for private customers, which originally cost $52,974, with more expensive Lariat and Platinum trims that topped out at $90,874.

But Ford raised those prices before too long, then raised them again. Coupled with a post-pandemic trend of outrageous additional dealer markups, this spelled bad news for F-150 Lightning sales—the entry-level F-150 Lightning Pro cost $59,974 by the middle of 2023, $20,000 more than the 2021 pricing. In July 2023, the automaker cut F-150 Lightning prices heavily, but prices remained significantly higher than at launch.